Citizenship for a foreign national who received a passport or another document indicating citizenship of the Russian Federation but did not acquire Russian Federation citizenship in accordance with the established procedure

There are categories of foreign nationals who may be admitted to citizenship of the Russian Federation under a simplified procedure without obtaining a residence permit (hereinafter, a residence permit). These include foreign nationals who, before the date Federal Law N 138-FZ “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation” entered into force, received a passport or another document indicating citizenship of the Russian Federation but did not acquire Russian Federation citizenship in accordance with the established procedure.

This means that if a foreign national has a Russian passport (or another document indicating Russian citizenship, for example, a USSR-model birth certificate with an insert indicating Russian citizenship), but did not in fact acquire Russian citizenship (that is, the Russian passport was issued without grounds), that foreign national may apply for citizenship under the simplified procedure. As a rule, such cases are identified during a check to determine whether a person has Russian citizenship. For example, the Ministry of Internal Affairs often initiates such a check when a Russian citizen who permanently resides abroad and therefore does not have a Russian “domestic” passport applies to obtain one. In some cases, the check establishes that the Russian passport was issued without grounds and that there were no legal grounds for acquiring Russian citizenship.

Consider an example: 

Suppose that in the 1990s a German citizen obtained a Russian international passport at a Russian consulate on the basis of a USSR international passport. However, it was issued without grounds, because the person had left the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1990 to reside permanently in the Federal Republic of Germany and, consequently, did not acquire Russian citizenship by recognition on February 6, 1992. When applying to the Russian consulate for a Russian international passport following a change of name, the person learned that a check to determine whether they had citizenship had to be conducted first, since the name change had taken place many years earlier, when they acquired German citizenship. The check established that despite having a Russian international passport, this person did not have Russian citizenship. This German citizen has the right to apply for admission to citizenship.

To submit an application and a complete set of documents for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation under Part 1 of Article 44 of Federal Law N 138-FZ “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation,” the applicant must apply to the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the constituent entity where they are staying (residing). If the applicant is abroad, they may submit an application to a Russian consular office.

Document package

The current list of required documents in .pdf format can be downloaded here

List of documents to apply for Russian citizenship if you received a passport or another document indicating citizenship of the Russian Federation

Foreign nationals who have reached the age of eighteen and have legal capacity are entitled to apply for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation provided that the foreign national or stateless person in question undertakes to comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, take the Oath of a Citizen of the Russian Federation, without meeting the requirements to  

1) reside permanently in the Russian Federation for five years from the date of the decision to issue a Russian residence permit until the date of filing the application for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation;

2) have a command of the Russian language;

3) know the history of Russia and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation;

if the citizens in question, before the date this Federal Law entered into force, received a passport or another document indicating citizenship of the Russian Federation but did not acquire Russian Federation citizenship in accordance with the established procedure.

Foreign nationals or stateless persons located outside the Russian Federation shall submit their application and documents to a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation.

Within Russia—to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia or its territorial body. 

1. Application—in 2 copies (printed double-sided)

The application must be completed in Russian by hand using black, blue, or purple ink, or electronically. The applicant must sign each page of the application in the designated field in the lower right-hand corner. Handwritten text must be legible. Abbreviations and acronyms may not be used when completing the application, except for those in common use; corrections and erasures are also not permitted.

All fields of the application that are required to be completed must be filled in, except where the circumstances needed to answer the question do not exist. In that case, the word “none” is entered in the relevant field, or the corresponding section is left blank. Answers to the questions in the application form must be exhaustive.

If there is insufficient space in an application field to provide all the necessary information, that information must be provided on additional sheets attached to the application, which form an integral part of it (hereinafter, an addendum). In this case, the relevant application field must state “See addendum.”

The number of the field being supplemented must be written on the addendum sheets, along with the necessary information. All addendum sheets must be numbered. The page number and total number of addendum sheets must be indicated in the upper right-hand corner of each sheet. The number of copies of each addendum must match the number of copies of the application. The applicant must sign each addendum sheet in the lower right-hand corner.

