How many Moldovans received Russian citizenship in 4 years and 3 months

Many Moldovans are thinking about obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation, which is close in the historical past and more economically developed. However, stories from “experienced” people about the long journey to a Russian passport, full of bureaucratic requirements, stop citizens of this country. In this material we answer the question of how a citizen of Moldova can obtain Russian citizenship, and tell us what reasons there are to simplify this process.

Why should Moldovans change citizenship: the advantages of owning a Russian passport

The benefits for a Moldovan from acquiring Russian citizenship are associated, first of all, with employment opportunities and living on equal terms with locals. Although the governments of both countries (Moldova and the Russian Federation) maintain close ties, citizens of this country live in the Russian Federation with the rights of foreigners.

Accordingly, all legal restrictions apply to them:

employment only in the region where the patent was issued;
permanent confirmation of the right to reside in the Russian Federation - all permits (migration card, patent, temporary residence permit and residence permit) have limited validity periods.

In order to neutralize all these “impossibles”, many of them strive to solve the problem as quickly as possible, therefore they are interested in how a Moldovan can become a citizen of the Russian Federation and fully integrate into the local community.

The legal way to legalize a Moldovan on Russian territory

Before considering the process of admitting a Moldovan to Russian citizenship, it is logical to familiarize yourself with the algorithm for legalizing a foreigner on the territory of the Russian Federation. After all, following all the rules described below will speed up the receipt of the coveted passport with a double-headed eagle on the cover.

Entry into the state

The process of crossing the Russian border is associated with compliance with certain rules. Since there is a visa-free regime between the countries, the only document that a citizen of Moldova must present when entering the Russian Federation is a foreign passport.

Directly at the checkpoint, a migration card is filled out, which is documentary evidence of the legality of a foreigner’s stay on Russian territory.

When filling out a migration card, special attention should be paid to the point “purpose of visit”: migrants who come to the Russian Federation to earn money must write the word “work” in the appropriate line, otherwise problems may arise with obtaining a patent.

You can stay in Russia in this mode for 90 days, then the foreigner must leave the country.

Registration at place of residence

After entering the country, Moldovans are required to register with the migration authorities within three days and register at their place of residence. To do this, you need to visit the territorial office of the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation with a prepared package of documents. This can be done by the foreigner himself or by the receiving party.

For all foreigners staying in hotels, resorts and similar institutions, all issues regarding registration and registration must be resolved by the administration.

Temporary residence permit for Moldovans

For Moldovans who simply plan to work in the Russian Federation, a migration card and a patent are enough. However, you can work in this way only in a certain region (where the patent was issued), and many other rights remain unavailable.

Citizens of Moldova who stay in Russia for a long time must have a temporary residence permit (TRP), since it is impossible for a citizen of Moldova or a citizen of this country to obtain Russian citizenship without this stamp in their passport. A temporary residence permit, in addition to all other advantages (you don’t need a patent to work, you have access to medical care in institutions at your place of residence), is one of the mandatory steps to acquiring the status of a Russian citizen in the general order.

You can stay legally in the country on this basis for 3 years without the right to extend the document.

Residence permit is the next stage of legalization for Moldovans in the Russian Federation

The final stage of legalization in the country before obtaining Russian citizenship is a residence permit. This is no longer just a stamp in a passport, but a separate certificate, which is issued for 5 years with the right of extension.

A residence permit practically equalizes the rights of foreigners with Russians: they gain access to medical services, they are accrued pension savings, they can invite relatives and friends to Russia, work without additional permits and freely change their place of residence. Foreigners permanently residing in the Russian Federation cannot only vote in national elections and themselves be elected to government bodies.

How to obtain Russian citizenship for a citizen of Moldova: procedure, papers, deadlines

In a simplified manner

Before initiating the procedure, you need to collect a package of papers:

Existing passport;
A document on the basis of which the visitor is in the country (migration card or, for example, residence permit);
Confirmation of permanent registration;
Confirmation of a high level of proficiency in the Russian language (certificate, certificate or diploma of the Russian standard);

Certificate of employment (preferably indicating salary)/extract from a bank account opened with a Russian credit institution;

Statement of intention to renounce Moldovan citizenship;
Photo;
Receipt for payment of state duty (3,500 rubles);
Standard form (issued at the migration services office).

Depending on the category of benefit, a foreigner must attach to the main package:

Evidence of relationship with a Russian;
Military ID;
Extract from the Unified State Register;
Diploma and confirmation of work experience in the specialty and so on.

For young children, a birth certificate is required. If the child is over 14 years old, he will need to fill out a consent to change citizenship. For children, citizenship changes automatically based on a certificate and application from the parents.

