Citizenship Laws

## Citizenship Law

**Citizenship Law** is the law in each country and in each jurisdiction within each country which defines the rights and obligations of citizenship within the jurisdiction and the manner in which citizenship is acquired as well as how citizenship may be lost. A person who is not a citizen of the country is generally regarded as a foreigner, also referred to as an alien. A person who has no recognised nationality or citizenship is regarded as stateless.

## Procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship

The procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for foreign citizens differs depending on the status of the applicant in the territory of the Russian Federation and the permits that he or she already has and the grounds for obtaining Russian citizenship in a simplified procedure.

For example, the general procedure implies that a foreign citizen who wishes to obtain Russian citizenship must first register an RWP, residence permit and live in Russia for at least 5 years and only then he can apply for Russian citizenship. More details on how to obtain Russian citizenship on general grounds, we will discuss later in the article.

**The procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship on general terms for a foreign citizen is divided into several stages:**

* Crossing the border (with or without a visa), obtaining a migration card.
* Statement on migration accounting.
* Registration and receipt of RWP (Belarusians only need to pass registration).
* Obtaining a residence permit of the Russian Federation.
* Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation by a foreign citizen.

When all the documents are on hand , and behind the shoulders will be 5 years living in Russia by residence permit, the applicant can safely go with the application for the citizenship of the Russian Federation to the department of migration management of the Russian Ministry of Interior place of residence and apply for Russian citizenship.

### Different limitations

the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship and for issuing a Russian passport to foreign citizens will differ in accordance to:

* By birthright

* By the right of marriage with a Russian
* For native speakers of the Russian language
* Foreigners with the status of "Refugees"
* Highly qualified specialists
* People participating in the resettlement program
* Citizens of the CIS countries
* Born in the Soviet Union or the USSR
* Trained in Russia or the former Soviet Union
* Receiving citizenship in the general order

## General legal requirements

In addition to the basic main reason for obtaining Russian citizenship by birth, there are other cases in which a foreign citizen can obtain a Russian passport.

**The foreign citizen can apply for Russian citizenship in the following cases:**

* If a foreigner has lived in Russia for more than 5 years from the date of issuance of a residence permit or an RWP of the Russian Federation, and also did not leave the country for more than 3 months during each year of residence.
* If a foreign citizen who wants to obtain Russian citizenship is a highly qualified specialist, and Russia is interested in him as a professional.
* If the applicant is in Russia in the status of a migrant (under the program) or a refugee. In this case, the minimum period of residence in Russia for applying for Russian citizenship is reduced to 1 year.

Obtaining citizenship and a passport of the Russian Federation to a foreign citizen in the general order is much more difficult and takes much more time than in a simplified one. Before choosing such a method, check and make sure that the applicant do not belong to any category of people with a simplified form of issuing Russian citizenship. For example, citizenship of the Russian Federation to citizens of Uzbekistan with the right of simplified form can be obtained for a period of 1.5 years and with fewer documents.

The federal law "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation" provides for the following requirements for a foreigner who submits documents for citizenship of the Russian Federation:

* Live in the territory of the Russian Federation without interruptions for at least five years under the residence permit. The allowed break is 3 months for 1 year. (The only exception is the people with special merits before the motherland and those who have lived in the USSR for three years and more served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation).
* A foreigner must have a confirmed minimum income for living in Russia.
* Obliged to fulfil and respect the Law and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
* To renounce the citizenship of another state, having applied for this, for example, to the consulate of their country in the territory of Russia.
* Get a certificate of knowledge of the Russian language.

## Legal Documentations

**In order to obtain Russian citizenship in the general order, the migrant needs to provide the following package of documents:**

* two completed applications for citizenship of the Russian Federation on the model;
* the document proving the identity;
* a copy of the residence permit of a foreign citizen certified by a notary;
* renunciation of citizenship of the previous state (in duplicate);
* receipt of payment of state duty;
* birth and marriage certificates;
* photo of the applicant in 4 copies (30x40 mm),
* certificate or other certificate of education;
* if the surname or a name has been changed, we need documents that bear witness to this;
* a document confirming the official source of income in Russia;
* confirmation of knowledge of the Russian language (certificate of the RF or RSFSR, or certificate of passing the exam);
* birth certificates of children.

**Requirements for the photo:**

A photo of Russian citizenship is a face image of the full face. The picture should be clear;

The person in the photo should be without a hat. However, if the applicant's religious beliefs do not allow him to appear before other persons without a headdress, he can be photographed in the headdress, but the headpiece should not hide the face oval;

As for glasses, if the applicant constantly wears them, then the photograph on the citizenship of the Russian Federation must also be made with glasses. In this case, please note that the glass should not be toned.

## Quota for Citizenship

Many people ask if there is a quota for Russian citizenship. No, obtaining Russian citizenship by quota is not provided. The citizenship of the Russian Federation is issued outside the quota and it is not necessary to receive a quota for appropriation of Russian citizenship to a foreign citizen.