2. A document proving the applicant’s identity.

An application will not be accepted for consideration from a person who proves their identity and citizenship using a document issued in connection with their official or professional activities, including an official or diplomatic passport.

3. Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.

If the applicant does not have a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, including where it has been seized, a copy of the document confirming the seizure of the Russian Federation citizen’s passport, a temporary identity card of a Russian Federation citizen, or another document indicating citizenship of the Russian Federation must be submitted. If none of these documents is available, the application must state the details of the issuance of the Russian Federation citizen’s passport (whether seized or lost) and its seizure or loss.

4. An extract from the conclusion of a territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, a diplomatic mission, or a consular office of the Russian Federation confirming that the applicant does not hold Russian Federation citizenship (if such an extract is available).

5. A document confirming the applicant’s place of residence or place of stay.

If no such document is available, the applicant must state in the application the details of their actual place of residence.

If the applicant’s citizenship or place of residence or stay is confirmed by an identity document, no additional documents confirming this information need to be presented.

6. The applicant’s birth certificate.

7. Documents confirming changes to the applicant’s full name.

A marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or certificate from the civil registry office in the event of multiple surname changes, or a name change certificate.

8. Personal photographs, 3 x4 cm – 3 pcs. (black-and-white or color).

The image of the applicant (child, or person lacking legal capacity) in the photograph must correspond to their age on the date the application is filed.

9. Receipt confirming payment of the state fee.

All the documents listed must be submitted as photocopies, together with the ORIGINALS.

A copy made from an original document must be of good quality, easy to read, and contain all the information shown in the original. Copies must be made on standard A4 sheets and must not be cut to match the format of the original.

The originals of the applicant’s identity document and other required documents submitted by the applicant must be returned. Copies of these documents are attached to the application; an official checks that they match the originals and certifies them with their signature and the seal of the body responsible for citizenship matters in the Russian Federation, or the seal of a subordinate enterprise (authorized organization).

The period for providing the state service is 3 months.

The period may be extended for the time needed to verify the documents submitted by the applicant and the information provided when filing the application, and to obtain additional documents and information stipulated by this Federal Law,  but by no more than three months.

An application will not be accepted for consideration and will be returned to the applicant together with the documents attached to it if:

a) the application and documents have not been properly prepared, including where they contain clerical errors, typos, or other mistakes;

b) the documents required under this Regulation and attached to the application have not been submitted in full.

If an application is refused acceptance for consideration, the official returning it shall state, orally or in writing, the circumstances that formed the basis for the refusal and how they can be rectified.

At the applicant’s written request, the official shall provide written information about those circumstances and how they can be rectified, including a list of missing documents.

All official documents issued by foreign authorities in a foreign language must be legalized, translated, and notarized.

For countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention:

• The original document must be certified with an apostille in the country where it was issued.
• The document and the apostille affixed to it must be translated into Russian.
• The translation must be certified by a notarial endorsement by a notary in the Russian Federation.

                 For countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention:

• Documents must undergo consular legalization through Russian Federation consular offices abroad or the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

All documents not in Russian must be submitted with a translation into Russian. The accuracy of the translation or the authenticity of the translator’s signature must be notarized in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

The originals of the Russian translations of these documents must be returned. Copies are attached to the application; an official checks that they match the originals and certifies them with their signature and the seal of the body responsible for citizenship matters in the Russian Federation, or the seal of a subordinate enterprise (authorized organization).

If a document prepared in a language other than Russian has all entries duplicated in Russian, it does not need to be translated into Russian.

Under Part 1 of Article 44 of Federal Law N 138-FZ of 28.04.2023 “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation N 889 of 22.11.2023 “Issues of Citizenship of the Russian Federation” (“Regulation on the Procedure for Considering Issues of Citizenship of the Russian Federation,” “Regulation on the Procedure for Taking the Oath of a Citizen of the Russian Federation”