You can submit papers in one of the following ways:

To the nearest migration service office;
To the diplomatic mission on the territory of Moldova.

The first option is available to every foreigner, but the second can only be used by 2 categories of beneficiaries:

Stateless persons who lived on the territory of the USSR and after the collapse of the state did not decide on citizenship;
Children whose parents are residents of the Russian Federation and permanently reside in the country.

Foreigners can contact the embassy only by appointment. All information is posted on the resource www.moldova.mid.ru - the department’s work schedule, telephone number for registration and other important information are posted here.

Foreigners apply to the nearest migration department on a first-come, first-served basis. The procedure looks like this:

Visit to the institution;
Submission of papers;
Waiting for a decision.

Submission of papers is carried out through territorial departments. Since the decision is made by them, the waiting period will not be more than six months.

If the application is approved, then the person from Moldova is given 2 weeks to order a passport.

Foreigners who plan to participate in the resettlement program must first apply to join the program. This is done at the migration services office or on the resource. On the website you can not only view the necessary information, but also submit an application.

Theoretically, it is possible to express your desire to take advantage of the resettlement program at the embassy. But it’s easier to initiate the procedure after arriving in Russia.

Before applying for citizenship under the program, the Moldovan will have to present documentary reasons for the benefit in the presence of officials. If they are accepted, the foreigner will be given a special notification about the opportunity to obtain citizenship. The further procedure will be identical to that described above.

As usual

Those visitors who can change their citizenship only on a general basis need to collect the package of documents given above. But the procedure for obtaining citizenship in this case will be completely different:

Filling out a migration card at the border (the purpose of the visit to the country is to obtain citizenship);
Registration with the migration services (3 days are given for this);
Registration in the country (maximum period is 7 days);
Submitting papers for a temporary residence permit, which gives access to medical care, eliminates the need for a patent, and so on (the document is issued for 3 years without the right of renewal);
Registration of a residence permit, which effectively equates the rights of a foreigner to a Russian (the certificates are issued for 5 years and can be extended).

Residence permit for a foreign citizen
If a Moldovan plans to obtain Russian citizenship, he can apply for a residence permit after only a year of living in the country with a temporary residence permit stamp. If the application is approved, he will need to wait another 5 years in order to try to obtain citizenship.

Applications are accepted only in territorial departments. The procedure itself does not differ from the one given in the previous section.

The decision is made personally by the president, so consideration of the application takes at least a year.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that it is better for an applicant for a Russian passport to submit to the department the most complete package of documents. This increases his chances of a positive answer, since during the consideration of the application additional papers (even if necessary) will not be requested.

Migration card of the Russian Federation

Algorithm for obtaining Russian citizenship for a Moldovan

This or that procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for Moldovans depends on the reasons for which they plan to apply for this status. As is known, the process of naturalization (admission to citizenship at the request of a foreigner) can take place according to a general and simplified scheme.

The general procedure is provided for those foreigners who do not have the right to a “preferential” procedure.

Only Moldovans who have some kind of “connection” with Russia have the opportunity to take advantage of the simplified procedure: they were born on the territory of the country, received education here, have relatives, etc.

Since a Moldovan can obtain Russian citizenship, it would be logical to consider the main ways of acquiring it.

Citizenship of the Russian Federation on a general basis

The general algorithm for admission to citizenship involves a foreigner going through several main stages:

entry into the country and registration;
obtaining a temporary residence permit - here government quotas for each region of the Russian Federation should be taken into account; you can get a stamp outside the quota if, for example, Russian citizenship is issued for citizens of Moldova by marriage and in some other “preferential” cases;
registration of a residence permit - you can submit documents to obtain a residence permit 1 year after the issuance of a temporary residence permit (according to this document, an applicant for Russian status must live in Russia for 5 years);
directly obtaining Russian citizenship.

In addition to the prescribed algorithm of actions and stages of legalization in Russia, the legislation also establishes mandatory requirements for applicants:

knowledge of Russian language;
legal employment in the Russian Federation and availability of a source of income;
renunciation of previous citizenship.

A simplified scheme for obtaining the status of a Russian citizen

The right to a simplified acquisition of Russian citizenship for residents of Moldova are citizens who:

have a Russian spouse (marriage for more than 3 years);
were born in the Russian Federation, RSFSR (as well as descendants of such persons);
were former citizens of the USSR, and after the collapse of the Union acquired citizenship of the resulting countries;
received secondary specialized or higher education in Russia and have three years of work experience;
have Russian parents permanently residing in the country;
have an adult son or daughter who is a citizen of the Russian Federation, but is themselves disabled;
have incapacitated Russian children, but there is no second parent (died, deprived of rights, missing);
served for more than three years in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;
entrepreneurs who have been developing business in the Russian Federation for more than 3 years;
invest in the Russian economy;
are native speakers of Russian;
have refugee status or are seeking political asylum;
are highly qualified specialists in government-defined industries.

