Executive Director
Intermark Relocation
Located approximately 1,000 kilometers west of Moscow, the republic of Tatarstan is one of the most economically well-developed and politically stable regions of the Russian Federation. An attractive economic and working environment has been specifically created to attract high performance financial investment projects, as well as to provide modern production facilities and supportive infrastructure.
The "Alabuga" special economic zone in the Yelabuga district is a flagship within the republic of Tatarstan and even in all Russia. Alabuga has proved very attractive for investors and operators alike, providing modern, well-developed industrial, engineering and transportation infrastructure with a number of tax and customs exemptions (property, land and transport taxes — 0%, income tax rate is reduced, foreign equipments and goods are installed and used without customs duty and VAT). Economic growth and political stability in the country attracts many foreign companies. You can notice this even while on board an aircraft; the share of foreign passengers from European countries and the U.S. to Tatarstan at times reached 90%. The major share of foreigners is living in Naberezhnye Chelny and Yelabuga. The majority of them are employed in the automotive industry. There are fewer expats in Kazan — they are primarily the heads of branches of foreign companies.
Tatarstan's government is committed to creating an economically attractive area, and also to providing expatriates with a comfortable life in the country. In this respect, a very good example is Naberezhnye Chelny, where almost in any cafe or restaurant an English menu is available and the staff members speak foreign languages.
However, today the situation in the rental housing market in Tatarstan's cities remains complicated. The majority of apartments offered for rent are located in Soviet period buildings. Total areas of such apartments, as a rule, are less than 60-70 square meters, which, of course, is not enough for expats' families, especially those with children. New and active construction hardly provides for a solution, as the biggest property is still under 70-80 square meters. As a result, the expats who come here to work for several years may have trouble finding a property for rent. Yet, despite the complexity of this problem it is always possible to find a solution. And, without a doubt, a professional relocation agency could assist you with this. The help of professionals also can be very useful for the immigration process, which can be quite complicated, for finding a good school for children, discovering the region, the culture and the local practices, which differ from other Russian regions.