How to obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner

Thanks to the efforts of legislators, obtaining Russian citizenship in a simplified manner in 2017 became more accessible. In June 2014, Law No. 157 was adopted, which made significant changes to the ways in which certain categories of foreigners and stateless persons acquire citizenship of the Russian Federation. Formally, we are talking about changes to just one norm of the Federal Law “On Citizenship” No. 62, set out in Article 14. However, the importance of innovations cannot be overestimated.

To understand what improvements await those wishing to become full members of Russian society in 2017, it is necessary to briefly analyze three points:

what ;
How does simplified admission to citizenship differ from the general one?
What's New in Law No. 157 of 2014

Capable adult foreigners who have expressed a desire to take over are given the right to apply to. They can count on a positive decision if they meet the formalized requirements:

language skills;
availability of sufficient income in the Russian Federation from legal sources;
law-abiding.

The main obstacle in finding for many is the need to confirm a long stay in the country.

Requires (one of):

Live in the Russian Federation for 5 years from the date of receipt (permit) before applying for citizenship.
Served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under a contract for three years.
Live in the Russian Federation for a year in the presence of one of the following circumstances:

significant achievements in the field of science or culture;
the presence of a profession / qualification requested in the Russian Federation;
or received political.

Simplified reception and public: what is the difference between schemes

Persons who do not have the above special grounds need to stay in the Russian Federation for 5 years practically without a break. To enroll in the "five-year plan" of each calendar year, you can be absent from the country within its limits for no more than 3 months.

Previously valid grounds for "simplifiers"

Article 14 of the Federal Law No. 62, as amended until 2014, also regulated the simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation and assumed the possibility of using it for and (persons who have not received citizenship in the host country) under certain circumstances.

The person has a connection with the USSR, the RSFSR or the modern Russian Federation:

was born on the territory of the RSFSR;
was in the citizenship of the USSR;
had permanent residence in the USSR or in one of the states formed on its territory (valid only for stateless persons);
at least one parent is a citizen of the Russian Federation or has permanent residence here.

Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner, law No. 62 in the old version allowed for family reasons:

pensioners and disabled people who have an adult child - a citizen of the Russian Federation, not limited in capacity;
having a minor child - a citizen of the Russian Federation, if the second parent is dead, deprived of the right to education, declared missing, deprived or limited in capacity;
having lived with a Russian / Russian woman in a legal marriage for 3 or more years.

All of the above circumstances for admission to citizenship under the simplified procedure are valid. Law No. 157 only supplemented them.

Privileges for the rapid acquisition of the desired status for specific categories of the population remained in force:

Simplified acquisition of Russian citizenship: Video

Innovations 2014

Simplified acquisition of Russian citizenship as a legal institution has not undergone fundamental changes.

The law did not affect the procedure or jurisdiction of cases on preferential treatment. Only new grounds for its use have been added.

Since 2015, the simplified system for obtaining citizenship has also been extended to stateless persons permanently residing in the Russian Federation and foreign citizens who are native speakers.

The procedure for assigning such a status is regulated by the same Federal Law No. 62. It involves confirmation by interview to clarify three circumstances:

direct or through relatives contact with the Russian Federation or its predecessor states up to tsarist Russia;
excellent knowledge of Russian and its use in everyday life;
knowledge and maintenance of culture, traditions.

To obtain citizenship, native speakers must meet three additional criteria:

law-abiding;
availability of means of subsistence in the Russian Federation;
renunciation of previous citizenship ().

Deadlines and procedure

Simplified citizenship admission is carried out:

in most cases - the territorial body of the FMS;
for some reasons - foreign affairs bodies;
outside the Russian Federation - diplomatic missions and consulates.

The generally accepted period for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner is established in Art. 35 of the Federal Law No. 62. Consideration of applications for granting the desired status in a simplified manner takes a maximum of six months (for comparison, in the general order - a year) from the moment of application, provided that a complete and correctly executed one is provided. A request for citizenship, received from native speakers or participants, is considered 3 months in advance.