Obtaining Russian citizenship in Crimea

After the 2014 referendum in Crimea, all residents of the peninsula were given the opportunity to change their citizenship to Russian. The procedure for issuing new passports has been simplified, but leaves a lot of questions.

How to obtain Russian citizenship in Crimea for Ukrainians

If a foreigner wishes to obtain Russian citizenship, then he will need to live in the country for at least 5 years and pass an exam on knowledge of the Russian language. But for the Ukrainians living on the peninsula, the procedure will look like this:

• Collect a package of documents;
• Contact the nearest FMS branch;
• Hand over papers;
• Renounce existing citizenship;
• Wait for a new passport.

On average, the process of changing citizenship lasts from 30 to 60 days. Now, when the excitement has passed, migration services are working as usual, and many Crimeans do not even face queues.

List of required documents

Preparing a package of papers will not take much time. The migration office must be provided with:

• Completed application form (form No. 1P);

• Ukrainian identity card;

• Birth certificate;
• Photo.

All listed documents are handed over to responsible employees only in person. Transfer through friends, relatives and attorneys is not allowed. The only exceptions are those residents of the peninsula who, for health reasons, cannot come themselves to change their citizenship.

Download form 1P - receiving at 14 years old

In this case, the package of papers is supplemented with:

• Health certificate;
• By a power of attorney drawn up in a notary office.

Requirements for documents are simple and clear to everyone:

• The application is filled in by hand only;
• Birth certificate is accepted in original;
• The photo is taken in 3.5 by 4.5 color according to the standard adopted for official documents.

If desired, applicants can download the application form on the official website of the FMS of Russia. But you only need to fill out the document manually.

The nuances of filling out the questionnaire

An application for Russian citizenship for Crimeans consists of one sheet. The following information is entered into it:

1. FULL NAME.;
2. Date and place of birth;
3. Floor;
4. Family status;
5. The name of the body confirming the civil status act;
6. Full name of the father;
7. FULL NAME. mothers;
8. Place of residence (by registration);
9. Place of residence (in fact);
10. Information on the availability of citizenship of a foreign state;
11. Request for a passport, indicating the reason;
12. Date and signature.

In the same form below, the applicant will sign upon receipt of a new identity card.

Features of the procedure for persons without registration

All the above information is relevant for those residents of the peninsula who have an official residence permit on the territory of Crimea. It is confirmed by a stamp in the Ukrainian passport and makes it possible to go through the entire procedure in literally half an hour.

But citizens who cannot confirm the fact of their residence on the peninsula with a registration will have to obtain citizenship in several stages. And the first will be proof of their residence in Crimea.

This procedure takes place in court, and it is better for it to hire a lawyer, although at first glance the process does not seem complicated:

1. Filling out a statement of claim;
2. Payment of state duty (200 rubles);
3. Providing original documents;
4. Participation in the hearings.

In fact, even at the stage of preparing the papers, the applicant has numerous questions, since the list is impressive:

• Labor book (it must contain a record of work on the peninsula at the time of the referendum);
• Testimony from people who know that the applicant lives in Crimea;
• Extracts from a polyclinic or hospital about seeking medical help;
• Bank statements;
• Official documents with a seal and signature (for example, for a subscription service or a rental agreement).

During the hearing, the judge may consider some evidence more weighty than others, so it is necessary to collect as complete a set of documents as possible.

After a court decision is made, a Crimean can apply to the migration service in a general manner.

But he will have to attach to the standard package of papers:

• Evidence accepted by the court;
• Decision rendered.

The issuance of a new identity card will take place approximately 2 months after the application.

Simplified registration procedure for persons without registration

If it seems that litigation is too long and difficult, then you can try a simplified procedure.

Ukrainians who live in Crimea, but do not have a residence permit, in order to obtain Russian citizenship must:

1. Make a temporary registration;
2. Get a residence permit on it;
3. Apply for a change of citizenship to the nearest FMS office.

