Welcome to the Russians

Latest changes in Russian immigration legislation

The procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship is associated with the preliminary receipt of a temporary residence permit and residence permit on the basis of Federal Law No. 115. Issues of acquiring citizenship are regulated by Federal Law-62 “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”.

On March 29, 2021, amendments to the citizenship law came into force. You can view it here. Now the President has the right to determine the categories of foreigners who can obtain Russian citizenship through a simplified procedure.

On April 24, 2021, the Presidential Decree approved a simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship for citizens of the LPR and DPR. They do not need to obtain a temporary residence permit or temporary residence permit. They can submit an application for Russian citizenship upon arrival in Russia. Also, this category of citizens is exempt from the need to renounce their existing citizenship, knowledge of the Russian language, and confirmation of their source of income.

On August 2, 2021, the President of the Russian Federation adopted Federal Law-257: https://www.kremlin.ru/acts/bank/44554. It came into force 90 days after its signing. The list of foreign citizens, including citizens of Ukraine, who can receive a temporary residence permit without a quota has been expanded. You can view the editorial by following the link.

On May 1, 2021, the President of Russia approved a new Decree. According to this document, Ukrainians and stateless persons and their children, parents and spouses who were born and lived in Crimea before 2014 can now apply for Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure: https://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/ 60429.

On July 17, 2021, Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 343 was issued, clarifying the list of documents required for obtaining Russian citizenship by residents of the LPR and DPR according to a simplified scheme: https://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001201907170036. You can view the version of the document on our website.

On April 17, 2021, Federal Law No. 134 was adopted by the State Duma and approved by the Council of Federation on amendments to Federal Law No. 62, which significantly simplifies the procedure for obtaining citizenship: https://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001202004240038?index=0&rangeSize= 1. Applicants no longer have to renounce their existing citizenship. The amendments entered into force on July 23, 2020.

How to obtain Russian citizenship after a residence permit in 2021

The first step in obtaining citizenship is to submit the necessary documents. These include:

An application to be filled out exclusively in Russian;
A copy of the residence permit, which will need to be certified by a notary;
Photo 3x4 (4 pcs);
Marriage registration certificate;
A certificate confirming the absence of mental and severe somatic illnesses;
A certificate confirming the renunciation of citizenship of another country;
Diploma of education;
Certificate confirming payment of the state duty;
A certificate confirming passing an exam in the Russian language, legislation of the Russian Federation, and history of Russia.

They can be submitted only after the minimum period of residence established by the law of the Russian Federation has expired. All documents that the applicant has in a foreign language must be translated into Russian and notarized.

Important! After submitting documents, the decision on citizenship is made by presidential decree, but you will have to wait at least 1 year. If citizenship is obtained using a simplified procedure, the waiting period is reduced to 3-6 months.

Advantages of Russian citizenship over a residence permit

The relationship between a residence permit and Russian citizenship is that a residence permit is the penultimate step on the path to acquiring Russian citizenship. This is stated in Federal Law-62 “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”.

When obtaining a temporary residence permit and temporary residence permit, it is not necessary to renounce your existing citizenship. This is necessary to obtain the official status of a Russian citizen and, perhaps, that is why many seek to obtain a residence permit in the Russian Federation. In fact, you have a document in your hands that significantly facilitates the passage of most migration formalities.

Therefore, when making such a serious decision as obtaining Russian citizenship, as an alternative to a residence permit, it is worth once again carefully weighing everything and taking into account the following:

Having a residence permit in the Russian Federation, you acquire only economic rights (and practically no political ones).
These rights can be equated to the rights of Russian citizens only conditionally (it will be quite difficult to use the credit products of Russian banks).
Having a residence permit, you are required to annually confirm your stay in the country at the office of the authorized territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (this also applies to temporary residence permits). By acquiring the status of a Russian citizen, you are freed from such hassle.
In the process of obtaining Russian citizenship, you no longer need to renounce your previous citizenship, according to Federal Law No. 134.

Residence permit in Russia

Who can obtain citizenship

Applying for Russian citizenship with a residence permit simplifies the acquisition of Russian citizen status. In 2021, people who were unable to obtain a temporary residence permit and residence permit will be able to become a full-fledged citizen of the Russian Federation legally, having gone through all the procedures. The following groups of people can apply for citizenship:

Persons who participate in the resettlement program.
Parents whose children are citizens of the country.
People who were members of the Soviet Union.
Those whose parents live in Russia and are its citizens.
Veterans of the Great Patriotic War who were citizens of the USSR.
Residents of other countries who were born on Russian territory.
People who married a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Entrepreneurs who have been working in the territory for more than three years.
People who have invested money in Russian companies, and their contribution is at least 10 percent.

