Overview
Russia holds a rank-33 passport with 117 destinations reachable without a prior visa. It is the world's largest country by area, with around 144 million people.
For Vietnamese readers, Russia occupies a particular place in collective memory: tens of thousands studied at university and postgraduate level in the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation, many families have relatives who lived in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, and the Vietnamese community in Russia dates from that period, with its own trading centres and business networks.
But this article must state plainly three things that have changed substantially from the older picture, all of which bear directly on any decision:
First — the Russian passport's travel value has fallen sharply since 2022. Many countries have suspended or narrowed visa-free access, airspace closures have forced Russian carriers to route around or connect for flights to Europe and North America, and obtaining a Schengen visa on a Russian passport has become considerably harder.
Second — international payments are largely closed off. Visa and Mastercard cards issued in Russia do not work abroad, most major banks are excluded from international transfer systems, and moving money in and out is complicated. Anyone planning to live in Russia while holding income or assets abroad must solve this before, not after.
Third, and the point least often stated: 🔴 men who acquire Russian citizenship become liable for military service under Russian law, within the prescribed age range. This is not a theoretical risk but a direct legal consequence of becoming a citizen. Families with sons at or approaching that age must factor it in before filing, rather than discovering it afterwards.
The rest of this article sets out the facts so you can decide.
Geography & climate
Russia spans eleven time zones, from the Baltic in the west to the Pacific in the east, covering most of northern Asia and part of eastern Europe.
Most of the population and economic activity sit in the European portion west of the Urals. Moscow is the capital and economic centre; Saint Petersburg is the second city and Baltic gateway. Siberia and the Far East are vast but sparsely populated.
The climate is predominantly continental with wide extremes: long, very cold winters — Moscow spends months below −10°C, Siberia far colder — and short summers that can be hot. Sochi on the Black Sea is an exception, with a subtropical climate.
For arrivals from a tropical country, winter is the largest adjustment, and it should be prepared for seriously rather than underestimated.
History
The Russian state traces to Kievan Rus' in the ninth century, then the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and the Russian Empire from Peter the Great in the early eighteenth century — who shifted its orientation toward Europe and founded Saint Petersburg.
The 1917 revolution ended tsarist rule and established the Soviet state. The Soviet Union existed from 1922 to 1991, and that period is the root of today's Vietnam-Russia relationship: training agreements brought tens of thousands of Vietnamese students, chiefly in engineering, medicine and the basic sciences.
The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, leaving fifteen independent states. Russia's 1990s were a turbulent economic transition — and precisely when many Vietnamese already there moved into trade, forming the community's commercial centres.
Since 2022, relations between Russia and most Western countries have changed fundamentally, bringing broad economic and financial sanctions. This article notes that as fact bearing on residence decisions, not as political commentary.
Culture & people
Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, unlike the Latin script, so the first step is learning the letters. Its grammar has six noun cases. Even so, this is a language Vietnamese learners have a strong tradition of mastering — the community has teachers, materials and predecessors.
English is common among young people in the big cities and in technology, far less so than in Europe generally, and largely unusable in administration.
Russian culture places high value on literature, classical music, ballet and the basic sciences — the specialised mathematics and physics school system remains a genuine strength. Socially, strangers keep visible distance and can appear cold, but once a friendship forms it is durable and generous. Vietnamese visitors often find this familiar rather than strange.
The Vietnamese community concentrates in Moscow and a few large cities, centred on markets and trading complexes, with associations, Vietnamese-language schooling and services. It has generational depth, and many of the older generation speak Russian very well.
Economy & opportunity
Russia's economy leans heavily on energy — oil, gas, coal — alongside metals, chemicals, agriculture (Russia is a leading wheat exporter), defence, and an information technology sector with high-calibre talent.
Living costs are low by European standards, particularly outside Moscow. Personal income tax for residents is low compared with Europe.
Opportunities for foreigners typically lie in trade, manufacturing, teaching, IT, and community-linked activity.
