Russia is a hospitable and friendly country that gladly welcomes connoisseurs of Russian culture on its territory. Everyone has the opportunity to enjoy its natural beauty, visit architectural monuments, and make a pilgrimage to holy places for 90 days. If Russia captivated you so much that you decided to obtain Russian citizenship, you will have to be patient and familiarize yourself with the procedure for granting citizenship to foreign citizens.

In general, the procedure for obtaining citizenship in the Russian Federation is as follows: obtaining a residence permit, obtaining a residence permit, changing citizenship. You have the right to apply to join the ranks of the Russians if you are already 18 years old, have lived in Russia for 5 years from the date of receiving a residence permit, comply with the laws of the Russian Federation, are officially employed, and have a full command of the Russian language. A non-resident has the right to obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner if he is a native speaker of the Russian language and his relatives in the ascending line lived on the territory of the USSR or the Russian Empire within the current borders of the Russian state. Citizenship can also be obtained using a simplified scheme:
  • individual entrepreneurs living in the Russian Federation for more than three years, whose annual revenue is from 10 million rubles;
  • qualified specialists whose work period in Russia exceeds three years;
  • investors with a contribution share in the authorized capital of a Russian legal entity of 10% or more;
  • graduates of Russian educational institutions who have been working in the country for at least three years.

In this case, you do not need to obtain a temporary residence permit.

A simplified system is also in effect for the following categories of foreign citizens:
  • non-residents who have special services to the Russian Federation;
  • military personnel serving under a contract for more than three years and having citizenship of a country that was part of the USSR;
  • disabled people (pensioners/disabled people) from a country that was part of the USSR, registered on the territory of the Russian Federation at the time of 2002;
  • citizens of Belarus;
  • veterans of the Great Patriotic War who are registered in Russia;
  • persons married to a citizen of the Russian Federation;
  • refugees registered with the Federal Migration Service and living in Russia for more than a year.

A child who has not reached the age of majority acquires citizenship if he is born in the territory of a given country as a result of adoption with his parents.


The legislation of the Russian Federation provides for the Resettlement Program for Compatriots. This category includes:
  • Russian citizens living abroad;
  • persons who had USSR citizenship or live in the countries of the former USSR;
  • immigrants from Russia and the USSR and their descendants.

To participate in this program you will need to obtain:

  • participant certificate from the FMS office;
  • temporary residence permit or residence permit.