A payment through Russian or Belarusian banks will not go through. The workable routes are a personal account abroad, rubles through a broker, cryptocurrency or your own company's account. In every case the applicant pays personally: another person's company or card will not be accepted.
Four routes that work
Your choice depends on where your money sits today and how quickly you can document it. The general logic: the more direct the path from your funds to the payment, the easier it is to explain during the source of funds review.
| Route | Best when | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Personal account abroad | Funds are already outside Russia | Account in the applicant's name, statement available |
| Rubles through a broker | Funds are in an account in Russia | Allow time for the transfer, keep the paperwork |
| Cryptocurrency | The asset is in your own wallet | Show where the asset came from |
| Your own company's account | The applicant owns the business | Document the link between company and applicant |
Who has to pay
The applicant pays personally. This is the core condition and there is no way around it. A payment from a relative's or friend's card, or from another company's business account, will not go through even if the money is really yours.
The reason is simple. Every application goes through a source of funds review, and that item is mandatory. The money must come from the same person whose income and assets appear in the documents. A third-party payer breaks that link.
Your own company works precisely because it is yours. Prepare the papers that show the connection in advance, so that the company account reads as a clear extension of your business rather than a random payer.
How much you will need to transfer
Start with the amount. For one person the contribution program costs $130 000, or $135 000 with the due diligence fee. In the fund, a family of 1 to 4 pays $165 000 including the fee, and $50 000 of that is a fund share held for 5 years.
The table shows totals with the fee. For the fund, this is the full payment before the share is returned.
The program you choose affects both the final cost and how much money has to move right away. For one person the contribution program costs less. A couple should decide whether they are willing to leave $50 000 in place for 5 years. For three to five people the fund is cheaper from the start, and for six to eight it becomes better value once the share is returned.
If you have limited funds abroad, the difference shapes your route. A family of three needs $170 000 with the fee under the contribution program and $165 000 in the fund. For a couple it is the other way round: $155 000 against $165 000. From the fifth person on, the fund adds $26 500 per person and the contribution program $10 000.
| People in the application | Contribution (DSP) with fee | Fund (CIIP) with fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $135 000 | $165 000 |
| 2 | $155 000 | $165 000 |
| 3 | $170 000 | $165 000 |
| 4 | $185 000 | $165 000 |
| 5 | $195 000 | $191 500 |
| 6 | $205 000 | $218 000 |
The order of payments
You do not pay the whole sum up front. First comes the free preliminary check, and only then the contract. Payments follow in stages.
- due diligence fee: at contract, $5 000 per application for the contribution program or $8 000 for the fund
- main amount: on the contract schedule, in one payment or in parts
- documents and biometrics: on separate invoices
- translation and certification, Vanuatu citizen documents, bank charges: invoiced as incurred
How much time to allow for the transfer
The whole process usually takes 2 months, 3 at most. A slow money transfer is one of the two typical reasons it stretches. The other is a holiday in the middle of the process.
After approval you have 3 months for payment and the oath. You can ask for a 2-month extension, but do not build your plan on it. If your money is in Russia, start preparing the route before you apply, not after the approval letter.
A sensible sequence: choose the route at the preliminary check stage, gather your source of funds papers, and make sure the money is available by the payment date in the contract. That way the transfer will not become the longest stage of the application.
How payment connects to your source of funds
The main applicant's file includes a 6-month statement, a bank letter, an asset report and proof of source of funds. Your payment route has to match these documents. If the report describes one asset and the money arrives from somewhere else entirely, questions will follow.
Keep paperwork for each step: the sale of an asset, a transfer between your own accounts, a broker operation, wallet activity. It is better to gather it straight away than to reconstruct it during the review.
If you already know the money will travel through several steps, describe that chain before you apply. You can show the situation during the preliminary check and see how it looks before any contract.
What to settle before the first payment
Payment goes more smoothly when the open questions are closed early. Before signing, go through this short list and see where the gaps are.
- whose name is on the paying account: it must be the applicant or the applicant's company
- how long the transfer will take to reach the contract payment date
- which documents will show where these funds came from
- whether the transfer clashes with a holiday or another long pause
- whether you have enough margin for separate invoices for documents, biometrics and bank charges
What happens to the money if you are refused
The due diligence fee is not refunded. Everything else on refusal follows the program rules and the contract, so read that clause before signing. No honest adviser will tell you the outcome in advance.
Separately allow for charges by banks and others involved in the transfer. These are invoiced, so build a small margin into your budget rather than counting the payment to the last dollar.
Common questions
Can I pay through a Russian bank?
No. Payments through Russian and Belarusian banks will not go through. A personal account abroad, rubles through a broker, cryptocurrency or your own company's account are the working routes.
Can a relative or business partner pay?
No. The applicant pays personally. Another person's company or card will not be accepted.
Do I have to pay everything at once?
No. The due diligence fee is paid at contract, and the main amount follows the contract schedule, in one payment or in parts.
What if the transfer is delayed?
The process stretches. After approval you have 3 months for payment and the oath, and you can request a separate 2-month extension.