Alfa Emigration: reviews & investigation
The legal entity behind Alfa Emigration (allpassports.ru) was officially liquidated in December 2024. The website still runs, still collects inquiries, still promises "100% guaranteed results." Anti-scam databases show 98% negative reviews. We checked the business registry, the Web Archive, the complaints, and the office address. Here's what we found.
Who is Alfa Emigration and what do they claim to do
Services: Second citizenship, residence permits (temporary and permanent), visa applications, repatriation to Israel and Romania, citizenship by investment programs
Programs claimed: Approximately 35 programs in 20 countries, including Caribbean islands (Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis), Portugal, Greece, Spain, Turkey, USA, and UK
Prices (claimed): Consultation from 3,500 RUB, visa applications from 7,000 RUB, permanent residency from 12,000 RUB, legal support from 15,000 RUB. Full range 3,000 to 1,000,000 RUB, not counting actual investment amounts
Advance required: 1,500 to 10,000 RUB before work begins (contradicts their "payment only for results" marketing)
Refund policy: None publicly available
Legal entity: LLC HERZL ("OOO GERTZL") / also listed as LLC Alfa Emigration ("OOO ALFA EMIGREYSHN")
INN / OGRN: 7733385280 / 1227700308802
Registered: May 30, 2022
Status: LIQUIDATED December 19, 2024
Founding claim: "10 years" (since 2014). First Web Archive snapshot: June 28, 2020. That's under 6 years.
Office: Moscow, Bolshaya Yakimanka, 17/2s1 (shared coworking space)
Phone: +7 (495) 189-67-81
Email: [email protected]
Founder: Vadim Olegovich Zhorov, Israeli citizen, head of Alfa Israel Company Group holding
Key fact: The legal entity was liquidated in December 2024, yet the website keeps taking inquiries. Four other immigration-adjacent companies are registered at the same Moscow address: Migratex, TopMigrant, Inpiris, and Lexpat. That's a cluster most investigators would call deliberate.
Trust Score
Score 1.67/5 aggregated from registry data, anti-scam databases, and documented client complaints
Who's behind Alfa Emigration: checking the paperwork
The registered entity: LLC HERZL
The company operating as Alfa Emigration is registered in Russia as OOO "GERTZL" (LLC HERZL). INN 7733385280, OGRN 1227700308802. Registration date: May 30, 2022. The legal address on file differs from the public-facing office: ul. Svobody, d. 99, k.1, et.2, pom. XIII, kom.3, of.26-8, Moscow.
On December 19, 2024, this entity was officially liquidated. The liquidator of record is Arina Leonidovna Rakova. All of this is verifiable through the EGRUL federal registry. The website allpassports.ru kept running after that date, which raises a straightforward question: who exactly is on the other side of any contract you sign today?
Two names appear across client reviews as directors at different points: Venamin Dmitrievich Kozich and Gennady Sergeevich Andreenko. Neither name appears in confirmed public records as a licensed holder for immigration or legal services in Russia.
The domain: what the Web Archive shows
The company claims 10 years of operation, which would put the founding in 2014. But the oldest confirmed snapshot of allpassports.ru in the Web Archive dates to June 28, 2020. That's just under 6 years. A 4-year gap in a company's stated history is not a rounding error. It's a decision.
The site is also registered as a media outlet (СМИ in Russian classification). Some agencies use this registration to complicate the removal of negative search results and to push their own content up in rankings, a tactic well documented in Russian-language reputation management circles.
The office: shared address, multiple companies
The public-facing office at Bolshaya Yakimanka, 17/2s1 is a shared commercial space. At least four other immigration-related companies are registered at the same address: Migratex, TopMigrant, Inpiris, and Lexpat. Review sources on scambis.com describe this as a "dubious intermediary with a virtual office." A second address appears in some business directories at Bolshaya Polyanka, 43, building 3, adding to the inconsistency.
Licenses
No confirmed licenses for immigration consulting, employment assistance, or legal services were found in any public registry. The company's marketing states "working directly with government agencies without intermediaries," but no documentation supports this. Contact their team directly for details, and get any such claim in writing before transferring funds.
