The Central Bank lowered the income criterion for the status of a qualified investor to 12 million rubles.

It will be easier to obtain the status of a qualified investor in the Russian Federation due to the decision of the Central Bank of Russia to lower the required criterion for the average annual income from 20 to 12 million rubles. This was announced on May 16 by Mikhail Mamuta, head of the Service for Consumer Protection and Accessibility of financial services of the regulator.

"Yes, we have reduced it to 12 million, and the regulatory act that was approved by the board of directors today for referral to the Ministry of Justice contains exactly this figure," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying on the sidelines of the NAUFOR Russian Stock Market conference.

In addition, to obtain this status, a special exam may be introduced as early as 2025, which will be developed and accepted by educational institutions. It will enable anyone to obtain the status of a qualified investor if they have sufficient professional knowledge in this field, if they do not have sufficient income, work experience in the market, or education.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 13 that Russian businesses have real opportunities to invest in new regions of the country — Donbass and Novorossiya, which are characterized by favorable conditions for both agriculture and tourism development.

In March, the Bank of Russia updated the rules for obtaining qualified investor status, making them more flexible. So, the average annual income for the last two years at the level of 20 million rubles will no longer be the only criterion. The availability of higher financial education will reduce the threshold to 6 million rubles when combined with other conditions. Individuals with specialized education will be able to apply for the status with lower incomes and asset values.