But set these against the constraints already noted: rouble exchange-rate volatility, difficulties with international payments and transfers, and the withdrawal of many multinationals from the market. Anyone considering business here should assess these concretely rather than on impressions from a decade ago.
As always: Russian tax obligations do not replace those in your home country.
Immigration routes
Russia has no Caribbean-style citizenship-by-investment programme. The routes:
- Standard work visas and permits — requiring employer sponsorship.
- Highly Qualified Specialist (HQS) — for professionals earning above a prescribed threshold. Faster processing, longer validity, and family sponsorship. This is the smoothest door for professional employment.
- Temporary residence permit (RVP) — the first rung of the settlement path. Regional quotas have historically applied, with exempt categories such as spouses of Russian citizens, those born in the former USSR, and graduates of Russian universities.
- Permanent residence permit (VNZh) — the next rung, now without expiry for most categories, but requiring periodic confirmation and not exceeding a prescribed period of absence from Russia each year — a condition that frequently costs status to those spending long periods abroad.
- Compatriot and Russian-speaker categories — programmes for those with Russian origins or ties, offering a shortened path.
- Study — strong universities in engineering, medicine and the basic sciences, with low fees by Western standards and scholarships under bilateral agreements.
Citizenship — read this section carefully
Naturalisation rules have been simplified repeatedly in recent years, with an expanding list of categories eligible for a shortened procedure — spouses of Russian citizens with children, graduates of Russian universities working in Russia, those with Russian citizen parents, and others. General conditions include a Russian language certificate, basic history and legal knowledge, and lawful income.
Two things must be understood before filing:
🔴 One — military service. Male Russian citizens within the prescribed age range are liable for conscription. Naturalising means becoming a citizen, and that liability applies. Families with sons must weigh this beforehand, not afterwards.
Two — how Russia treats dual nationality. Russia does not require renunciation in many categories, but treats a Russian citizen solely as a Russian citizen in dealings with the Russian state — you cannot invoke another nationality before Russian authorities, including for consular protection. There is also a notification obligation regarding foreign citizenship or residence documents, and failing to notify is an administrative offence.
Because these rules change relatively often, check the current legislation when you apply rather than relying on an older article — including this one.
Everyday life
Living costs are low, particularly housing, food and public transport. Moscow is dearer than the rest but still below Western European capitals.
Transport: the Moscow and Saint Petersburg metros are among the world's best and cheapest. The intercity rail network is extensive.
Healthcare: a public system with compulsory insurance; foreigners typically use private providers in the large cities, of reasonable quality at costs below Western levels.
Education: free public schooling in Russian. Universities are strong in engineering and medicine.
What to prepare for:
- Long, very cold winters — the largest adjustment for families from a tropical country.
- The language barrier and Cyrillic alphabet, from the most ordinary daily tasks onward.
- International payments: cards issued in Russia do not work abroad, and many foreign cards do not work in Russia. Arrange a solution before arriving.
- Flights: direct connections to many countries have been reduced; connecting itineraries are usually necessary.
Who should consider Russia
A good fit if:
- You already have ties — you studied there, have family, or run a business within the community — and Russian is not a barrier.
- You work in trade, manufacturing or services connected to the Russian market and understand current payment conditions.
- Your children are studying engineering, medicine or the basic sciences and you want to use the low fees and bilateral scholarships.
- You are aiming at residence and work, not at a passport for travel.
Not a fit if:
- 🔴 Your family includes sons at or approaching conscription age and you have not carefully weighed the consequences of naturalising. This must be a conscious decision, not a late discovery.
- You want a strong passport for travel: rank 33 with 117 destinations, and that value has fallen alongside numerous new restrictions since 2022.
- You hold income or assets abroad and need convenient transfers in both directions.
- Your family would struggle with prolonged, severe winters.
- You need a stable regulatory framework for long-range planning: residence and citizenship rules here change relatively often.