Can a foreigner buy property in Russia?

Foreigners may buy, but with permission, zones or type limits

Russia lets foreigners own land in general, but not agricultural land and not land in border and other designated territories. Further restrictions have applied since 2022 to buyers linked to states Russia calls unfriendly.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the structure of the rule, not prices, taxes or quotas. Confirm the current position with the official source listed below, and with a lawyer in the country, before you pay anything. This is general information, not legal advice.

Land

Foreigners may own non-agricultural land outside the border and other designated territories. Agricultural land cannot be owned by foreigners, who can only lease it.

Houses and flats

Houses and flats can be bought by foreigners, with the extra conditions above.

Buying through a company

A Russian company with foreign participation of more than a set share is treated as foreign for the land rules.

Limits and closed zones

Border and other designated territories are closed to foreign ownership of land.

What to watch for

Sanctions and other restrictions affect many foreign transactions. Take advice in your home country as well as in Russia.

Understand the legal system first

Russia belongs to the Civil law family. Property is registered and transferred differently in different traditions, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Russia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Russia with another country →

Official sources

Rosreestr: Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography

TheLawToKnow Tools’s guide to foreign property ownership is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.