The main “benefits” that the simplified procedure provides are the reduction or complete absence of the qualification period during which one must reside continuously in the country. Also, for some categories of citizens, it is simplified to obtain “interim” documents (for example, temporary residence permit without a quota). In other cases, a certain stage of legalization is skipped altogether. For example, there is no need to obtain a residence permit for children of Russian parents permanently residing in the Russian Federation: Moldovans can submit an application in their homeland and come to Russia as citizens.

The grounds that will make it easier for Moldovan citizens to obtain Russian citizenship are also related to the State Program for the Resettlement of Compatriots. Let's look at it in more detail.

Resettlement program for fellow citizens: rules for Moldovans

The resettlement program for compatriots has been in effect since 2006, under which hundreds of thousands of ethnic Russians, including those from Moldova, have already moved to Russia.

Individuals who:

emigrated for various reasons from the RSFSR, the Russian Federation, and now decided to return to their historical homeland;
former citizens of the USSR;
descendants of the two previous categories.

There are many such people among Moldovans. In addition, many adult residents can easily fulfill other rules for obtaining Russian citizenship for Moldovan citizens under this program: knowledge of Russian, knowledge of the history and laws of the Russian Federation, ability to work, specialized education and work experience in the profession.

Obtaining Russian citizenship for citizens of Moldova in a simplified manner

Another way that allows a citizen of Moldova to quickly obtain Russian citizenship is a simplified procedure based on belonging to one or another category of beneficiaries.

The list of categories includes persons:

those born in the USSR and at the time of applying to the migration authorities of the Russian Federation are LGB (stateless persons);
those born in the RSFSR and who had citizenship of the Soviet Union, and are currently citizens of Moldova;
spouses, parents or children of Russians;
WWII veterans;
graduates of Russian higher and secondary educational institutions who received a diploma after 2002 and worked in their specialty in Russia for more than 3 years;
holders of in-demand professions (there is an approved list of such professions for the Russian Federation), as well as entrepreneurs and investors officially and successfully operating in the country.

The procedure for obtaining citizenship by such persons is similar to the procedure provided for Moldovans who are registered as citizens of their state.

Important: certain categories of migrants who choose the described scheme skip the stage of obtaining a temporary residence permit. These are, in particular, spouses of Russians who have a common child born in marriage. If you already have a temporary residence permit, you can also apply for citizenship using it, that is, you can skip the stage of obtaining a residence permit.

Significant points for all of the above categories is the lack of need:

stay in Russia for 5 years without leaving the country on the basis of a document of permanent residence;
renounce existing citizenship - simplified Russian citizenship for Moldovans allows them to have internal passports of two states at the same time;
confirm income or provide other evidence of financial well-being.

In addition, the process of resolving the issue itself takes from 3 to 6 months (with the general procedure - more than a year), which significantly reduces the waiting time.

Documents for obtaining citizenship

When submitting an application, a citizen of Moldova must attach to it the established package of documents that certify his identity, confirm the fulfillment of all requirements and the grounds for the simplified procedure (if any).

Those who are interested in the question of what documents are needed to obtain Russian citizenship for Moldovans must prepare:

ID card (passport, etc.);
migration card, residence permit (what is available);
document confirming your place of residence;
a document confirming knowledge of the Russian language (test certificate, certificate or diploma issued in Russia);
certificates and extracts that indicate the presence of sources of income;
a document confirming the renunciation of previous citizenship (or intention to do so);
photo;
receipt of payment of state duty.

Moldovans who have grounds for a simplified procedure shall attach relevant documents to their application. For example, when applying for Russian citizenship through parents, the applicant submits a birth certificate and a passport of the Russian parent with a note on permanent registration in the Russian Federation. If the basis is education, a diploma and work record are attached, and if marriage, then a corresponding certificate.

It would not be superfluous to once again remind you of the need for a notarized translation of all foreign documents into Russian.

Difficulties on the path to citizenship

Our company’s lawyers have been working with appeals from natives of the Republic of Moldova who came to Moscow to work, to organize a business, and for other purposes for more than 10 years. Practice confirms that in most cases, qualified legal assistance can significantly simplify the process of obtaining citizenship: as a rule, our clients became holders of a Russian passport in the shortest possible time allowed by law.

