The State Duma of the Russian Federation plans to clarify the rules for obtaining Russian citizenship

A bill aimed at tightening the conditions for obtaining Russian citizenship has been introduced for consideration in the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

Members of the LDPR party propose extending the residency period in Russia for obtaining citizenship to 8 years, starting from the date of residence permit issuance and ending at the moment of applying for citizenship. It is also suggested to increase the residency period for obtaining a residence permit to two years. These changes would allow foreigners who have lived in the country for at least 10 years to become Russian citizens.

The proposed amendments also concern the procedure for simplified citizenship acquisition. Currently, this opportunity is granted to compatriots, foreign privileged individuals, and stateless persons. The bill suggests granting passports through a simplified procedure to foreigners who have signed a contract to serve in the Russian Armed Forces or other military formations and have served for more than two years. In case of early discharge due to health reasons, a foreigner will not be able to use the simplified citizenship acquisition procedure.

The bill grants the right to simplified passport processing to parents of Russian citizens who have been in the country for at least 5 years. Currently, the law does not set a minimum residency period in Russia for children seeking citizenship. If a Russian citizen applies for naturalization due to marriage, and the couple has a common underage child, the marriage must have lasted more than three years.

Currently, certain provisions of the laws may facilitate obtaining citizenship on formal grounds, which, according to the deputies, is deemed unacceptable.