Land related issues in the Russian Federation are regulated by the Land Code of the Russian Federation, approved on 25.10.2001.

The laws regarding land related issues in Russia apply to citizens and legal entities of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federation itself, regional and municipal governments; and foreign citizens, stateless persons and foreign legal entities with a number of restrictions stipulated in Federal Land Code.

Objects of land related issues can be:

•    Land as an object of nature and natural resource
•    Land plots
•    Parts of land plots

Russian legislation describes the following types of rights on land:

1. Property:

• State property (federal and regional)

• Municipal property

• Private property, namely property of citizens and legal entities

Foreign citizens and foreign legal entities cannot own land plots, located within the borders of the territories listed by the President of the Russian Federation, as set forth in the Federal Legislation on State Borders of the Russian Federation and on other fixed territories of the Russian Federation, according to the federal laws.

Foreign citizens and foreign legal entities are granted the ownership of land plots owned by the state or municipality in return for payment, if allowed by the legislation.

2. Permanent use of land plots

Subjects of the law are: State and municipal units, federal budget-supported enterprises as well as bodies of the government and local authorities and, with restrictions, citizens and legal entities of the Russian Federation.

3. Lifelong inheritable possessions of land plots

Subjects of the law are: citizens of the Russian Federation

4. Leasing of land plots

Subjects of the law are citizens and legal entities of  Russia. In some cases foreign citizens can possess land plots which are located on the territory of the Russian Federation  on the basis of the lend – lease regulations determined by the Russian Land Code.

5. Rights of limited use of privately owned land plots

6. Short term use of land plots without compensation

Subjects of the law are: citizens and legal entities of Russia