The President is responsible for the right to grant a person the status of a citizen of Russia; only he has the right to decide whether to award a person the status of a citizen or not. This decision is made within twelve months from the date of acceptance of the documents.

The concept of Russian citizenship

Having Russian citizenship means that a person has a strong legal connection with this state, and it is expressed mainly in the process of accepting mutual rights and obligations.

When is it necessary to notify the migration service?

After receiving a residence permit, 12 months should be counted, after which the foreigner has 2 months to confirm his place of residence and source of income. Notification of a residence permit should be submitted to the main department for migration issues, where the residence permit was issued. It is also worth filling out a special form confirming your residence at the residence permit address. To submit a report to the migration service, you should collect a package of the following documents:

a certificate of income or a copy of a tax return, a bank account statement, documents confirming inheritance rights or other certificates confirming income that is not less than the subsistence level in a certain region (its amount is less for the disabled and people of retirement age) may also be provided );
completed notification form;
registration certificate;
copy of residence permit;
copy of the passport.

Form of annual notification for residence permit (40 Downloads) Sample of annual notification for residence permit (43 Downloads)
To save time, you can send documents by Russian Post in a registered letter. In this situation, you should definitely keep the tear-off “stub”, which is proof that the foreigner filed a notification. Of course, the package of documents must contain an up-to-date notification form; it can be obtained from the migration department or downloaded on the Internet. The first option is better, as you can be sure that the form complies with the state standard.

The form for notification of confirmation of residence in Russia under a residence permit is a form on one sheet and a detachable part. In it, the applicant must indicate his place of residence, official work activity, noting the dates of work and the name of the organization, as well as the period when he was not in Russia.

If the residence permit is about to expire, then you must submit an application for its renewal no later than 2 months before the expiration date. Documents must be submitted to the main department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of issue of the residence permit or place of residence. The application may be considered by the government agency within 2 months.

Methods for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation with a residence permit

According to the general rules, first a foreigner enters the Russian Federation with or without a visa and completes migration registration. During the period of stay in the country, he submits an application for a temporary residence permit, and then using this document he can apply for a residence permit.

As a rule, a visa is required:

citizens of the Schengen area and many other European countries;
people from South and North America;
residents of Asia and Africa and various island countries.

A visa to the Russian Federation is required for citizens of those countries that have an agreement with Russia on visa procedures for crossing borders. However, there are many foreigners in the country who arrived in Russia visa-free.

There are categories of foreigners for whom it is not only possible to obtain the status of a citizen of Russia, bypassing the temporary residence permit, but even a residence permit. It all depends on the grounds for obtaining citizenship.

Russian visa

Who is eligible to obtain citizenship under a simplified scheme

The simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship includes:

stateless persons who had citizenship of the former USSR, who lived and are living in states that were part of the USSR, and did not receive citizenship of these states.
were born on the territory of the RSFSR and had citizenship of the former USSR;
have been married for at least three years to a Russian citizen living in Russia;
are disabled and have a capable son or daughter who has reached the age of eighteen and is a citizen of the Russian Federation;
have a child who is a citizen of Russia - if the other parent of this child, who is a citizen of Russia, has died, or has been declared missing, incompetent or limited in legal capacity, deprived of parental rights or limited in parental rights by a court decision that has entered into legal force ;
have a son or daughter who has reached the age of eighteen years, who are citizens and by a court decision that has entered into legal force, recognized as incompetent or limited in legal capacity - if the other parent of these Russian citizens, who is a citizen of Russia, has died or by a court decision that has entered into force legal force, declared missing, incompetent or limited in legal capacity, deprived of parental rights or limited in parental rights;
received a diploma of professional education after July 1, 2002 in Russia and have been working for at least a year, a prerequisite is the calculation of insurance contributions to the Pension Fund of Russia;
are individual and carry out entrepreneurial activity in Russia continuously for at least three years in the types of economic activity established by the Russian Government. In this case, the amount of taxes and fees must be at least 1 million rubles;
are investors for three years in the types of economic activities established by the Russian Government, and the amount of taxes and fees must be at least 6 million rubles;
during the year they work in a specialty included in the List of Qualified Specialists;
have at least one parent with Russian citizenship living in Russia;
are citizens of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine;
have a certificate of recognition as native speakers of the Russian language;
a temporarily or permanently residing citizen is married to a Russian citizen living on the territory of Russia and has common children in this marriage;
disabled foreign citizens and stateless persons who arrived in Russia before July 1, 2002 and received a temporary residence permit or residence permit in Russia;
Resettlement Program participants;
category of citizens determined by the President of Russia;
veterans of the Great Patriotic War who had citizenship of the former USSR and living in the Russian Federation;

