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Money, banks and taxes after leaving

Draft First minutes: what human rights defenders usually advise

Money, banks and taxes after leaving

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

  • The EU's 19th sanctions package (October 2025) restricted cards for Russians without a right to reside. Blocks mostly hit people awaiting a residence permit renewal or living on a D visa.
  • According to the European Commission, everyone lawfully in the EU has a right to a basic account; Russian citizenship alone is not a reason to close one. Keep proof of your status to hand.
  • From Russia you can send up to $1m a month to your own foreign accounts, and up to $10,000 via money transfer services. Many Russian banks are cut off from SWIFT.
  • After 183 days abroad in a year you lose Russian tax residence. Remote work under a contract with a Russian company is taxed at 13–22% regardless of status.
  • Since March 2025 'foreign agents' receive Russian income only into a special account. Donations from Russia and via exchanges are traced: Binance handed data to Russia's Investigative Committee.

current as of September 25. More: Oninvest: Commission guidance for banks; Bank of Russia: transfer restrictions; T-Bank: income tax for non-resident remote workers; First Department: Binance and data for investigators (foreign agent)

Draft First minutes: what human rights defenders usually advise

Seizure of property and accounts of those who left

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

  • Since 1 September 2026 courts can freeze property of people abroad punished under certain 'political' administrative articles (foreign agents, 'undesirables', 'disrespect for authorities', sanctions calls, etc.): first accounts, then homes and cars.
  • It's a freeze, not confiscation: you can't dispose of the property. The court decides within one working day, without the person present.
  • With unpaid fines over 30,000 roubles, bailiffs can ban leaving Russia. Enforcement proceedings are listed in the bailiffs' database — see 'Check yourself'.
  • Lawyers usually advise arranging powers of attorney, property deals and moving savings out of Russian banks in advance — before you're added to the 284-FZ register.
  • If an account is frozen: some money is protected from seizure — OVD-Info explains how to get it back. Where to turn: First Department, Reforum Help.

Designations of organisations in this guide: OVD-Info (foreign agent, extremist, on Rosfinmonitoring list); Reforum Help (undesirable). Contacting them carries a risk: do not write from a phone that may be seized, and do not repost their materials.

current as of September 25. More: OVD-Info: seizure of emigrants' property (extremist); First Department: the law on seizing emigrants' property (foreign agent); OVD-Info: my bank account was frozen (extremist)

Who helps

3 organisations

First Department

Lawyers for treason, espionage, state secrets and extremism cases, including closed trials. Advice on digital security.

If Telegram doesn't open: website

abroad foreign agent link checked September 25
Message the bot @deptonebot

The Ark (Kovcheg)

Legal advice for people who have left (documents, residence permits, visas, asylum, extradition risk), temporary housing, free psychologists, mutual-aid chats by city.

Lawyers via the Telegram bots @kovcheglive_bot and @EmigrantHelpBot; psychologists and housing via forms on the website. The project was set up with support from the Anti-War Committee, designated 'terrorist' in Russia in March 2026; The Ark itself is a 'foreign agent'.

If Telegram doesn't open: team@kovcheg.live

abroad foreign agent link checked September 25
Get in touch kovcheg.live

Reforum Help

Free psychologists and lawyers for forced emigrants: migration and visas, taxes, civil law, humanitarian residence; groups and seminars.

A Reforum project of the Free Russia Foundation, designated 'undesirable' in Russia. If you travel to Russia, contacting an 'undesirable' organisation or joining its events can lead to prosecution, so check with a lawyer.

online; Berlin, Vilnius, Warsaw, Paris, Tbilisi undesirable
Get in touch help.reforum.io

Lawyers for political cases →

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