Special Economic Zones

Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are limited geographical territories in Russia that benefit from preferential regimes thus encouraging inward investment. The Government provides infrastructure, incentive tax, administrative, and customs regimes for SEZ residents. SEZ residents are legal entities or individual entrepreneurs operating on SEZ territory registered with SEZ authorities. The benefits of SEZs only apply to foreign investors upon creating a Russian subsidiary. The application supported by a business plan should be submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

Types of Special Economic Zones (SEZ)

A few Technological Implementation Zones are located in the Moscow Region. Dubna focuses on aerospace and civil engineering, energy saving, and nuclear technology. Zelenograd is specialised in nanotechnologies, medical studies, and microelectronics. The St Petersburg SEZ focuses on complex equipment, databases, and software. Tomsk zone (Siberia) specialises on nanoelectronics, and new materials.

Industrial Development Zones are located in the Lipetsk Region, Central Russia (machinery, construction materials, electronics, consumer appliances), in Alabuga, Tatarstan (components for automotive industry and petrochemicals), and Samara (automotive components, petrochemicals, and construction materials).

Tourism and Recreational Zones are in Republics of Altai and Buryatiya, in the Krasnodar, Stavropol, and Altai Territories, in the Kaliningrad, Northern Caucasus, and Irkutsk region, and Russky Island next to Vladivostok (Far East).

Port Zones are in Ulyanovsk airport, Murmansk and Khabarovsky Territory and are focused on warehouse services, transportation and forwarding, ship maintenance and technical support, wholesale trade, simple assembling, packaging and marking, procession of sea products, and port operations.

The ‘youngest’ SEZ of Crimea is on the way and will likely focus on activities related with Crimea development.