One of the major stumbling blocks is that every year you will need to have registration, proof of address. Although by no means a deal breaker, you will need to find a landlord who will register you. If you use an agent, normally they will assist in this matter.

It is important that you have a clean criminal past with no police arrests or convictions. Convictions will not necessarily exclude you from applying, it all depends on the nature of the offence and how long ago it was.

Employment is quite easy to find, especially if you are flexible. Salaries are generally considerably higher in Moscow over other regions. If you are registered in Moscow, officially you can only work in Moscow. If you wanted to work in another region, you would need to update your registration.

Before you can submit your temporary residence application, you will to take a TB, HIV test and answer questions about any drug abuse, alcohol and confirm that you are a person of sound mind.

Once you start paying taxes and know the Russian language to a reasonable standard you can apply for permanent residence. Tax deductions for most residents is 13% rising to 15% for high earners. A simplified route to citizenship is to marry a Russian citizen and have a child. This avoids the Russian tests.