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Russia’s Shared Values Visa Attracts 1,156 Applicants in Seven Months

Germans lead SVV applications with 224 submissions, reflecting the broader dominance of European countries in the applicant pool.

Germans lead SVV applications with 224 submissions, reflecting the broader dominance of European countries in the applicant pool.

Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that 1,156 foreign nationals have applied for temporary residence permits under the country’s Shared Values Visa (SVV) program since its implementation.

The statistics, which ministry spokesperson Irina Volk released via an official Telegram channel, provide the first official data on application volumes for the SVV.

German citizens submitted the highest number of applications at 224, followed by Latvia with 126 and the United States with 99. France contributed 95 applicants, Italy 82, and the United Kingdom 57. Canada generated 50 applications, while Estonia recorded 55 and Lithuania 39. South Korea and Australia produced 34 and 33 applications, respectively.

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Among the top ten applicant nationalities, European countries dominate with 678 applications, accounting for 79% of the group. Notably, the three Baltic states, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, alone submitted 220 applications, comprising a quarter of the top ten total. The strong representation from the Baltic states, relative to their populations, may reflect the presence of ethnic Russian minorities seeking easier access to family or cultural ties in Russia.

North American applicants from the United States and Canada contributed 149 applications (17%), while Asia, represented by South Korea, accounted for 4%.

The ministry highlighted two specific cases in its announcement. A French family, Benjamin Venson and Lea Markovski, relocated to Russia with their two children. The couple stated that “French educational institutions introduce questionable ideas into children’s minds too early and too persistently,” according to ministry communications.

Canadian citizen Juan Mendoza, born in Peru, received a temporary residence permit for the Kemerovo region. Having previously lived in the United States and Canada, Mendoza moved to Russia after “disagreeing with local values and the unfriendly attitude toward Russia,” the ministry reported. He met his Russian wife, Valentina, in 2020 and plans to pursue Russian citizenship.

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Industry specialist Ilja Belobragin, General Managing Partner of MovetoRussia.com, notes that “the program officially launched in August, but in reality, it only became fully operational in October of last year.” The program has therefore operated for approximately six months.

Belobragin says that “initial numbers have been modest, but we are seeing a month-to-month increase in applicants as word of the opportunity spreads.” He views the program as “a ‘trial case'” for authorities who “see there is interest and would for sure do more to promote the opportunity.” He projects potential growth to 100,000 annual applicants as the program develops.

Putin established the SVV through Presidential Decree No. 702 in August 2024, targeting individuals who oppose what the decree terms “destructive neoliberal ideology” in their home countries. The program waives standard Russian language and history examinations while exempting applicants from quota restrictions that previously limited temporary residence permits to 10,595 in a year.

The government approved a list of 47 eligible countries in September 2024, encompassing most Western nations, including all European Union members, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. The decree defines Russia’s traditional values as “respect for life, dignity, human rights, high moral ideals, strong family values, and prioritizing spirituality over materialism.”

The Ministry claims that applications continue to increase daily, though authorities have not disclosed approval rates or processing timelines. The program operates alongside Russia's existing Golden Visa program, which requires real estate, business, or social project investments for permanent residency.

The SVV represents Russia's first major immigration program explicitly targeting ideological alignment rather than financial investment or family connections.

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