REAL ESTATE SALE PROCESS IN RUSSIA — STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE (2025)

Selling real estate in Russia (residential, land, office, or commercial property) follows a defined legal procedure.

Although there may be minor differences depending on the property type, the following steps generally apply to all transactions.

1. Preparation of Ownership Documents

The seller must collect all documents proving ownership rights over the property:

• EGRN (Unified State Register of Real Estate, Единый государственный реестр недвижимости) — official extract of property title issued by Rosreestr (Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography, Федеральная служба государственной регистрации, кадастра и картографии).
• Technical Passport (Технический паспорт) — contains the property's plan, measurements, and structural details, issued by BTI (Bureau of Technical Inventory, Бюро технической инвентаризации).
• Cadastral Plan (Кадастровый план) — defines the property boundaries, location, and cadastral number.
• Ownership Certificate — shows how the property was acquired (sale contract, donation, inheritance, etc.).
• If the property is jointly owned between spouses, a spousal consent notarized document (нотариальное согласие супруга) is required.

📌 Note: The seller must ensure the property is free of debts, mortgages (ипотека) or any encumbrances (обременение).

2. Property Valuation

Before the sale, the actual market value of the property must be determined.

A licensed property appraiser (оценщик) prepares an official valuation report, which is mandatory for tax calculations and bank-financed transactions.

3. Preliminary Agreement (Optional)

Before the final sale, the parties may sign a Preliminary Sale Agreement (предварительный договор купли-продажи) to define the terms.

It usually includes:

• Sale price,
• Payment terms,
• Planned completion date,
• Penalties for withdrawal.

In most cases, the buyer pays a deposit (задаток) at this stage.

If one party withdraws without valid reason, the deposit is either forfeited or refunded at double the amount.

4. Preparation of Documents

To make the sale legally valid, the following documents are required:

From the Seller:

• Russian Federation passport,
• EGRN extract,
• Cadastral plan,
• Spousal notarized consent (if applicable),
• Draft sale agreement.

From the Buyer:

• Passport of the Russian Federation or foreign passport,
• Proof of the source of funds (bank loan approval, bank statement, etc.).

5. Preparation of the Sale Agreement

The Sale Agreement (договор купли-продажи недвижимости) is the key legal document confirming the transfer of ownership.

It must include:

• Full identification details of both parties,
• Property address, cadastral number, and description,
• Sale price,
• Payment method (cash, bank transfer, letter of credit, etc.),
• Delivery date,
• Signatures of both parties.

In certain cases (shared ownership, power of attorney, property owned by minors), notarization (нотариальное удостоверение) is mandatory.

6. Payment Methods

There are three commonly used secure payment methods in Russia:

1. Bank Safe Deposit Box (банковская ячейка): The buyer places funds in a secure bank box, accessible to the seller after title transfer.
2. Letter of Credit (аккредитив): The bank holds funds until registration is complete, then releases payment to the seller.
3. Escrow Account (эскроу-счёт): Required for new developments; the buyer's funds remain in escrow until completion and registration.

7. State Registration (Title Registration)

All documents are submitted either through MFC (Multifunctional State Service Center, Многофункциональный центр) or directly to Rosreestr.

This is the stage where the buyer's ownership is officially recorded.

Required documents:

• Sale agreement,
• Passports of both parties,
• EGRN extract,
• Proof of payment,
• Notarized approvals (if applicable).

⏱ Processing time: 5–9 business days.
💰 State fee:

• Individuals: 2,000 rubles,
• Legal entities (companies): up to 22,000 rubles.

8. Issuance of New Title (Ownership Certificate)

After Rosreestr registration, the buyer receives a new EGRN extract, confirming legal ownership.

The certificate can be issued in digital PDF format with an electronic signature or as a printed document.

9. Tax Declaration

The seller must declare income from the sale in Russia:

• Russian citizens: 13% income tax,
• Foreign citizens: 30% income tax,
• If the seller has owned the property for more than five years, the sale is tax-exempt.

The buyer may claim a tax deduction (налоговый вычет) for part of the purchase price.

10. Post-Registration Procedures

• Notify the management company (управляющая компания) about the new owner.
• Transfer all utility contracts (electricity, water, gas, internet) to the new owner's name.
• Update or transfer the property insurance policy (страховка).
• Keep all records for future tax and ownership verification.

11. Special Cases

• Sale by Power of Attorney (по доверенности): A notarized power of attorney is required.
• Mortgage Sale (ипотека): The bank's written approval must be obtained.
• Foreign Buyers or Sellers: Passports and related documents must be translated into Russian and notarized.
• New Development Projects (застройщик): Sales can only be conducted through the escrow system.