IMALS: reviews & investigation
IMALS markets itself as "Russia's #1 immigration firm" with over 20 years of experience. The state business registry tells a different story: the legal entity was registered in August 2021. That's a 17-year gap they apparently decided not to mention.
Who is IMALS and what do they actually do
Legal name: LLC "International Migration and Legal Support" (ООО "МЕЖДУНАРОДНАЯ МИГРАЦИОННО-ПРАВОВАЯ ПОДДЕРЖКА")
INN: 9709073904 | OGRN: 1217700390885
Services: Russian temporary residence permits (RVP), permanent residency (VNJ), Russian citizenship, notarized document translation, EU relocation consulting for Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, and Spain
Legally registered: August 20, 2021
Director: Yury Viktorovich Taran
Actual office: Moscow, Volkhonka St. 5/6, bld. 9 (near Borovitskaya metro, exit 7). Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:00.
Phones: +7 (495) 108-99-71, +7 (926) 207-74-59, +7 (499) 371-08-16
Website: imals.ru
Social: VK (vk.com/imals_ru), Telegram (t.me/imals_ru), YouTube (@imals_ru)
Key fact: IMALS marketing promises "100% guaranteed results" for immigration applications. The contract clients sign covers only consultation and document preparation assistance. If the government denies your application, the contract gives you no basis for a refund or any other remedy.
Trust Score
Based on 1.63/5 from verified data points. A false 20-year age claim, an FNS-flagged legal address, and a contract that doesn't match the marketing all weigh heavily here.
Who's behind IMALS: checking the paperwork
The company runs under the legal name LLC "International Migration and Legal Support." Its registration number is OGRN 1217700390885, tax ID is 9709073904. Registered on August 20, 2021. Current status: active.
That's where the first problem starts. Their website and advertising state "more than 20 years of practice." But the first Web Archive snapshot of imals.ru appeared on December 7, 2021. The legal entity is under 4 years old, not 20. This isn't a rounding error. It's a deliberate misrepresentation.
Russia's Federal Tax Service (FNS) has placed an official unreliability mark on the company's registered legal address: Moscow, Kazakova St. 8, bld. 2, attic floor, room I, office 19. That mark means FNS attempted to verify that the company actually operates from this address and could not confirm it. The working office shown on their site and confirmed by Zoon.ru is at Volkhonka St. 5/6, bld. 9, which is a different address entirely.
Ownership is somewhat murky. Rusprofile lists three founders: Goncharov Dmitry Sergeevich, Taran Yury Viktorovich, and Klimovich Dmitry Valentinovich. Other search reports mention a Krivitsky Robert Khalimovich as a possible founder. We couldn't resolve this discrepancy from open sources alone.
Court records show one arbitration case: a 500-ruble fine from the Russian Social Fund. Two labor disputes are also on file. None of these are serious individually. But added to the address flag and the age claim, they build a picture of a company that's less transparent than its marketing suggests.
IMALS also operates alongside a cluster of affiliated sites that share the same physical address and phone numbers: migration-mos.ru (run by sole proprietor Goncharov D.S.), zagranpasport-mos.ru, fms-expert.ru (which uses IMALS's main number +7 (499) 371-08-16), and idolgi.ru. This kind of network can artificially inflate search presence and makes independent reputation tracking much harder.
The company's reported revenue for 2024 was 636,000 rubles (roughly $7,000). For a firm that calls itself an "international" operation with a central Moscow office, that figure is very low. It may not capture all income streams, but it raises questions about actual scale.
