Obtain Russian Nationality

Updated on Saturday 15th December 2018

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In order to obtain Russian nationality, a foreign individual must be eligible and obtain a visa and a residence permit before applying for citizenship. Russia does not encourage dual citizenship; however, citizenship by descent is possible in some cases.

A new law governing citizenship favors highly qualified individuals, those working in certain professions or some foreign investors. The team of lawyers at our law firm in Russia can help you apply for citizenship or meet the necessary requirements to qualify for it.

Acquiring Russian citizenship

According to the Citizenship Act of 2002 that replaced the previous one dated from 199, it is possible to acquire Russian citizenship in the following cases:

- by birth;

- if the parent's citizenship is Russian;

- by naturalization;

- by restoration.

A child born in Russia can qualify for Russian citizenship if neither of his parents are Russian citizens. For this purpose, the child must not acquire any other citizenship.

Naturalization is possible after the foreigner has been a permanent resident in Russia for at least five years. The applicant must have a clean criminal record, a legal source of income and must speak Russian. The same principles also apply for restoration of citizenship, the only difference being that in this case the period needed to obtain citizenship is only three years.

Russian citizenship for qualified professionals

The procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship is easier for foreign nationals that have certain professions. The list includes 74 professions and individuals who qualify can benefit from a simplified scheme. These individuals will need to obtain a visa and a residence permit.

The list of professions includes doctors, nurses, midwives, medical laboratory technicians, veterinaries, therapists, engineers, mathematicians, certain managers, and directors. Under this simplified scheme, the applicant will no longer need to obtain a temporary residence permit.

Our attorneys can help you with other information like the requirements for obtaining a Russian visa. You can contact our law firm in Russia for more details and personalized assistance for submitting the necessary documents.