Russian citizenship law
Russian citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Russia. The primary law governing citizenship requirements is the federal law "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation" (Russian: О гражданстве Российской Федерации, O grazhdanstve Rossiyskoy Federacii), which came into force on 1 July 2002.
| On Citizenship of the Russian Federation О гражданстве Российской Федерации | |
|---|---|
| Federal Assembly | |
| Citation | N 62-ФЗ |
| Territorial extent | Russia (including Crimea), occupied territories of Ukraine |
| Enacted by | Federal Assembly |
| Signed by | President of Russia |
| Signed | 31 May 2002 |
| Commenced | 1 July 2002 |
| Status: Amended | |
Any person born in Russia to at least one Russian parent, or born overseas to two Russian parents, receives Russian citizenship at birth. Foreign nationals may become citizens by admission after meeting a minimum residence requirement (usually five years), proving a legal source of income, and demonstrating proficiency in the Russian language.
Russia was previously a part of the Soviet Union and its residents were Soviet citizens. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, all post-Soviet states established separate citizenship laws. Although citizens of the former Union Republics are no longer Soviet, they continue to be eligible for a facilitated acquisition of Russian citizenship in which they can be exempted from some requirements for admission as Russian citizens.