Russia’s Shared Values Visa Draws 1,156 Applicants in First 7 Months

Russia’s Shared Values Visa (SVV) program has attracted 1,156 applicants since its launch, according to official data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is the first public report on application volumes for the visa, introduced by Presidential Decree No. 702 in August 2024.

Application Breakdown by Country and Region

• Top Nationalities:
  Germany leads with 224 applications, followed by Latvia (126) and the United States (99). Other major contributors include France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

• European Dominance:
  European applicants make up 678 of the 1,156 total,79% of the top 10. The Baltic states alone account for 220 applications, roughly a quarter of the group. This strong showing is likely driven by ethnic Russian communities seeking cultural or family reintegration.

• North America and Asia:
  The U.S. and Canada combined contributed 149 applications (17%), while Asian representation was minimal, with South Korea accounting for 34 applicants (4%).

SVV Aims to Attract Ideological Migrants, Not Investors

The Shared Values Visa is Russia’s first major immigration track focused explicitly on cultural and ideological alignment rather than capital investment, professional skills, or family sponsorship.

Key features of the program include:

• No language or history exam requirements for applicants
• No annual quota limits (standard TRPs are capped at 10,595 per year)
• Open to nationals of 47 countries, including all EU states, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea
• Based on a values framework emphasizing “respect for life, dignity, family, morality, and spirituality over materialism”

SVV applications continue to increase, but no official data on approval rates or processing times has been released. The visa currently operates alongside Russia’s investment-focused Golden Visa, which grants permanent residency to those investing in real estate, businesses, or social projects.

The SVV presents a unique immigration strategy: instead of targeting wealth or labor skills, it seeks to attract people who actively reject Western liberal ideologies and want to settle in a country that defines itself around “traditional” values. It is a first-of-its-kind ideological migration model in the modern world.