--- title: Moving to Dubai from Russia in 2026, Tax, Visas and Banks url: https://dm-uae.com/russia-founders/ description: Moving to Dubai from Russia in 2026: UAE visas for Russian citizens, Russian tax residence and currency control after you leave, banking and company setup. updated: 2026-11-03 source: DM Consultancy (dm-uae.com). The HTML page is the reference version. --- # Moving to Dubai from Russia, tax in order Russians usually move for banking that works abroad, and for a company foreign clients can pay without delays. The FNS rules come with you. [Book a 15-minute call](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ3iUsl6OhHy5YEyFEpygJBYbMbGDZ7fIiA2jzn36qH26vKRo_PDEpn0EzJeySwjrl1R9zHtZnVN?gv=true)See the steps of the move ![People on the lawn in front of the Dubai Opera in Downtown Dubai on a bright day](https://dm-uae.com/assets/images/v2/cty-hero-ru.webp) Russian tax residence Set by a day count UAE bank account Source of funds comes first Russia and UAE treaty Applies from 1 January 2026 Flight from Moscow About 5 hours ## Key takeaways - Many founders moving to Dubai from Russia come for banking and payments that work abroad, since Russian-issued cards stopped working abroad in 2022. The UAE account depends on a documented source of funds. - Russian passport holders get a visa on arrival to visit the UAE. Living here needs a residence visa, finished with a medical test and Emirates ID biometrics. - Russian tax residence is a day count, and leaving does not end it until the count says so. - As a citizen you remain a Russian currency resident wherever you live, so foreign accounts still bring reporting duties. - A new Russia and UAE tax treaty applies from 1 January 2026 and caps Russian withholding on dividends, interest and royalties at 10%. ## Who handles which side **What we handle in Dubai.** Your visa, company and FTA registration, plus a bank file built for the closer review a Russian profile gets. **What your Russian adviser handles.** Russian tax residence, currency control and reporting of foreign accounts and companies. ## How the move from Russia unfolds Russia counts days and has no departure form, so your travel dates come first. The bank file starts early, alongside the Dubai paperwork. 1. ### Before you leave Russian tax and currency review, route chosen, documents legalised, source-of-funds file assembled With Russian counsel 2. ### Licence and establishment card Company licence and establishment card, if you need a company Our team in Dubai 3. ### Visa and biometrics Entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID, visa Our team; you attend in person 4. ### The two accounts Personal account, then the corporate account on its own file DM Consultancy, with the bank 5. ### First year Corporate tax registration, residence evidence, Russian notifications and reports Both sides ### Checklist for the move ### Checklist before you leave - Russian tax and currency review with your adviser: days in Russia, contracts, property, foreign accounts - Visa route chosen and checked for each family member - Certificates and diplomas legalised - Source-of-wealth and source-of-funds documents gathered and translated - Decision on a UAE company, and on the Russian one - School applications made ### After you arrive - Medical test and Emirates ID done - Tenancy registered with Ejari - Health insurance for every family member - Personal account, then the company account - FTA registration for the UAE company - Entry and exit report kept for the FNS ## The visa routes Russians use Find the line closest to your plans. The family is checked against the route at the same time, because every Russian certificate needs legalising first. Residence routes by situation | Your situation | The route to look at | |---|---| | You have a contract with a UAE employer | Employment visa | | You will run a genuine business from Dubai | Company owner or partner visa | | UAE property worth AED 2 million or more, or another investor, entrepreneur or talent test fits | Golden Visa, ten years | | Skilled employee or freelancer meeting the education and income tests, or an investor or partner with a qualifying UAE investment | Green Visa, five years | | Your employer or clients stay outside the UAE | Remote work visa, one year | | You are 55 or older, with qualifying property, savings or income | Retirement visa, five years | | Your spouse or a parent is a UAE resident already | Family sponsorship | Chapters 1. 01 Can you move? 2. 02 Residence visas 3. 03 Russian tax when you leave 4. 04 UAE tax residence 5. 05 Company and banking 6. 06 Your Russian company 7. 07 Tax in Dubai 8. 08 Family and schools 9. 09 Your first weeks 10. 