Can a foreigner buy a land plot in Russia?

Although in many countries it is prohibited, foreigners (as well as stateless persons and foreign companies) can purchase land in Russia with some exceptions. It is provided for by Federal Law No. 136-FZ of October 25, 2001 “Land Code of the Russian Federation”. Note that in this case, a company is considered “foreign” if 50% of its shares are owned by foreign nationals.

The first exception is a plot of land located on a border area or within the boundaries of a seaport (see the full list here), for example, you cannot buy one in the Kronstadt district of St. Petersburg. If you inherited such land or received it as a gift, you have one year to sell it.

The second exception: foreigners can use agricultural land exclusively on a lease basis. Although in practice, this limitation is often circumvented – foreign companies create subsidiary companies in Russia and acquire land.

Another logical exception is land plots that cannot be privately owned at all, such as squares, streets, driveways, highways, embankments, boulevards, water bodies, beaches, etc.

If you have multiple citizenships and one of them is Russian, you have the same right to buy land plots as all other Russians do.


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