IMALS risk analysis: 5 things to know before you pay
| Area | Risk | What we found | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | medium | RVP assistance runs ~25,000 rubles (~$275). Ministry of Justice legalization is 8,700 rubles. Notarized translation starts at 1,500 rubles. Full pricing for VNJ, citizenship, and EU relocation is not published publicly. | You won't know the full cost until after a paid or free consultation. State fees, translation costs, and notarization charges stack on top of the service fee. |
| Contract | high | The contract covers "legal consultation" and document preparation assistance only. Marketing promises "100% guaranteed results." These two things directly contradict each other. | If authorities deny your application, the contract gives you no remedy. Read every clause before you sign. Ask them to add specific obligations and refund conditions in writing. |
| Timelines | medium | VNJ (permanent residency) is marketed as "4 months." Some reviewers note delays. Government processing depends entirely on the authorities, not on IMALS's schedule. | Build extra time into your plans. Get any promised timelines written into the contract, and make sure the agreement specifies what IMALS controls versus what the government controls. |
| Transparency | high | False "20+ years" age claim (legally registered in 2021). FNS unreliability mark on legal address. Network of 4 affiliated clone sites. Reported 2024 revenue of 636,000 rubles for an "international" firm. Unclear founder list. | You're dealing with a company under 4 years old that presents itself as a veteran operation. Several basic facts about the business are either hard to verify or outright contradicted by public records. |
| Refunds | high | No public refund policy found. Contract scope is limited to consultations, so a denied application doesn't automatically trigger any refund under standard terms. | Ask about refund conditions before paying anything. Get the answer in writing as part of the signed contract, not as a verbal assurance from a salesperson. |
IMALS: red flags and green lights
| ✅ | Active LLC status confirmed in EGRUL. INN 9709073904 is registered and has not been liquidated. The company exists as a legal entity in Russia's official business registry. |
| ✅ | Physical office confirmed. The working address at Volkhonka St. 5/6, bld. 9 appears on 2GIS, Zoon.ru, and Yandex Maps as an active location. Walk-in consultations are available during business hours. |
| ✅ | Payments through official channels only. IMALS accepts bank transfers to the company account and card terminal payments. No cash-only or cryptocurrency payment demands appear in any reports. |
| ✅ | Not found in major fraud blacklists. Searches across baxov.net, plohotron.online, moshennik.eu, telltrue.net, and scamadviser.com returned no entries for IMALS. |
| ⚠ | Corporate email on free Gmail service. The address [email protected] appears in contact data for this company. A firm claiming international scope and 20-plus years of practice would typically use domain-based corporate email. |
| ⚠ | Reported 2024 revenue: 636,000 rubles (about $7,000). For a company with a central Moscow office billing itself as an industry leader, that's a striking figure. It may not reflect total income, but it's the number on file with the tax authority. |
| ⚠ | Network of affiliated clone sites. migration-mos.ru, zagranpasport-mos.ru, fms-expert.ru, and idolgi.ru share IMALS's address and phone numbers. This inflates the group's search footprint and makes independent reputation research harder. |
| ⚠ | Very low review volume. Only 3 reviews on 2GIS, 19 ratings on Zoon.ru (score 3.2/5), and 2 reviews on fooby.ru. For a company claiming to serve clients for two decades, this is a thin public record. |
| ❌ | False "20+ years" claim. The legal entity was registered on August 20, 2021. The website first appeared in Web Archive on December 7, 2021. The company is under 4 years old. Marketing it as a 20-year operation is not a rounding error; it's a fabrication. |
| ❌ | "100% guarantee of results" is marketing fiction. Russian residency permits, VNJ, and citizenship are approved or denied by government authorities. No private company can guarantee those outcomes. The contract doesn't guarantee them either. |
| ❌ | Contract covers consultations only, not results. Brochures and site copy promise immigration outcomes. The signed agreement covers "legal consultation and document preparation assistance." This gap is where clients discover they have no legal recourse if things go wrong. |
| ❌ | FNS unreliability mark on the legal address. Russia's Federal Tax Service flagged the registered legal address (Kazakova St. 8, bld. 2, attic office 19) as unreliable after failing to confirm the company operates from there. This matters if you ever need to file a legal claim. |
| ❌ | No immigration licenses found. No confirmation of licenses for migration consulting or international employment placement appeared in the relevant registries. Contact their team directly for details if licensing matters for your specific case. |
IMALS vs. competitors: which gives you better value
The highlighted column is the company under review. best worst mixed
| Parameter | IMALS ★ | Typical Moscow Immigration Firm | DIY (self-filing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RVP assistance price | ~25,000 RUB (~$275) mid | 15,000-40,000 RUB (varies widely) | State fee only (~1,600 RUB) cheapest |
| Pricing transparency | Partial (RVP listed, rest requires consultation) mixed | Varies; many firms hide prices | Full (all government fees are public) best |
| VNJ timeline | Marketed as 4 months (unverified) claim only | 3-6 months realistic estimate | Same government timelines apply |
| Result guarantee | Marketing: "100%" / Contract: none misleading | Typically none offered honestly | None (government decides) |
| Physical office | Yes, central Moscow confirmed verified | Varies by firm | N/A none |
| Verified company age | Registered 2021, claims 20+ yrs false claim | Varies; check EGRUL directly | N/A |
What to check before paying IMALS
- Contract subject: Read the actual text of the agreement, not the brochure. If it says "consultation services," ask them to add explicit obligations about what they will file, to which authority, by what date, and what happens if the application is denied.
- Refund policy: Ask directly: "What do I get back if the government refuses my application?" Get that answer written into the contract before you hand over any money. A verbal promise from a salesperson is worth nothing legally.
- Payment: Pay only to the bank account of LLC "International Migration and Legal Support" (INN 9709073904). Request an official fiscal receipt (kassa check or invoice). Do not pay cash without proper documentation.
- Timelines: If they promise VNJ in 4 months, that needs to be in the contract. Specify what IMALS is responsible for versus what depends on government processing. Delays from authorities are normal; delays from the firm are not.
- The "20 years" claim: Their stated experience is a fabrication. The company was registered in 2021. Don't let an inflated history figure push you toward a faster decision or a lower level of scrutiny than you'd apply elsewhere.