10 Time and cost ## Can you move to Dubai from Russia? Yes. Moving to Dubai from Russia is legally simple, and a Russian citizen can work and own a company here on a UAE residence visa. There is no quota for Russians and no local sponsor requirement for most businesses. The harder work is on the Russian side, where currency control and reporting continue after you leave. Then there is the bank, which wants to know where your money came from. ### The practical case for Dubai For most of the people we advise, the reasons are practical. Cards issued by Russian banks have not worked abroad since Visa and Mastercard left Russia in 2022, and foreign clients often find it slow to pay a Russian account. A UAE company with a UAE account lets an IT studio or a trading business keep invoicing those clients. Moscow is about five hours away on a direct flight, and the Russian-speaking community here is large. Currency is the other reason. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, while the rouble has swung widely against it since 2024, so savings and prices held in dirhams stay predictable. A Russian passport brings its own costs. Banks apply enhanced due diligence, and some decline Russia-linked profiles, so the account can take longer than the licence. Citizenship keeps you a Russian currency resident with reporting duties, and a Russian employment contract keeps that salary in Russian tax wherever you live. ### Moving without a job You can. Chapter two sets out the routes that need no employer. There is no permanent residence as such, so a long stay means renewing a status. The ten-year Golden Visa gives the longest single term. ### What can slow you down Some employers and visa categories ask for a Russian certificate of no criminal record. It needs legalising like any other Russian document, so it is ordered early. The founder we meet most often works in IT or trading and has clients abroad. The licence is the easy part, so the bank file is where we start. Anyone named on a US, EU or UK sanctions list, or closely linked to someone who is, should say so at the start. Most UAE banks will decline them whatever UAE law says, and screening usually finds it. ## Dubai residence visas for Russian citizens Russians use the same residence categories as everyone else. The right one follows from where your income will come from. ### Do Russians need a visa? To visit, no advance visa is needed: Russians receive a visa on arrival on their international passport. A visit entry does not let you work or open most bank accounts. Use it to scout housing and schools. ### Employment visa The UAE employer handles the application and the sponsorship. With an offer it is the fastest route, and your family can follow once your salary and housing qualify. ### Company owner or partner visa Your own UAE company sponsors you as investor or partner. From Russia we mostly see IT studios, consultancies and trading houses. Licence, workspace and visa renew together, so the business has to be real. ### The Golden Visa for Russian citizens Nationality is no bar. The ten-year Golden Visa is self-sponsored and renewable, and the property route needs an updated title deed showing AED 2 million or more. Investor, entrepreneur, specialist and talent routes sit alongside it. The purchase brings its own source-of-funds checks, so a clean paper trail from Russia matters. The [Golden Visa page](https://dm-uae.com/golden-visa/) covers every route. ### Green Visa and remote work visa The Green Visa gives five years of self-sponsored residence to skilled employees and freelancers who meet its education and income criteria, and to investors with a qualifying UAE investment. A remote work visa lasts one year, renews, and suits people whose employer or business is outside the UAE. ### Retirement and family sponsorship From 55, Dubai issues a five-year retirement visa on any one of three routes: property worth AED 1 million, a bank deposit of AED 1 million, or an income of AED 240,000 a year. Family sponsorship is covered in chapter eight. ### The final steps Each route closes with the entry permit, a medical test and Emirates ID biometrics before the residence visa is issued. A standard visa lapses after more than 180 days in a row abroad. Golden Visa holders are exempt, which helps anyone still spending long periods in Russia. ### Other CIS passports Entry rules differ by passport, but the residence routes are the same for all of them. The Russian rules on this page apply to Russian citizens and tax residents only. ## Russian tax when you move to Dubai The FNS (the Federal Tax Service) applies its own tests whatever visa you hold, and several Russian duties continue after you leave. ### How Russia counts tax residence Russian tax residence is a day count: 183 days or more in Russia within 12 consecutive months makes you resident. Ties, family and property do not enter into it, and your status for the year is fixed by your days in Russia in that calendar year. ### The year you leave With no split year and no departure form, the date you leave fixes how the whole year is taxed. A late departure can leave you resident for that year, taxed on worldwide income. Keep the evidence from day one: passport stamps, flight data and your UAE entry and exit report. The FNS or a Russian bank can ask for proof years later. ### What Russia still taxes A non-resident pays Russian tax only