Alfa Emigration risk analysis: 5 things to know
| Area | Risk | What we found | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | medium | Consultation from 3,500 RUB, visas from 7,000 RUB, PR from 12,000 RUB, total range up to 1,000,000 RUB excluding investments. Advance of 1,500 to 10,000 RUB required upfront despite "payment only for results" marketing. | The advance is non-refundable in practice. Once paid, the "payment for results" framing quietly shifts to "consulting fees already rendered." Get full fee breakdowns in writing before paying anything. |
| Contract | high | Contracts reportedly specify "consulting services," not outcome delivery. This wording releases the company from responsibility if your citizenship or residency application fails, stalls, or is never submitted. | You may pay for a consultation and receive no actionable outcome. A contract for "consulting" is not a contract for a passport or residence card. Read what you're actually buying before you sign. |
| Timelines | high | Site claims processing times of 45 days to 6 months. Client complaints across multiple platforms consistently describe delays exceeding 6 months with no result and no communication after initial payment. | No independently verified success cases were found. Expect vague timelines with no enforceable milestones written into any contract. |
| Legal risk | high | Legal entity is liquidated. Client allegations include delivery of fake documents. One source (rabota-v-evrope.com) warns that the company uses "grey schemes" that could result in a permanent EU entry ban for the applicant, not the agency. | If the documents you receive turn out to be forged, you bear the criminal liability. A lifetime EU entry ban is a real, documented consequence of submitting fraudulent residency paperwork to European authorities. |
| Refunds | high | No public refund policy exists. Client reports consistently describe prepayment followed by complete loss of contact with all company representatives. With the legal entity now liquidated, civil recovery claims are complex at best. | Recovering funds is unlikely once transferred. If you've already paid, contact your bank immediately about a chargeback if you used a card. File a police report to formally document the fraud regardless of payment method. |
Alfa Emigration: red flags and green lights
| ✅ | Corporate email on own domain. The company uses [email protected] rather than a free Gmail or Mail.ru address. That's a low bar, but it suggests at least minimal operational infrastructure rather than a purely disposable setup. |
| ✅ | Identifiable founder. Vadim Olegovich Zhorov is named as the holding group's founder and gives media interviews. He's a real, publicly verifiable person, not an anonymous operator hiding behind a contact form. |
| ✅ | Active social media presence. The company maintains YouTube (16 videos), Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram channels. Content exists mostly from 2020. That's better than zero public presence, though the YouTube channel has just 66 subscribers and the VK account shows 2 subscribers with a last post in June 2023. |
| ⚠️ | "Payment only for results" versus advance payment required. The website prominently promises payment only after results are delivered. Client reports consistently describe a required upfront advance ranging from 1,500 to 10,000 RUB before any work begins. Both claims can't simultaneously be true. |
| ⚠️ | Contract scope: consulting, not outcomes. The agreements reportedly describe "consulting services," not citizenship or residency procurement. That distinction becomes critical when you want your money back after nothing was delivered. |
| ⚠️ | Media outlet registration for reputation management. Registering the site as a Russian-classified media outlet is a documented tactic for complicating the takedown of negative content and pushing company-controlled pages up in search rankings above client complaints. |
| ⚠️ | Conflicting contact data across directories. Three different phone numbers appear across business directories (+7 495 189-67-81, +7 965 147-62-09, +7 495 128-56-21) and two distinct office addresses (Bolshaya Yakimanka and Bolshaya Polyanka). This may reflect outdated listings, but it's also consistent with deliberate information fragmentation. |
| ❌ | Legal entity officially liquidated. LLC HERZL (INN 7733385280) was dissolved on December 19, 2024. The website continues to solicit clients. Any contract signed after that date is with an entity that no longer exists in any legal sense. Who, exactly, is responsible for delivering on that contract? |
| ❌ | False operating history. The company states "10 years on the market" dating to 2014. The oldest Web Archive snapshot of allpassports.ru is June 28, 2020. The 4-year discrepancy has no explanation on the company's website or any affiliated channels. |
| ❌ | "100% guarantee" of positive outcomes. The marketing promises to "exclude the possibility of a negative outcome." In immigration law, that's not possible. Sovereign governments make final decisions. Any firm guaranteeing a specific government outcome is either misrepresenting what it can deliver, or counting on clients not reading the fine print. |
