Relatives in the RSFSR

Citizenship through ancestors born in the RSFSR

There are categories of foreign nationals who may be admitted to citizenship of the Russian Federation under a simplified procedure immediately after obtaining a residence permit (hereinafter referred to as a residence permit). These foreign nationals include those who have relatives in the direct ascending line who were born or permanently resided in the territory of the RSFSR or in territory that belonged to the Russian Empire or the USSR, within the State Border of the Russian Federation.

The RSFSR was one of the former Soviet republics that formed part of the USSR. Therefore, to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation, a foreign national must obtain a residence permit and confirm that their ancestor in the direct ascending line was born or permanently resided (was registered) in the above-mentioned territory.

To apply for citizenship on this basis, the foreign national's ancestor could have been born either in the Russian Empire or in the USSR, but it is important to observe the main condition: the place of birth or permanent residence of that ancestor must be within the present-day borders of Russia.

In addition, kinship must be documented with the ancestor who was born or permanently resided within the current borders of the Russian Federation before the dissolution of the USSR.

Consider the following examples:

Imagine that a Finnish national's paternal grandfather was born in 1938 in Omsk Oblast, which was part of the RSFSR and is now within the borders of the Russian Federation. In this case, the grandson is entitled to apply for citizenship of the Russian Federation if he holds a residence permit and can document his relationship to his grandfather.

Suppose that a Kyrgyz national's maternal grandmother permanently resided (was registered) from 1942 to 1951 in Luhansk Oblast, which was part of the USSR and, as of 30.09.2022, is part of the Russian Federation. In this case, the granddaughter is entitled to apply for citizenship of the Russian Federation if she holds a residence permit in Russia and can document her relationship to her grandmother through her mother.

How should you prove your relationship to the ancestor on whose basis you plan to submit your documents?

It is important to understand that the documentary chain of kinship to the ancestor will be different for each applicant, as it depends on the number of “links” in the chain, the number of surname changes, and other factors.
In other words, you need to document the chain from the ancestor’s original (pre-marital/maiden) surname to the applicant’s current surname.

Let us consider the process using the two examples above:

1. The Finnish national Ivanov I.I. is the son of his father Ivanov I.A., who is the son of his father (the applicant’s grandfather) Ivanov A.V., who was born in 1938 in Omsk Oblast.
   If none of the “links” in this chain changed their surnames, and grandfather Ivanov A.V. is listed in his son’s (the applicant’s father’s) birth certificate in the “father” field under the same full name, and the applicant’s father, Ivanov I.A., is listed as the father in the birth certificate of the applicant, Ivanov I.I., then three birth certificates are sufficient to prove the relationship: those of the grandfather, the father, and the applicant.

• The Kyrgyz national Tikhvina A.D. (née Kolokoltseva) is the granddaughter of Plaksina V.P. (née Zakharova) and the daughter of Kolokoltseva I.L. (née Plaksina).
  In this case, the documentary chain of kinship will be more complex than in the first case, since it is necessary to trace the relationship from the grandmother’s maiden name, as indicated on her birth certificate, to the granddaughter’s current surname.
  The grandmother was registered in Luhansk Oblast as a child under her maiden name, Zakharova. Later, after marrying, she changed her surname to Plaksina and was listed under that surname as the mother on her daughter’s (the applicant’s mother’s) birth certificate. Then Plaksina I.L. also married, changed her surname to Kolokoltseva, and was entered under that surname in the “mother” field on the birth certificate of her daughter, Kolokoltseva A.D., who now bears her husband’s surname, Tikhvina.
  In this chain, in addition to the birth certificate and an archival certificate from the grandmother’s place of residence, all documents confirming each surname change must be submitted, and the relationship from the grandmother (Zakharova) to the granddaughter (Tikhvina) must be documented.

We hope this article will help clarify not only the correct understanding of the basis for applying for citizenship through a direct ancestor who was born or permanently resided within the present-day borders of Russia before the dissolution of the USSR, but also how to properly document your relationship to that ancestor.