on Russian-source income. Your Dubai salary and your UAE company's profits fall outside it; rent, dividends and other income arising in Russia stay inside, at rates that differ from those a resident pays. ### Working remotely for a Russian employer Pay for remote work under a contract with a Russian company now counts as Russian-source income even when you work from abroad. An IT specialist who keeps a Russian contract keeps paying Russian tax on that salary; a UAE employer, or your own UAE company, changes the source of the income. ### Renting out or selling your flat Rent from Russian property stays taxable in Russia after you leave. A sale can be exempt once the property has been held long enough; sell earlier and the gain is taxed. ### Currency control and your accounts abroad A Russian citizen stays a currency resident wherever they live. Leaving can end your tax residence, but it does not end your currency residence. Accounts abroad bring notification and reporting duties. The exemptions depend on your time outside Russia and where the bank is. ### Controlled foreign companies and participation notices While you remain a Russian tax resident, a UAE company you control is a controlled foreign company. Notices are due even when the profit is exempt, and missing one is costly. Once you are non-resident for a year, the CFC charge falls away for that year. ### The Russia and UAE treaty Russia and the UAE signed a new double tax agreement in February 2025, and it applies from 1 January 2026. Individuals benefit as well as private companies. To claim the 10% cap on Russian withholding, you need a UAE Tax Residency Certificate. ### What Russia does not have No exit tax applies to individuals leaving Russia, and there has been no inheritance tax since 2006. Russian property still passes under Russian succession rules, which is one reason to plan wills on both sides. A Russian-qualified adviser should test each point against your own history. You take our list of questions to that meeting, and the Dubai side follows their answer. ## UAE tax residence for Russian citizens Since March 2023 the UAE has had a residence test for individuals. One of three is enough. You can spend 183 days here in a 12-month period, or 90 days with a residence permit and a home or work here. Or your personal and financial life can be centred in the UAE. For a Russian, the Tax Residency Certificate from the Federal Tax Authority does three jobs. It supports the treaty rate on Russian dividends and interest and backs up your non-residence if the FNS or a Russian bank asks. It also lets a UAE bank record you as UAE resident, so the account is not reported to Russia. Keep your Ejari and travel records from the week you arrive. A senior advisor can explain how UAE residence evidence fits your Russian dividends and accounts. [Book a 15-minute call](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ3iUsl6OhHy5YEyFEpygJBYbMbGDZ7fIiA2jzn36qH26vKRo_PDEpn0EzJeySwjrl1R9zHtZnVN?gv=true)[WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971585562152?text=Hi%20DM%20Consultancy%2C%20I%27m%20a%20Russia%20or%20CIS-based%20founder%20looking%20to%20set%20up%20in%20the%20UAE.%20Could%20we%20discuss%3F) ## Setting up a company from Russia You can set up a company in Dubai from Russia with most of the work handled before you land. The structure fixes who you may invoice and how many visas the company can hold. A bank also treats it as a statement of what you do. ### Free zone or mainland A free zone company fits an IT studio, consultancy or trading business with clients outside the UAE. For that kind of business, [claim your IFZA company from AED 11,500](https://dm-uae.com/lp/ifza-company-formation/), until 30 November. Selling to UAE customers directly generally needs a mainland licence from DET. For trading, the bank behind the company matters more than the zone. Fund managers and advisory firms may belong in [DIFC](https://dm-uae.com/financial-centres/difc/) or [ADGM](https://dm-uae.com/financial-centres/adgm/), where regulated work takes months. An offshore company can only hold assets, with no trading in the UAE and no visas. The [mainland and free zone comparison](https://dm-uae.com/compare/mainland-vs-free-zone/) goes further. ### Formation and the bank file Formation goes from activity approval to the licence, the establishment card, the visas and the bank account. Russian profiles draw closer bank review, so we build the bank file while the earlier stages run. ### Banking in Dubai as a Russian UAE law does not bar Russian customers, and many hold accounts here. Each bank applies its own risk appetite, and any bank clearing US dollars or euros brings Western sanctions exposure into every file. Since US secondary sanctions rules widened in December 2023, banks have tightened their screening of Russia-linked clients, counterparties and goods. A Russian file meets enhanced due diligence even when the business has nothing to do with sanctioned sectors. The bank looks at how the wealth was built, where this money comes