| ❌ | Virtual office shared by four similar companies. The Bolshaya Yakimanka address also hosts Migratex, TopMigrant, Inpiris, and Lexpat. Review platforms describe it as a "one-hour office" used for brief client meetings. It's not a functioning company headquarters by any standard definition. |
| ❌ | Blacklisted on multiple independent anti-scam platforms. Legal Toplist lists the company in its blacklist for poor service, inflated pricing, and zero results. Top-immigrations.com shows 98% negative reviews and categorizes the company as "scammers." These are independent databases, not a single source. |
| ❌ | Documented pattern of fraud in client complaints. Reports from Otzyv-v-seti.ru, Biznes-otzyv.ru, and other platforms all describe the same sequence: aggressive sales, advance payment, then silence from all company contacts. Some clients allege they received fake documents. That's not a coincidence. It's a pattern. |
Alfa Emigration vs alternatives: which option actually delivers
The highlighted column is the company under review. best worst mixed
| Parameter | Alfa Emigration ★ | Henley & Partners | DIY (consulate direct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Entity liquidated Dec 2024 critical | Regulated, 30+ country presence verified | N/A (you file directly with government) |
| Consultation price | From 3,500 RUB + non-refundable advance | From $500+ (varies by program) structured | Free via official government websites lowest cost |
| Pricing transparency | No public price list; full costs revealed only after advance paid opaque | Detailed fee schedules published per program | Government fees published on official consulate sites fully open |
| Refund policy | None found; mass complaints of zero refunds worst | Partial refunds possible depending on program stage | Government fees are fixed and non-refundable; no agency markup to lose |
| Office presence | Coworking slot; 4 other companies at same address | 50+ verified offices globally physical | Embassy or consulate (official government office) |
| Independent reviews | 98% negative (Top-immigrations); blacklisted avoid | Strong industry reputation, multiple awards | No intermediary to review; outcome depends on your own application quality |
| License / accreditation | No confirmed licenses found | Accredited by multiple government programs verified | Government is the authority itself |
What to check before paying Alfa Emigration or any similar agency
- Legal entity status: Search the company's registered legal name in the relevant business registry before signing anything. For Russian-registered firms, use egrul.nalog.ru. LLC HERZL shows as liquidated since December 2024. A dissolved entity has no legal obligation to fulfill your contract.
- Contract scope: Read exactly what service you're purchasing. "Consulting services" and "citizenship procurement" are two very different things. Ask for a contract that specifies the exact outcome, a binding timeline, and written refund terms if the application is denied or never submitted.
- Licenses: Ask the company to provide documentation of any government-issued licenses for immigration consulting or legal services in the countries they claim to operate. Get the license number in writing, then verify it independently through the issuing authority before paying.
- Office visit: Go to the physical office before transferring any money. Ask to meet the case manager who will personally handle your file. A working office has staff at desks during business hours. A coworking slot rented by the hour does not.
- Client references: Ask for at least three verifiable references from clients who completed a program successfully within the past 12 months. Get their contact details and actually call them. Any reputable agency should provide this without hesitation.
- Payment method: Pay by credit card rather than bank wire when possible. Card payments have chargeback protections if services are never delivered. Wire transfers to unknown accounts are extremely difficult to reverse, especially cross-border ones.
- Guarantee fine print: Any agency promising "100% guaranteed results" in immigration law is misrepresenting what a private company can deliver. Governments make final decisions, not agents. If you see this claim in writing, treat it as a warning, not a reassurance.
- Advance payment logic: If a company advertises "payment only for results," ask in writing why an advance is required before any results exist. The gap between that marketing claim and the actual payment terms tells you exactly how much the marketing reflects reality.
Frequently asked questions about Alfa Emigration
Is Alfa Emigration (allpassports.ru) a legitimate company?
Based on available data, no. The registered legal entity behind the brand, LLC HERZL (INN 7733385280), was officially liquidated on December 19, 2024. The company also claims 10 years of operation dating to 2014, but the oldest verifiable snapshot of allpassports.ru in the Web Archive is June 28, 2020. Both facts directly contradict the company's public marketing claims.
Is allpassports.ru a scam?