The above categories of applicants do not need to comply with the condition of a 5-year period of residence in the Russian Federation, nor do they need to confirm income.

And although the simplified procedure significantly simplifies the process of accepting Russian citizenship, in almost every case, you will need a residence permit and a previously obtained temporary residence permit.

Internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation

Acquiring citizenship through marriage

When marrying a Russian, a foreign spouse can obtain citizenship after 3 years of married life. Of course, there are some nuances here. The wife (husband) must acquire a new marital status and also reside permanently on the territory of the Russian Federation.

If there are children in the marriage, citizenship can be obtained within a year after joining the union; a temporary residence permit in Russia is sufficient.

In general, a citizen can submit an application with a request to provide her (him) with a temporary residence permit based on a quota, and after a year receive a residence permit. But only after five years of confirmed residence in Russia has passed, this category of foreigners can count on receiving the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Is it worth getting Russian citizenship if you have a residence permit?

The issue of obtaining the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation with a residence permit is individual for each individual in a specific situation. Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation is a serious and responsible step, therefore, when deciding to acquire it, you should weigh the pros and cons of such a step.

IMPORTANT. When obtaining citizenship, you must keep in mind that it implies the right to enjoy all the rights and freedoms that a Russian citizen has. Citizens of Russia can count on the protection and patronage of their country, even while abroad. At the same time, we should not forget that having a Russian passport presupposes compliance with all norms and obligations prescribed by the country’s legislation for its citizens.

What is the difference between a residence permit and citizenship?

A residence permit in the Russian Federation is an independent document, the receipt of which is considered the final stage before submitting documents for citizenship. A residence permit can replace a visa and facilitate the passage of various formalities during migration.

If you have a residence permit, a person can acquire a number of economic rights, but will not have the political rights that a citizen has. A person with an expiring residence permit cannot obtain a consumer loan from a Russian bank. Registration of a residence permit gives the right to retain the status of a citizen of the country of which he is a citizen.

The residence permit must be confirmed every year, and to obtain Russian citizenship it must be renewed within 5 years.

Methods for acquiring Russian citizenship using a residence permit in 2021

There are two main ways to acquire the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation: according to the general procedure and according to a simplified program.

A citizen of any other country or a stateless person can become a citizen of the Russian Federation upon reaching the age of 18, provided that he is fully capable. Anyone wishing to obtain Russian citizenship must generally meet the following conditions:

For five years he has been continuously living in the Russian Federation with a residence permit. This period is considered continuous if travel abroad of the Russian Federation does not exceed 3 months during the year.
Obliges to comply with the norms of the legislation of the Russian Federation and the laws of the country's constitution.
Has a legal source of livelihood.
Provided the authorized body of the country of which he is a citizen with a renunciation of the citizenship of that country. However, a waiver is not always required. As an exception, cases provided for by Federal Law No. 62-FZ of May 31, 2002 and an international treaty are taken into account. Sometimes renunciation of previous citizenship is impossible due to a number of reasons beyond the control of the applicant for Russian citizenship.
Knows Russian well.

With the simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship, a foreigner may not reside in the country for the specified period. For example, a newborn child will automatically become a Russian citizen if one of his parents is the holder of a Russian passport.

In addition, you can obtain the status of a Russian citizen through family reunification. For example, minor children or incapacitated parents of Russian citizens have the right to obtain this status in a simplified manner.

Native speakers of the Russian language can become a citizen of Russia under a simplified program if they meet certain accompanying conditions, for example, living in the country.