Such applications are considered for at least 6 months. But to get a positive decision, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• The mother or father must be citizens of the Russian Federation and live on the peninsula;
• Have a USSR passport, but without a mark of citizenship;
• Study at a Russian educational institution;
• To be married to a citizen of the Russian Federation;
• Be recognized as disabled and have adult offspring with a Russian passport;
• Have a BOB status;
• Participate in a special resettlement program.

If the conditions are met, then the application for citizenship will need to be attached:

• Identification;
• Birth certificate;
• Marriage certificate;
• Confirmation of renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship;
• Bank statement;
• Russian language exam certificate (required for non-native speakers).

Documents are accepted in original.

Is it permissible for Crimeans to have dual citizenship

Russian legislation allows for the fact that its citizens have dual citizenship only with countries participating in a special agreement. In the Russian Federation, it is signed only with Tajikistan, so the rest of the persons must choose which citizenship they need more.

By law, every person who has 2 passports at the same time must report this to the migration services. Otherwise, he is threatened with:

• Fine from 500 to 200,000 rubles;
• Mandatory work.

But with the Crimeans, the situation is a little different, since the legal status of the peninsula is not recognized in the world. This becomes the reason for the creation of difficult situations, because in order to obtain Russian citizenship, it is necessary to renounce Ukrainian citizenship, and therefore from an identity card. But the world community, including the Ukrainian authorities, does not recognize Russian passports issued to residents of the peninsula. Therefore, in order to obtain a visa and visit relatives from other countries, they have to use a Ukrainian passport.

A similar need remains for entry into the territory of Ukraine. Crimeans who have relatives on the territory of this country will not be allowed in with a Russian identity card.

Based on this situation, the residents of Crimea keep both passports. In fact, they are citizens of the Russian Federation, which is confirmed by their passport. But to leave the peninsula, they have to present an identity card of the Ukrainian type.

The procedure for renouncing Ukrainian citizenship

This process takes place in a few minutes and consists of filling out an application in the presence of a migration officer. The document confirms the consent to change the passport with the loss of the existing citizenship. The application is filled in by hand and with the personal signature of the visitor.

Can they be deprived of citizenship forcibly?

Some Crimeans worry that they will be forcibly deprived of their Ukrainian passports.In fact, the Russian authorities do not have the authority to do this. Citizenship can only be revoked by the president of the country that granted it. Therefore, the Ukrainian identity card cannot be canceled without the presidential decree of Petro Poroshenko.

And he prefers to believe that all Crimeans were forced to accept Russian citizenship, and this is not a crime, despite the fact that Ukraine does not recognize the fact of dual citizenship.

Only 2 actions can serve as a reason for the compulsory deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship:

• Revealing false information when submitting papers for issuing a passport;
• Joining the ranks of the army of a third-party state.

Crimeans who have 2 identity cards and do not plan to join the army can be calm about their passports.

How to confirm the citizenship of the Russian Federation of a child in Crimea

Social benefits for children living on the peninsula apply only to those who have Russian citizenship. Therefore, the question of its confirmation is very acute for dads and moms.

How to get a confirmation stamp

It is important to know that the confirmation procedure is relevant only for babies born before July 1, 2002.

The process itself looks extremely simple:

1. Contacting the migration service;
2. Confirmation of parents' citizenship;
3. Transfer of papers;
4. Affixing a stamp on the birth certificate.

If the child lives and is registered with dad and mom, then you need to wait no more than a day. Otherwise, the stamp will be affixed within 10 days.

To prove citizenship, it is important to provide information about both parents. Single mothers need to show their status document. And women who do not have contact with the child's father must draw up an explanatory note.

Collecting documents

Parents must provide the immigration officer with:

• Insert to the birth certificate (it was issued until 2007);

• Birth certificate;
• International passport for the child (if any);
• Russian identity card for mother and father;
• An extract from the home book (it confirms the residence on the peninsula at the time of the referendum).

It is important to take into account that a birth certificate requires translation into Russian. This is done in a special bureau and certified by a notary. The FMS employee will need the original and a copy, which will be stamped.

Obtaining Russian citizenship by residents of the peninsula is considered a mandatory procedure. If you refuse to pass it, there will be no punitive sanctions from the authorities, but the Crimean will not be able to use the benefits and social guarantees provided for the Russians.