Enterprises with foreign investments are established in Russia in the following corporate forms:
- closed and open joint-stock companies;
- limited-liability companies and other business partnerships and companies provided for by Part 1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

An enterprise with foreign investments may be established:
- through its promotion;
- as a result of acquisition by a foreign investor of a share (stock) in an enterprise which was originally established without foreign investments, or as a result of acquisition of the entire enterprise of this kind.

In this case the following must be taken into account:
1. Shares (stock) in enterprises may be acquired by foreign investors both for rubles received as income from sources in the territory of Russia and for foreign currency.

In the latter case foreign currency is converted to rubles according to the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Russia.
2. To acquire shares, stock and other securities a foreign investor cannot use rubles purchased in Russia at an exchange rate below that of the Central Bank.
3. If an investor pays for shares (stock) in an enterprise with foreign currency, then, under the Russian legislation, this enterprise is regarded as an enterprise with foreign investments.

When payment is made in rubles, the enterprise will be regarded as an enterprise with foreign investments if the foreign investor holds more than 50% of its shares (stock).