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Changes to Accreditation of Branch and Representative Offices in Russia
What is changing? Single state agency with authority over accreditation – The accreditation of Offices will be handled by a single state agency (hereinafter – the “SSA”). While it is currently not clear which agency will be appointed to deal with the accreditation of Offices, it is widely presumed that the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation (hereinafter – the “FTS”) will be responsible for the accreditation of Offices.
Register of accredited branches and representative – The SSA will maintain the unified register, determine the procedure for accreditation, and establish forms and formats of required documents. The register will be freely accessible via the official website of the SSA. It will also be possible to obtain an extract from the register for a fee within 5 business days.
Accreditation of and visa support for foreign employees – The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation will be responsible for the accreditation of and visa support for foreign employees of Offices.
Automatic termination of accreditation (unless re-accreditation) – As of April 1, 2015, accreditation will be automatically terminated unless the office complies with the procedure outlined below.[1]
- If the accreditation expires in January 2015, Offices should apply for accreditation under the new law in February 2015.
- If the accreditation expires between February 1, 2015, and April 1, 2015 (inclusive), Offices are permitted to apply for accreditation in accordance with the new law within 30 days before the expiration of their current accreditation.
- If the accreditation expires after April 1, 2015, Offices are required to apply for accreditation in accordance with the new law before April 1, 2015.
What does this mean for you?
Your urgent attention and action is required, if you wish to keep your office in the Russian Federation. The accreditation of your office will be automatically terminated on April 1, 2015, unless you comply with the mandatory requirement for “re-accreditation”. Read full article here
Article supplied by Russia Consulting