from and the route it travels. It also checks every shareholder and counterparty, and the business story against the licence. Each bank has its own appetite. So we assess the profile first and apply once, with a complete file, to a bank that fits it. Any payment route between Russia and the UAE should be one the bank has approved in advance. Read [how UAE banks assess a company](https://dm-uae.com/banking/). ### Moving money out of Russia As a currency resident, you move capital under Russian currency control as well as your bank's rules, and the Russian limits on transfers abroad keep changing. Russian counsel confirms the route before the money moves, and the paperwork is kept ready for the UAE bank. ### Corporate tax registration All UAE companies register for corporate tax with the FTA, even with no tax expected. A missed deadline brings a penalty regardless of profit. ## Your Russian company after the move Keeping an OOO (a Russian limited company) after moving to Dubai is common, often to serve Russian clients while a UAE company takes everything else. Owning it from abroad is lawful. The exposure comes from where each company is managed. An OOO stays in Russian profit tax wherever its director lives. If you run it day to day from Dubai the UAE can also treat it as resident for corporate tax. It works the other way too. A UAE company whose decisions are taken in Russia can become Russian tax resident. Run each company, with decisions minuted, where it says it is. A general director in Russia for the OOO and board decisions for the UAE company taken in Dubai help most. Closing the OOO comes last, after the UAE entity is formed and clients and staff have moved. Leaving it dormant is the other option. ## Tax in Dubai for Russian residents For individuals, income in Dubai is very largely untaxed. Salary, personal gains and estates all escape tax. A founder deals with two taxes, corporate tax and VAT. **Personal income** Employment, investment and personal property income stay untaxed. Only trading in your own name brings corporate tax, once business turnover passes AED 1 million in a calendar year. **Corporate tax** All companies register. The 0% band covers taxable income up to AED 375,000, with 9% above it. Small Business Relief can be elected where revenue is AED 3 million or less, for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. **VAT** Charged at 5%. A business must register above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and can choose to from AED 187,500. A free zone company reaches 0% only as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, on qualifying income, with every condition met each year. A breach moves the company to the standard regime for that year and the four that follow. See the [QFZP guide](https://dm-uae.com/guides/qfzp-uae-free-zone-tax-explained/) and [corporate tax and VAT](https://dm-uae.com/tax-vat/). ## Moving to Dubai with family from Russia A family visa runs on documents, and Russian certificates have to be prepared for the UAE before you leave. ### Legalising Russian documents for the UAE The UAE does not accept the apostille, so Russian marriage and birth certificates, diplomas and police certificates need Russian legalisation and then UAE attestation. This is the usual cause of a late family visa, so we begin it as soon as you commit. Names must match the international passport spelling exactly; transliteration mismatches are the commonest reason a document comes back. ### Spouse and child visas With your own residence and qualifying income and housing, you can sponsor your spouse and children, and sometimes your parents. Each then attends their own biometrics appointment. ### Schools for Russian-speaking children Most Russian families choose British, IB or American curriculum schools, and several schools offer Russian as a language. Private schools in Dubai are regulated by the KHDA, and the popular ones fill early. ### Health insurance Dubai requires every resident to hold health insurance. Employers cover staff, and the self-employed buy their own. ## First weeks in Dubai after the move ### Housing and Ejari Rent first and buy later. The tenancy must be registered with Ejari, and that registration becomes your official address for banks, schools, DEWA utilities and family visas. ### Where Russian-speaking families live There is no single Russian district; Russian-speaking shops, clinics and kindergartens are spread across the city. Pick the school before the house; school-run traffic is the cost newcomers most often misjudge. ### Personal banking A personal account follows the residence visa, because the bank needs your Emirates ID and proof of address. Expect a shorter version of the company source-of-funds questions. The new account also brings Russian reporting duties. ### Exchanging a Russian driving licence Russia is not on the RTA exchange list, so Russian licence holders who take up residence train with an approved driving school and pass the RTA tests. The list does change, so other CIS licences are worth