## Resettlement of Compatriots

The resettlement program for compatriots has existed since 2007, and it was created to help those who used to live on the territory of the USSR to return to their homeland, and also to change the documents of the Soviet republics for Russian citizenship.

Become a participant in the program and obtain Russian citizenship under the resettlement program may be the following categories of foreign citizens:

* Those whose relatives in a direct line lived in Russia.
* Those who previously had citizenship of the republics of the USSR, the RSFSR.
* Those who used to live in one of the republics of the USSR and had Soviet citizenship.
* Those who live outside Russia but belong to the peoples who lived on the territory of this country, as well as their descendants.

### Terms of obtaining citizenship under the program of resettlement of compatriots

The period for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation under the resettlement program is 1 year or less.

As soon as a foreign citizen issues an RWP and registration at the place of residence, he or she can immediately apply for the citizenship of the Russian Federation under the resettlement program.

The period for considering applications for Russian citizenship for resettlement is only 3 months. Next, we will discuss in more detail how to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation for resettlement.

In order to obtain Russian citizenship under the resettlement program in 2018 under simplified forms, the following documents must be submitted to the state bodies in the place of residence as a participant in the program:

* two copies of the application - forms for citizenship of the Russian Federation under the resettlement program in a completed form;
* RWP or residence permit of the Russian Federation;
* proof of participation in the resettlement program of compatriots (certificate);
* photographs of the applicant 3x4 in three copies;
* the document proving the identity;
* a document evidencing the refusal of the second citizenship;
* a receipt for payment of the state duty in the amount of 3500 rubles;
* if the applicant is from 14 to 18 years of age, then his written consent is required;
* if a person changed his or her surname, then a corresponding document is needed to confirm the change of the surname.

## Citizenship through Family Law

*specific article: Marriage Law*

Marriage to a Russian citizen is the basis on which a foreign citizen has the right to obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified procedure. However, it is not possible to obtain Russian citizenship by marriage immediately after the wedding and registration of the relationship. That is, citizenship at the time of marriage with a Russian citizen is not automatically issued immediately.

To apply for citizenship of the RF to a foreign citizen by marriage under a simplified procedure, one must marry a Russian citizen for at least 3 years.

For foreign citizens, Russian citizenship in marriage in a simplified manner implies that the time for consideration of documents is reduced to 6 months. That is, after submitting documents for the citizenship of the Russian Federation for marriage in 2018, the answer can be received after 6 months or less. In conjunction with 3 years of marriage, the acquisition of Russian citizenship by marriage takes 3.5 years, which is still significantly less than five years when applying for citizenship in the general order.

### Procedure

In order to obtain Russian Federation citizenship through marriage, the following stages must be completed:

* To marry a Russian citizen.
* To issue an RWP.
* After the RWP, to issue a residence permit.
* To live in marriage for 3 years, during this time without violating the law.
* Pass the exam on the knowledge of the Russian language.
* Apply for a Russian citizenship through marriage.

### Legal documents

The list of documents on Russian citizenship by marriage is as follows:

* certificate of marriage;

* two applications for citizenship of the Russian Federation of the established pattern;
* the passport of the husband (spouse) - citizen of the Russian Federation;
* a residence permit of the Russian Federation;
* a paper confirming the payment of the state duty for citizenship in the amount of 3,500 rubles;
* certificate of registration at the place of residence;
* a document confirming the filing of the application for the renunciation of the previous citizenship, or evidence of the impossibility of such refusal;
* documents proving the source of income sufficient for living;
* three photos in 3x4 cm format, black and white or color.

## checking the readiness of Russian citizenship

If the applicant successfully fulfilled all the conditions and provided reliable documents to the MOI of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, received a positive response to the application, it remains only to wait for the citizenship of the Russian Federation.

Check the readiness of Russian citizenship online can be on the official website of the Main Administration of the Interior Ministry. To check the readiness of Russian citizenship, simply click on this link and fill out the request form.

## Receiving Russian Passport

The first and most important step after obtaining Russian citizenship is documentary confirmation of a new status. A former migrant should receive a Russian passport after receiving Russian citizenship.

**In order to obtain a Russian passport, you need to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the following package of documents:**

* application for issuing a Russian passport;
* photos 3x4;
* a document confirming the identity of the person who applied;
* birth certificate;
* a receipt for payment of 300 rubles of state duty

The period for obtaining a Russian passport after applying is usually about two weeks. The period for consideration of documents is 10 days. If the applicant is not registered at the place of address to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the time limit may increase to 30 days.

## Sources

* Гражданство РФ для иностранных граждан: как получить российское гражданство иностранному гражданину, основания и документы на гражданство РФ, упрощенное получение гражданства РФ – пошаговая инструкция и порядок приобретения российского гражданства
* Federal Law No. 62-FZ on Russian Federation Citizenship