Russian citizenship is the dream of many immigrants from the CIS countries. Citizens of the Republic of Belarus are no exception. How can a Belarusian get Russian citizenship? He can become a Russian in two ways - in a general manner and according to a simplified scheme. What documents will be required in 2017? What difficulties can be encountered in the process of obtaining citizenship?
The status of citizens of Belarus in the Russian Federation
The governments of the Russian Federation and Belarus have long maintained friendly international relations. Many countries have concluded many cooperation agreements. In particular, there is an agreement that guarantees the observance of equal rights of Russians and Belarusians in the Russian Federation in matters of movement and accommodation.
The procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for immigrants from Belarus is no different from the scheme applicable to other foreigners. However, by virtue of existing international agreements, Belarusians are entitled to receive a Russian passport in a simplified manner.
General terms
How can a Belarusian get Russian citizenship? To do this, the following requirements must be observed, which are mandatory for all applicants. It:
- Availability of livelihoods obtained by legal means.
- Registration of the official renunciation of Belarusian citizenship received through the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus.
- High level Russian language proficiency.
- Strict compliance with Russian law. The applicant must understand his rights and obligations in Russia.
In addition, there are additional conditions:
- Prior to applying, you need to register at the place of residence;
- then you need to get a Belarusian passport with a series of PP, as well as a slip of departure from Belarus;
- after leaving Belarus you need to get a residence permit in the Russian Federation.
Standard procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship
According to the general rules established by the law on citizenship, foreigners need to live in the Russian Federation for at least 5 years on legal grounds. It is assumed that owners of Russian residence permits are vested with this right. Only after that they have the right to apply for citizenship. In this case, the application along with the documents will be considered for about 12 months.
Simplified circuit
How can Belarusians obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner? In 1999, the Russian Federation concluded an international treaty with Belarus regulating this issue. The following categories of applicants were identified with the ability to formalize Russian citizenship:
- Persons with close relatives with Russian citizenship who permanently live in the Russian Federation.
- Repatriates, that is, those who before the collapse of the Soviet Union were born in the RSFSR, or are of Russian origin.
- Graduates of higher education institutions located in Russia who received a professional education diploma after 2002.
- Spouses who have been in the official union for at least 3 years, and one of them is a Russian.
For the above categories of immigrants, applications are considered up to 6 months.
Documents
In order to become a citizen of Russia, an immigrant must submit an application in two copies to the migration service. Also, the following documents will need to be attached to it:
- residence permit in the Russian Federation (original and copy);
- papers from the registry office (birth certificates of children, name change, marriage certificate);
- diploma, certificate of education;
- medical certificate confirming the absence of serious diseases;
- 4 photographs measuring 3.5 by 4.5 cm;
- a check from the bank confirming payment of state duty.
Documents of education must be accompanied by a translation into Russian, if they are in another language. Photocopies and translations of documents must be notarized.
The applicant shall be notified of the decision within 1 month after its approval.
Possible difficulties
By issuing passports, Russian Belarusians may encounter difficulties in collecting documents. It takes a lot of time. In addition, the notary and translator services will be included in the list of registration costs. There are law firms that assist in obtaining citizenship. But their services can cost thirty thousand rubles.
You also need to be prepared for the fact that the migration service may require additional papers. In the process of considering the application, in addition to this, the applicant must undergo testing and pass an exam in the Russian language.
The issues of granting Russian citizenship are regulated by the law “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”. How can a Belarusian get Russian citizenship? To do this, you must first prepare all the necessary papers, and then submit them to the migration service for consideration. The procedure usually takes from six months to a year, depending on its scheme. Belarusian authorities do not recognize dual citizenship with Russia. Therefore, Belarusian citizenship must first be abandoned.