There are also other grounds that make it possible to become a citizen of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner after obtaining a residence permit (in this case, a mandatory 5-year residence in the territory of the Russian Federation is not required). This provision is reflected in paragraph 2 of Art. 14 62-FZ and applies to the following people:

those who were born in the USSR and were citizens of this country;
married to a holder of Russian citizenship for more than three years;
disabled parents of a Russian citizen;
those who have a minor or adult incapacitated child with Russian citizenship, whose second parent, also a Russian citizen, has died or been deprived of parental rights;
those who received vocational education in educational institutions of the Russian Federation after July 1, 2002 and have been working in Russia for at least 3 years with the obligatory condition of deduction of insurance contributions to the Russian Pension Fund by the employer;
entrepreneurs working in the Russian Federation and paying at least 1 million rubles in taxes per year for at least three years;
investors with a share in the authorized capital of a legal entity of at least 10% over the last three years, while the amount of the authorized capital must be at least 100 million rubles, and the taxes and fees paid by the legal entity must be at least 6 million rubles;
conducting activities over the past three years that are included in the List approved by Order of the Ministry of Labor dated July 13, 2015 No. 446n, subject to the deduction of insurance contributions to the Pension Fund.

Acquiring Russian citizenship in the general manner: naturalization

Obtaining Russian citizenship in the general procedure applies to those persons for whom, accordingly, there are no simplified grounds for obtaining a temporary residence permit, residence permit, and then Russian citizenship. This process can rightfully be called the most long-term and lengthy, and this trend will most likely continue in 2021.

The procedure for acquiring Russian citizenship is generally regulated by Art. 13 Federal Law-62 https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_36927/9923b66edd0d0e15251c3040f7a17838ee536ea0/.

The difficulty of accepting citizenship in the general manner is that by the time the application is submitted, the applicant must have lived in the country under a residence permit for about 5 years.

The decision to grant the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation is made directly by the President of the Russian Federation (while persons receiving Russian citizenship in a simplified manner only need to contact the authorized territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia) within a year from the moment the foreigner’s application and accompanying documents are accepted.

As part of naturalization, the following requirements must also be observed:

Reside continuously in the Russian Federation with a residence permit for 5 years.
Strictly adhere to your promise to comply with the articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as other legislative acts relevant for 2021.
Have legitimate financial sources to support yourself and your family.
Be fluent in Russian and have documented evidence to prove it.

According to the amendments to Federal Law No. 134, there is no need to renounce previous citizenship either in general or in a simplified manner.

Foreigners in the Russian Federation

Documents for obtaining Russian citizenship

A foreign citizen is required to attach a certain set of documents to the application, since incorrectly completed documentation or its absence may cause the application to be rejected.

Original documents are always submitted. Already on the spot, officials make copies of them, and the originals are returned to the owner. Documents submitted in a foreign language must be translated and notarized. Sometimes an apostille may be required.

The citizenship package includes:

Application completed in 2 copies. The application form for obtaining Russian citizenship and a sample of filling out the application can be downloaded here.
Valid residence permit.
3 photos (35x45 mm).
Documents indicating a change in last name, first name or patronymic.
A receipt confirming payment of the state duty (for 2021 - 3,500 rubles).
Foreigner's passport (or stateless person's identity card).

Since 2021, residents of the LPR and DPR are exempt from paying state duty.

Example of an application for Russian citizenship

Application forms and samples

Application form for citizenship of the Russian Federation (5106 Downloads) Application form for citizenship of the Russian Federation (new from 07/24/2020) (9705 Downloads) Application form for Russian citizenship for a child (1724 Downloads) Application form for citizenship of the Russian Federation according to the NRN (977 Downloads) Application form for citizenship Russian Federation in a simplified manner (2685 Downloads) Application form for Russian citizenship for the LDPR according to Decree No. 187 (4533 Downloads)

Sample application for citizenship of the Russian Federation (3549 Downloads) Sample application for citizenship of the Russian Federation for a child (783 Downloads) Sample application for citizenship of the Russian Federation according to NRN (894 Downloads) Sample application for citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner (5514 Downloads) Sample application for citizenship of the Russian Federation by marriage ( 2610 Downloads) Sample application for Russian citizenship for the LDPR according to Decree No. 187 (2939 Downloads) Sample application for Russian citizenship for the LDNR according to Decree No. 187 (submission by “trailer”) (One Download)

Application form for participation in the resettlement program for compatriots (1885 Downloads) Sample application for participation in the resettlement program for compatriots (1184 Downloads) Notification of dual citizenship (606 Downloads) Notification of dual citizenship through a representative (210 Downloads) Application for Russian citizenship by birth ( 355 Downloads) Application for renunciation of Russian citizenship in the general manner (137 Downloads) Application for renunciation of Russian citizenship in a simplified manner (143 Downloads)