Multiple independent anti-scam databases rate it as such. Top-immigrations.com shows 98% negative reviews and categorizes the company as "scammers." Legal Toplist places it on their blacklist for poor service, inflated prices, and zero results. Client accounts on Russian-language complaint forums describe the same documented sequence: advance payment, loss of all contact, no result, no refund.
What happened to Alfa Emigration's legal entity?
LLC HERZL (OGRN 1227700308802) was registered on May 30, 2022 and liquidated on December 19, 2024, with Arina Leonidovna Rakova listed as the official liquidator in Russia's EGRUL federal registry. The business brand and website appear to have continued operating after the entity's dissolution.
Can I get my money back from Alfa Emigration?
Recovery is difficult but not always impossible. The company has no public refund policy and the legal entity is now liquidated. If you paid by credit card recently, contact your bank immediately to file a chargeback dispute. Filing a formal police report in your country documents the fraud and may support future legal action. With a dissolved Russian entity, international civil claims are particularly complex.
Are citizenship by investment programs real, and can they be done safely?
Yes, citizenship by investment is a real and legal process in multiple countries including Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Portugal, and Turkey. But these programs require working with agencies that are formally accredited by those governments. Unlicensed intermediaries in third countries promising the same outcome carry serious risks, including delivery of fake documents that can result in a permanent EU entry ban for the applicant.
What are real alternatives to Alfa Emigration for second citizenship or EU residency?
For citizenship by investment, Henley and Partners and CS Global Partners are established, regulated firms with published track records across multiple countries. For EU residence permits, working directly with a licensed immigration attorney in the target country removes the intermediary layer entirely. Official consulate websites for most countries list government-accredited agents you can verify independently.
Where can I leave a review about Alfa Emigration?
You can post your experience on proverj.com, where this company has an active review page. Migration.us.com also publishes verified reader submissions about immigration services. Independent, firsthand reviews help document fraud patterns and protect other potential clients from the same outcome. Your account matters.
Expert verdict on Alfa Emigration
I've been in the immigration business since 2011, first as someone who went through the process moving to New York, then building companies that serve immigrants from the former Soviet space. I've seen every variation of this industry. The good firms and the bad ones. Alfa Emigration falls into the category I'd call "dangerous by design," and the paperwork confirms it.
The liquidated legal entity is the sharpest signal here. When a company's registered structure is dissolved by the government, any contract you sign after that date is with nobody. That's not a technicality. That's the entire problem. The website keeps running. The phone still gets answered. But who exactly is taking your money, and who is legally accountable for delivering a result? Those questions don't have clean answers right now.
What concerns me most is the complaint pattern. It's not random. Clients describe the same sequence across different platforms: aggressive sales pitch, advance payment required, then total silence. That repeatability is not bad luck. In my experience, it's a business model. You extract the advance before the client realizes nothing is being processed, then you go quiet. Combined with a virtual office address shared by four similar companies and a fabricated founding year, this has the shape of something built to collect fees rather than deliver immigration services.
The "100% guarantee" claim would be enough to disqualify any agency in my book, full stop. I've worked with USCIS, Portuguese authorities, Israeli immigration offices, Greek consulates. No private company can guarantee what a sovereign government will decide. Any firm claiming otherwise is either ignorant of how immigration law works, or they're counting on you not knowing.
On the positive side: the founder, Vadim Zhorov, is a real and publicly identifiable person. That matters. The social media channels have actual content going back to 2020. And a corporate email domain suggests some minimal structure. But none of those facts change the core situation. The legal entity is gone. The complaint pattern is documented. The anti-scam databases are consistent. The risk is real and specific.
My recommendation is clear: Do not engage with Alfa Emigration or allpassports.ru. If you've already paid, call your bank today about a chargeback, document every communication you have, and consult a local attorney about your recovery options. If you're genuinely looking for second citizenship or EU residency, work with an agency that is formally accredited by the relevant government program, has a physical office you can walk into, and provides a contract that specifies the outcome, not just "consulting services."
Don't get burned
The legal entity is gone. The complaints are documented. The pattern is clear. Read what real clients experienced before you transfer a single ruble or dollar to this company.
Read real reviews about Alfa Emigration