checking with us. ### Wills and guardianship A Russian will may not deal with UAE assets or the guardianship of children living here. Non-Muslim residents can register a UAE will, drafted to sit alongside the Russian will, which still governs property in Russia. ## Timeline and cost drivers The UAE formalities take a few weeks once documents are ready. Legalisation and the bank file usually set the pace of a move from Russia. The cost of moving to Dubai from Russia is built from lines that change with your choices. They include licence and workspace, a visa and medical for each adult, housing, schools, insurance, legalisation and advice on both sides. ## Client reviews from founders who moved In their own words, each linked to the original. [**5.0**Read the reviews on Google](https://share.google/hsoSSa4Pcj8vqPfZK) Everything was perfect, very fast, easy and super professional. You helped me and my family get our Golden Visas without any stress. **Vladimir Vlasov** Golden Visa client [Read on Google](https://share.google/8CiKApVzi52TkJpK7) - From the initial assessment to final implementation, the team demonstrated strong expertise, structured methodology, and clear communication. **Graphic Industry**Business setup client [Google](https://share.google/DNfn0YlAqRF2CLzgF) - They delivered what they promised without any hidden agenda and informed me of better and less costly ways to achieve what I need. **D Jamil**Residency and corporate client [Google](https://share.google/dUU74subbpmes4y95) - Thanks to Manish Kumar, we were finally able to speed up the process of getting our visa after months of struggling with other agents. **Sali Abdolah**Visa client [Google](https://share.google/NyD2NZTgVJ8XYZQo6) - He was super quick to reply, very efficient and honestly the best I have worked with. He made the whole process so much easier. **Abdolah Keria**Visa client [Google](https://share.google/XFDEHwqfqEyj3TOij) ## Questions Russians ask before moving to Dubai **A question about your own move?** Send it on WhatsApp and an advisor answers it directly. [Ask on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971585562152) ### Can I set up a company in Dubai from Russia? Yes, and most of the work happens before you travel. Prepare the bank file from the start, because UAE banks apply enhanced checks to Russian owners and look closely at the source of funds. ### Can Russians open a bank account in Dubai? Yes, with enhanced due diligence. Banks screen Russian applicants for sanctions exposure and want a documented source of wealth and funds. A complete file sent to a bank with a realistic appetite has the best chance. ### Can Russians get a UAE Golden Visa? Nationality is no bar, and [Dubai property worth AED 2 million or more](https://dm-uae.com/guides/uae-golden-visa-property-investor-2m/) supports the Golden Visa. Because Russian cards stopped working abroad in 2022, the route your money takes into the UAE is checked closely. ### Do I pay Russian tax if I live and work in Dubai? Not on UAE income once you are a Russian non-resident, which means under 183 days in Russia within 12 consecutive months. Russian-source income, such as rent or dividends, stays taxable in Russia. ### Is there a double tax treaty between Russia and the UAE? There is. A new agreement signed in February 2025 applies from 1 January 2026, covering individuals and private companies. It caps Russian withholding on dividends, interest and royalties at 10% for holders of a UAE Tax Residency Certificate. ### Do Russian citizens need a visa for Dubai? No, not to visit. Russians receive a visa on arrival on their international passport, which suits scouting housing and schools but not work. Living in Dubai needs a residence visa. ## Related reading - [**Relocating to Dubai** Start here for the whole move, then open the guide for the country you are leaving.](https://dm-uae.com/relocation-to-dubai/) - [**Corporate banking in the UAE** The file a UAE bank reads, and the bank that fits your profile.](https://dm-uae.com/banking/) - [**UAE Golden Visa requirements** Ten years of residence, family included.](https://dm-uae.com/golden-visa/) - [**Company formation in the UAE** Every structure, and the order it runs in.](https://dm-uae.com/company-setup/) ## A bank-ready file for Russian founders A senior advisor maps the structure and the banks realistic for your profile. [Book a 15-minute call](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ3iUsl6OhHy5YEyFEpygJBYbMbGDZ7fIiA2jzn36qH26vKRo_PDEpn0EzJeySwjrl1R9zHtZnVN?gv=true)[Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971585562152?text=Hi%20DM%20Consultancy%2C%20I%27m%20a%20Russia%20or%20CIS-based%20founder%20looking%20to%20set%20up%20in%20the%20UAE.%20Could%20we%20discuss%3F) On the call 1. The two accounts and the banks realistic for you 2. How Russia counts your tax residence Replies within two business hours, Monday to Saturday. [About the firm](https://dm-uae.com/about/) ![Portrait of your advisor](https://dm-uae.com/assets/images/manish-portrait-cut-w480.webp)