Autobiography template for Russian citizenship (707 Downloads) Sample of filling out an autobiography for Russian citizenship (668 Downloads)

Deadlines

The period for the President of Russia to make a decision on granting you citizenship and the opportunity to obtain a Russian passport is one year (in a simplified manner, from 3 to 6 months). During this time, the authorities verify the authenticity of the application. That is, whether a visa to enter the territory of the Russian Federation was obtained without violations, whether the temporary residence permit and residence permit were correctly issued, and so on.

In a situation where a decision has been made to grant Russian citizenship, the applicant must be informed within 1 month. from the moment:

a decision taken by authorized bodies to admit a foreigner to Russian citizenship in a simplified manner;
issuing a presidential decree on the admission of a foreigner to Russian citizenship.

Information about this is sent to the foreign citizen by mail to the registration address. Therefore, it is appropriate to talk about increasing the period for obtaining citizenship by a general rule of 13 months.

Filling out an application for citizenship

After receiving the notification, you can contact the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to obtain an internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (remember, it is received by persons who are already 14 years old). The processing time is regulated by Russian passport rules, but rarely exceeds ten days.

All deadlines are maximum. Increasing the time it takes for employees to make decisions is a violation of the current legislation on citizenship.

Obtaining citizenship after a residence permit

With residence permit status, many migrants successfully live in Russia for years without thinking about obtaining citizenship. The latter, however, provides quite broad rights. Therefore, many foreigners are seriously thinking about obtaining a Russian passport.

Conditions

The main thing to remember is that to obtain citizenship you will have to go through several stages of legalization. Initially, after crossing the border, the migrant is registered with the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Next, he draws up a temporary residence permit. After living for a year with such a permit, a visitor can begin to obtain a residence permit. And only in this status will he have the right to apply for a Russian passport in the future.

How long does it take to apply for Russian citizenship after receiving a residence permit? It is necessary to demonstrate yourself as a respectable guest of the state by living here for at least five years. Plus, the migrant pays a fee. Its size is 3500 rubles. Mandatory conditions are:

knowledge of Russian language,
availability of financial security;
solution to the housing problem.

There are categories of visitors for whom a simplified process of acquiring citizenship is provided. These include foreigners who entered Russian universities to study and then successfully found employment. They can apply for a passport after 3 years of being in residence permit status. A similar relaxation is provided for highly qualified specialists who are in demand in Russia. Finally, refugees are also granted citizenship on an expedited basis.

Required documents

To become a full-fledged Russian citizen, you have to prepare a fairly extensive package of papers. It includes a statement, which is written in two copies. It is designed according to a sample that can be found on the Internet.

You will need four photographs, a residence permit, provided in the form of a notarized copy. The package includes documents on marital status (if the applicant is married, a corresponding certificate is required). Plus they add educational papers.

Also a mandatory element of the list is the renunciation of native citizenship (with the exception of residents of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan). It is written in two copies. One of them is sent to the representative office of the state where the migrant is from. Adults submit copies of their birth certificates along with photographs for their children. But if the child is already 14 years old, you will have to obtain his written consent to receive Russian citizenship. When children are under this age, the other parent gives permission.

To obtain a Russian passport, you will have to undergo a medical examination to check whether the person suffers from diseases dangerous to society. You will need a certificate confirming successful passing of an exam on knowledge of the Russian language, the basics of history and legislation of the Russian Federation.

If necessary, the papers are supplemented with a certificate of change of surname and a pension certificate. And a mandatory element of the complete package of documents is a receipt for payment of the state duty.

Deadlines for status registration

Exactly how long it will take from the moment the decision is made about the desire to obtain citizenship until the very fact that the migrant is issued a passport depends on the situation. But in general, a person will live in the Russian Federation for at least 6 years before he is provided with such a document. Since first the foreigner stays with the temporary residence permit for a year, then he issues a residence permit. With a residence permit, a visitor stays in the country for another 5 years, and only then begins to collect the necessary papers to obtain citizenship. A decision on the petition can be made within a year.

In fact, after obtaining a residence permit, you can expect to receive a Russian passport after another 30 days. Because after the application is approved, the migrant is sent a corresponding notification. And its delivery time is just a month.