Acquisition of Russian Citizenship in a Simplified Manner

We may note acquisition of citizenship of Russian Federation on general procedure and in a simplified manner.  Acquisition of citizenship on general procedure shall be carried out within 1 year, and in a simplified manner – within 6 months. Person shall be admitted to the citizenship of Russian Federation on general procedure by the President of Russian Federation, and in a simplified manner – by heads of territorial bodies of the Federal Migration Service in the subjects of Russian Federation.

When obtaining citizenship on general procedure applicant must have permanent residence in Russia (residence permit) within 5 uninterrupted years. When obtaining citizenship in a simplified manner the term of residence is equal to 1 year or absent for some categories of foreigners.

Admission to the citizenship of Russian Federation in a simplified manner

Simplified manner of admission to the citizenship of Russian Federation is applied to the persons, who comply with the provisions of the law. In accordance with Russian legislation, Russian citizenship shall be acquired by persons, who:

-have at least one parent who is a Russian citizen and resides on Russian Federation territory;

-have had USSR citizenship, and having resided and residing in the states that have formed part of the USSR, have not become citizens of these states and as a result remain stateless persons;

-are citizens of the states which have formed part of the USSR, have received secondary vocational or higher vocational education at educational institutions of the Russian Federation after July 1, 2002.

-have been born on the territory of the RSFSR and have been citizens of the former USSR;

-have been married to a citizen of the Russian Federation within at least three years;

-are disabled persons and have a capable son or daughter who has reached the age of eighteen years and is a citizen of the Russian Federation.

-have a child, who is a citizen of Russia, if the second parent (the citizen of Russia) died or recognized as missing, limited dispositive capacity or lacking dispositive capacity, deprived from parental rights or limited of them;

-have a minor son or daughter, who are citizens of Russia and recognized as lacking dispositive capacity or limited dispositive capacity, if the second parent, who is the citizen of Russia, died or recognized as missing, lacking dispositive capacity or limited dispositive capacity, deprived of parental rights or limited of them;

-individual entrepreneurs and have carried out entrepreneurial activity in Russia within at least 3 years before the year of submitting the application for acquisition of the citizenship of Russian Federation, in case if annual income from the realization of goods when conducting some types of economic activity, which is established by the Government of Russian Federation, during that period equals to at least 10.000.000 roubles;

-have been employees in Russia by profession of qualified specialist within at least 3 years before submitting the application for acquisition of Russian citizenship. Such professions are listed in the list of professions of foreign citizens, who are qualified specialists and have a right to acquire citizenship in a simplified manner;

-are disabled foreign citizens and stateless persons who have come to the Russian Federation from the states which have formed part of the USSR, and are registered at the place of residence in the Russian Federation, as on July 1, 2002

-have been participants of the Great Patriotic War;

-are children and incapable persons;

-have registration at the place of residence in the subject of Russian Federation, which was chosen by them with the aim of permanent residence in accordance with State Programme of Support for the Resettlement in the Russian Federation of Compatriots Residing Abroad

-are native Russian speakers.

Applications for admittance to the citizenship of Russia from persons, who reside outside Russia, shall be filed to diplomatic representations or consular establishments. Applications from the persons residing in Russia shall be submitted to the territorial bodies of Federal Migration Service of Russia at the place of residence of the applicant.

There are some specific conditions for admittance to the citizenship of Russian Federation. Person must:

-have a legal source of subsistence;

-file an application to authorized body of foreign state where the person waives his citizenship;

-be in command of the Russian language.

Foreign citizen needn’t waive citizenship of foreign state if it is established by international treaty of Russian Federation on double citizenship. So, citizens of the Republic of Armenia will have to waive their citizenship if they wish to acquire citizenship of Russia, because Russia and Armenia haven’t signed the treaty on recognition of double citizenship. Diplomatic representation and consular establishment of foreign countries shall be notified of acquisition of Russian citizenship. Person must pay state duty in the amount of 3.500 roubles when filing applications for acquisition of citizenship. State duty shall not be paid in cases established by the law.

Due to the latest changes of legislation, native Russian speakers were provided with opportunity to acquire citizenship of Russia in a simplified manner.

The citizenship of Russia may be acquired by foreigners and stateless persons who appear native Russian speakers. It means they use the Russian language in different scopes of vital activity. Direct relatives of these persons in the ascending line must reside in Russia, including Russian Empire and USSR, permanently in past. Recognition of native Russian speaker shall be carried out by the special commission according to result of an interview. The application to the commission must be filed no later than 3 months before the expiration of the term of residence permit in Russia (no later than 15 days before expiration of the term of temporary residence).

Such an order shall only be used in case if the person, who filed the application for acquisition of the citizenship of Russian Federation, waives his citizenship. With the aim of execution of that condition the person shall be notified of the possibility of his admittance to Russian citizenship. Notification is required when turning to the state body of foreign country with application for waiving his citizenship.

The certificate on recognition of native Russian speaker shall be issued after turning to the Commission. The following documents shall be submitted:

-application;

-personal identity document;

-document, confirming legality of residence in the territory of Russia (residence permit; temporary residence permit; entry visa; migration card and so on);

confirmation of the fact that the applicant or someone of his ancestors in the ascending line had residence in the territory of Russian Federation, Russian Empire or USSR (document, confirming the presence of relatives and the fact that they permanently resided in stated territory (certificate of birth, certificate of marriage, certificate of adoption, certificate of death of relative, residence permit, excerpt from house register, copy house register card, document on military registration, military card and so on)).

If above listed documents are absent, applicants shall submit archive references, excerpts and so on.

After the person is recognized as native Russian speaker, we will obtain certificate giving a right to acquire residence permit and file the application for acquisition of the citizenship of Russia is a simplified manner. This application shall be considered within 3 months. Then it is necessary to fill in the form of an application for admittance to the citizenship in a simplified manner.

The application must be executed in set form in duplicate. The form may be filled in both by hand and by computer. The use of abbreviated words and acronyms in the form is not allowed. Answers on questions stated in the form must be accurate and full. The applicant must put his signature in the application. If it is impossible to do due to illiteracy or physical defects, the application must be signed by other person, and then notary shall verify that fact.

Then it is necessary to file the application to the territorial body of Federal Migration Service of Russia at the place of residence, attaching receipt, confirming payment of state duty and list of necessary documents. If person resides outside Russian Federation, he should turn to diplomatic representation or consular establishment of Russia.

After filing necessary documents, the applicant shall be issued a reference on admittance of the application to examination. The decision on admission to the citizenship shall be made:

-within 6 months (as a general rule);

-within 3 months (if applicants appear foreign citizens or stateless persons, who are participants of State Programme of Support for the Resettlement in the Russian Federation of Compatriots Residing Abroad).

Each application shall be considered separately when taking decision on admission to citizenship. The applicant must be notified by officials about taken decision. Person, whose application for admission to the citizenship of Russia is satisfied, is provided with the passport of the citizen of Russia, which is to be handed personally.