Birth in the Territory of the RSFSR

Residence permit based on birth in the RSFSR

Certain categories of foreign nationals are entitled to apply for a residence permit (hereinafter, “residence permit”) in the Russian Federation, together with the required documents, without first obtaining a temporary residence permit. These include foreign nationals born in the territory of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR).

The RSFSR was a union republic within the USSR, and the Russian Federation is currently located within its historical territory. To obtain a residence permit under the simplified procedure, a foreign national must confirm that they were born in the territory of the former RSFSR no later than December 26, 1991 (the date the USSR ceased to exist).

Practical example: 

A citizen of Estonia born in 1973 in Sverdlovsk Oblast (which was part of the RSFSR) is entitled to apply for a residence permit on this basis.

Important consequence: After obtaining a residence permit on this basis, a foreign national acquires the right to apply for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation in accordance with subparagraph 1 of paragraph 2 of Article 16 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ of 28.04.2023 “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”.

How to submit the documents: To obtain a residence permit, a foreign national must apply to the territorial office of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at their place of stay.

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

List of documents for a foreign national born in the RSFSR and formerly a citizen of the USSR to apply for a residence permit

1. Application in 2 copies (printed double-sided).
The application must be completed electronically or by hand, legibly, in block letters, using black, blue, or purple ink, without corrections, erasures, or unofficial abbreviations. All fields that must be completed must be filled in. 
If there is not enough space in the application, additional information may be provided on a separate sheet attached to the application, following the format of the relevant field and stating the applicant’s first name, surname, and patronymic (if any). 
If the application is submitted on paper directly to a migration issues office of the Russian Federation, the applicant must sign it in the presence of the official receiving applications.

2. Identity document of the applicant.
(At the time of application, the document must remain valid for at least the application processing period.) 

3. Migration card and detachable portion of the notice of arrival of a foreign national or stateless person at their place of stay — migration registration.
4. Birth certificate.
In the case of an application for a residence permit by a person born in the RSFSR and formerly a citizen of the USSR, it must indicate that it was issued in the territory of the RSFSR or the Russian Federation by a civil registry office (if a duplicate birth certificate issued in the territory of the RSFSR is submitted). If this certificate is unavailable, a 1974 USSR citizen passport containing the relevant entries serves as proof of birth in the RSFSR and former USSR citizenship. 

5. Documents confirming changes to personal name details.
(marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or certificate from the civil registry office in the event of repeated surname changes, or a certificate of name change).

6. A document confirming the absence of a criminal record or, if one exists, containing information about the crime for which the applicant was convicted. 
Required from foreign nationals aged fourteen or older; the certificate must be valid for 3 months on the date of application. 
This document is not required from a foreign national who entered the Russian Federation under a visa-free procedure.
(If applying for a residence permit after receiving a temporary residence permit, this certificate does not need to be submitted again.)

7. A document confirming that the foreign national can support themselves and their family members in the Russian Federation at no less than the subsistence minimum without state assistance (except for foreign nationals recognized as unable to work), in an amount of at least 4 regional subsistence minimums (if the certificate is from Sberbank, it must be Form 297).*
    * Such documents include:
- certificate of an individual’s income and tax amounts (formerly Form 2-NDFL);
- pension certificate;
- certificate from the territorial office of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation confirming the award of a pension;
- confirmation of receipt of alimony;
- income certificate for the person supporting the applicant;
- certificate of a bank deposit showing the account number and deposit amount;
- another document confirming income from an activity not prohibited by law or inability to work.

8. Documents confirming that the foreign national does not have drug addiction or infectious diseases that pose a danger to others, as well as a certificate confirming that the applicant does not have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

9. One of the following documents confirming the foreign national’s proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history, and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation: *
- certificate of proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history, and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation at a level corresponding to the purpose of obtaining a temporary residence permit or residence permit;
- state-standard education document (at a level no lower than basic general education) issued by an educational institution in a state that was part of the USSR before September 1, 1991;
- education and/or qualification document issued to persons who successfully passed the state final assessment in the territory of the Russian Federation from September 1, 1991;
- decision recognizing the applicant as a native Russian speaker, adopted before October 26, 2023 by a commission of the federal executive authority in charge of internal affairs or its territorial office for recognizing a foreign national or stateless person as a native Russian speaker.

10. Personal photographs, 35х45мм – 4 copies (matte, black and white or color).
     Stateless persons must submit two photographs.

11. Receipt confirming payment of the state fee.

12. A document confirming that the foreign national has residential premises on grounds provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation, where the right is not registered in the Unified State Register of Real Estate, 
- if the application for a residence permit is submitted by a foreign national more than three years after entering the Russian Federation.

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

Copies made from original documents must be of good quality, legible, and contain all the information present in the original document. Copies must be made on standard A4 sheets and must not be cut to the size of the original.

The state service is provided within 4 months. 
 
When documents for a residence permit are accepted, a receipt confirming that the application has been accepted for consideration is issued.
If an application for a residence permit is not accepted, a certificate stating the reason is issued.
   • If documents (passport, birth certificate, etc.) contain different spellings of geographical names, documentary proof of the renaming may be required. Such a certificate can be obtained, including by proxy, from the Russian State Library.
 
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 apostilled 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 territory of the Russian Federation.

      For countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention:
• Documents are subject to consular legalization through consular offices of the Russian Federation abroad or the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be translated into Russian. If a document is drawn up in several languages and none of them is Russian, a translation from one language of the applicant’s choice must be submitted. 
The accuracy of the translation or the authenticity of the translator’s signature must be notarized in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation on notaries. 
 
* The following persons are exempt from confirming their proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history, and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation when applying for a temporary residence permit or residence permit:
   • foreign nationals who are legally incapacitated or have limited legal capacity; 
   • foreign nationals under the age of eighteen;
   • male foreign nationals aged sixty-five or older; 
   • female foreign nationals aged sixty or older; 
   • foreign nationals granted participant status in the State Program to Assist the Voluntary Resettlement to the Russian Federation of Compatriots Living Abroad, or the status of a family member of a participant in that State Program; 
   • highly qualified foreign specialists and their family members who have applied for the residence permit specified in paragraph 27 of Article 13.2 of this Federal Law; 
   • foreign nationals who are citizens of the Union State formed by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus;
   • foreign nationals applying for a residence permit who have a parent (adoptive parent, guardian, or custodian), son, or daughter who is a citizen of the Russian Federation and permanently resides in the Russian Federation; 
   • foreign nationals who are citizens of Ukraine; 
   • foreign nationals referred to in subparagraph 8 of paragraph 3 of Article 6 of Federal Law No. 115 (those who have enlisted for military service) and subparagraph 20 of paragraph 2 of Article 8 of Federal Law No. 115 (foreign nationals who, during the special military operation, have entered into a contract to serve in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or military formations for a period of one year (hereinafter, a servicemember), and their family members, including in the event of the servicemember’s death. A servicemember’s family members are their spouse, children (including adopted children), and parents (including adoptive parents). 
   • Foreign nationals who are highly qualified specialists working under the procedure established by Article 13.2 of this Federal Law, and foreign journalists working for organizations that produce and publish mass media specifically established to disseminate information in foreign languages, are exempt from confirming their proficiency in Russian, knowledge of Russian history, and the fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation when applying for a work permit.

Under Article 8, paragraph 2, subparagraph 1 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation