Interested Russians can now apply for free land under the Far Eastern Hectare or Arctic Hectare programs through the gosuslugi.ru government services website, the Ministry of Digital Development said on its website.

According to the ministry, Russian Federation citizens, foreign nationals and stateless persons can use this option if they participate in the voluntary resettlement program. Citizens can do several things online. They can obtain ownership of their land, designate gratuitous use or lease it, change its boundaries, discontinue their lease or rezone the land.

The land plots can be used for building a house or a summer cottage with a garden, opening a tourist facility, starting an agribusiness or another type of business, or for any other permitted activity.

According to the ministry statement, before the plot can be registered as private property, it needs to be taken for free use. To do this, applicants need to select Land in the Far East or the Arctic on gosuslugi.ru, then click Free use. If the future owner wants to outline the plot, they can do this on the site. After their application is considered, the decision will be sent to their personal account on gosuslugi.ru; if the decision is positive, they will also receive their draft lease agreement, the ministry says.

After 4.5 years of using the land for free, the owner can apply to register it as their own property. To do this, they need to select the Ownership or Lease service and then the Ownership section. The land can be privatized ahead of schedule if the user has built a residential structure with an area of at least 24 sq. m or obtained a loan for building a house there. Another option is obtaining a 49-year lease after 4.5 years. Registering the land plot as private property will also be possible at any time.

If the user does not comply with the requirements for the use of the plot, their lease will not be extended and their privatization request will be denied, the ministry warns.