- Legal address: Russia's FNS flagged their registered legal address (Kazakova St. 8) as unreliable. Make sure the actual working office address (Volkhonka St. 5/6, bld. 9) appears in your signed contract, since that's the address you'd need for any legal dispute.
- The guarantee language: Phrases like "100% guarantee" in immigration consulting are marketing noise, not legal commitments. If IMALS's staff repeats this claim during your consultation, ask them to put it in writing in the contract. Watch what happens next.
Frequently asked questions about IMALS
Is IMALS a legitimate company, or is it a scam?
IMALS is a registered Russian LLC with an active status (INN 9709073904). It has a physical office in Moscow and accepts payments through official banking channels. So it's not a purely fictional entity. But it does run several deceptive practices: claiming 20+ years of experience when the company was registered in 2021, advertising "100% guaranteed" immigration outcomes while the contract covers only consultations, and carrying an FNS unreliability flag on its legal address. That's why the rating sits at 1.63 out of 5.
How long has IMALS actually been in business?
Under 4 years. The legal entity was registered on August 20, 2021 per Russia's EGRUL database (OGRN 1217700390885). The first Web Archive snapshot of imals.ru appeared on December 7, 2021. Their marketing claim of "more than 20 years of practice" has no legal or documentary support.
What does IMALS charge for immigration services?
The only confirmed public prices: RVP assistance at ~25,000 rubles (~$275), Ministry of Justice legalization at 8,700 rubles, notarized passport translation starting at 1,500 rubles, and technical translation at 200 rubles per page. Full pricing for permanent residency, citizenship, and EU relocation packages is not published. Contact their team directly for a quote, and ask for it in writing before your consultation ends.
Does IMALS really guarantee immigration results?
Their advertising says yes. Their contract says no. The agreement you sign covers legal consultation and document preparation only. Russian residency permits, VNJ, and citizenship are approved by government authorities, not by private firms. No company can legally guarantee those decisions. Treat any "100% guarantee" language as a marketing phrase with no contractual force.
Are there complaints or negative reviews about IMALS?
No systematic fraud accusations appear in major blacklists. Review scores are mixed and thin: 3.7 out of 5 on 2GIS (3 reviews), 3.2 out of 5 on Zoon.ru (19 ratings), 5.0 on fooby.ru (2 reviews). Some positive mentions appear on migrating.pro and yuridicheskoe.ru. The bigger concern isn't a flood of fraud reports; it's the documented gap between what the marketing promises and what the contract delivers.
What is the network of affiliated websites around IMALS?
At least four other websites share IMALS's physical address and phone numbers: migration-mos.ru (operated by sole proprietor Goncharov D.S.), zagranpasport-mos.ru, fms-expert.ru (which uses IMALS's main number +7 (499) 371-08-16 directly), and idolgi.ru. This cluster boosts the group's search visibility and can make reputation research harder for potential clients. Whether the group operates as a coordinated business or as separate entities sharing space isn't fully clear from public records.
Where can I leave a review about IMALS?
You can leave a review about IMALS on proverj.com, the independent review platform where IMALS's profile is tracked. You can also post on 2GIS, Zoon.ru, and Yandex Maps. Your account, whether positive or negative, helps other people evaluate this company before committing their money and their immigration paperwork to it.
Expert verdict on IMALS
I've been in the immigration consulting business since 2011. My Second Passport network now runs 50-plus offices. I've seen this industry from both sides, as a client and as an operator, and I know how much damage a single misleading contract can do to a family's plans.
The false "20+ years" claim is the first thing that stopped me here. This isn't a rounding error or a vague estimate. IMALS has a legal existence of under 4 years. Saying "20+ years of practice" in your marketing materials is a calculated decision to look more established than you are. If a company is willing to lie about that, you have to ask what else they're glossing over.
What concerns me more is the contract structure. In my experience, the gap between "100% guaranteed results" in the sales pitch and "consultation services only" in the contract is exactly where clients get hurt. You pay for an outcome. The company delivers paperwork. Your application gets denied. You go back asking for accountability, and the contract says there's none. This pattern is common in immigration consulting, and IMALS fits it precisely.
On the positive side: they have a real office with a confirmed address. They process payments through official channels. No systematic fraud reports have surfaced. Some clients have left genuinely positive feedback about getting their documents filed correctly. So they're likely doing some actual work.
But a company with an FNS-flagged legal address, a cluster of affiliated clone sites, reported 2024 revenue of 636,000 rubles, a fabricated history, and a contract that contradicts its own advertising is not a company I'd send someone to without serious warnings. If you do use them, get everything in writing. And don't pay a single ruble based on something a salesperson said in the room.
Don't get burned
Marketing promises don't always match what's in the contract. Read what real clients say about IMALS before you hand over your documents and your money.
Read real reviews about IMALS