Property
A unified state register where registration creates title
The unified state register of real property (EGRN), maintained by Rosreestr, merged the cadastre and the rights register in 2017. Registration is constitutive, and the register entry rather than the contract is what proves ownership.
Key rules
- Ownership of real property arises on registration in the EGRN.
- Notarisation is required for some transactions, including shares in an apartment.
- Foreign citizens may not own land in border and defined strategic areas.
- Since 2023 extracts no longer disclose the owner's name without their consent.
Governing law
- Civil Code, Part One (1994)Ownership and rights in rem.
- Federal Law No. 218-FZ on state registration of real property (2015)
- Land Code of the Russian Federation (2001)
In practice
The 2023 privacy change means a buyer can no longer confirm the owner's identity from a public extract, so an extract obtained by the seller personally has become a standard due diligence requirement.