It is not easy to give general advice that would help you obtain citizenship with 100% probability. Difficulties arise in a variety of ways. For example, a serious test for many future citizens of the Russian Federation is an exam, during which it is necessary to demonstrate not only a sufficient level of proficiency in the Russian language, but also answer a number of questions relating to the culture, history and legislative framework of our country. Our specialists can help you pass this exam.

In addition, depending on the situation, a set of certain documents may be required - for example, confirmation of a source of livelihood, and so on. Those citizens of Moldova who take advantage of the Compatriots Resettlement Program are subject to the same requirements. But for Moldovans married to Russian citizens, these requirements may be completely different. More detailed information is presented in the article on our website devoted to the issue of obtaining Russian citizenship.

Which department should I contact?

The office to which a Moldovan citizen must apply to submit an application depends on the location of the applicant and the grounds on which he is applying for a Russian passport.

Documents can be submitted:

to the territorial body of the Main Directorate for Migration at the place of residence;
to the diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova.

At the same time, obtaining Russian citizenship at the Russian Embassy in Moldova is possible in cases of registration of status through parents, as well as for persons who were previously Soviet citizens, but did not accept the citizenship of another state after the collapse of the Union (are stateless persons).

The procedure for acquiring Russian citizenship

The first stage from which the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport begins is submitting the appropriate application to the FMS office or to the Russian consulate located in Moldova.

The application must be accompanied by a package of documents, which includes:

The applicant's international passport;
4 photographs, established sample;
Confirmation of financial solvency (bank account statement);
A certificate confirming that you have successfully passed the Russian language exam;
Confirmation of payment of the state fee in the amount of 1000 rubles;
Other documents that allow you to obtain citizenship in a simplified manner (marriage certificate, birth certificate, documents confirming relationship with a Russian citizen).

The presented list is not exhaustive (it is necessary to check with the Federal Migration Service). All documents are filled out in the state language of the Russian Federation; gross grammatical errors, inaccuracies and false information are not allowed.

Duration and cost of consideration

The time frame for considering an application for Russian citizenship varies depending on the procedure - general or simplified. With the general algorithm, the decision is made by the president of the country, which is why consideration of the issue takes longer - up to 12 months. Under the simplified procedure, the candidate’s documents are analyzed by “local” – territorial bodies of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In this case, depending on the reason, you will have to wait 3-6 months.

Unlike the timing, the issue of price is stable for all categories of applicants. The state duty in any case is 3,500 rubles.

Deadlines for obtaining Russian citizenship

Applications for obtaining Russian citizenship are considered and decisions are made on admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation, as well as decisions on renunciation of Russian citizenship in a simplified manner are carried out within up to six months from the date of submission of the application and all other necessary documents if they are properly prepared. The application is considered accepted for consideration from the day the applicant submits all necessary and properly executed documents with the applicant’s personal signature and date.

What to do for those who are not allowed to leave Moldova

The process of obtaining Russian citizenship may be somewhat complicated by the applicant’s unfulfilled obligations at home. For various debts, he simply may not be allowed to leave the state.

The grounds for prohibiting border crossing may be:

invalidity of documents, for example, if the passport is expired;
unpaid fines;
debts for utilities, etc.

It should be remembered here that a ban can only be imposed by a court order; utility providers or highway patrol services cannot do this.

The second side of the “bans” is if they are not allowed into Russia. This is possible in case of non-compliance with the rules for crossing the border or if there has previously been deportation or expulsion with appropriate sanctions.

Regulation of issues of dual citizenship

A controversial point for a Moldovan applying for a Russian passport is dual citizenship of Moldova and Russia.

The fact is that Moldovan laws allow having a second passport in the following cases:

upon automatic acquisition of dual citizenship by a child (birth or adoption);
when registering a marriage with a foreigner;
on the basis of intergovernmental agreements.

The legislation of the Russian Federation does not directly prohibit dual status, and no liability is provided for holding a second passport, while applicants for a Russian passport are required to renounce their previous citizenship. What to do in such cases?

You can leave your Moldovan passport (read below on how to properly register it). The only point is that you must notify the Russian migration authorities about this fact within two months, otherwise a verification of Moldavian citizenship may be initiated and the newly minted Russian-Moldovan will have to at least pay a fine.

Procedure for renouncing Moldovan citizenship

To renounce Moldovan citizenship, you must collect a package of documents established by law and write a corresponding application. This procedure takes a lot of time and requires financial costs. Please note that you do not need to wait until the issue is resolved to gain Russian citizenship.

You can issue a refusal at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the Russian Federation during a personal visit, since applications sent by mail are not considered. Without these actions, a Moldovan will not be able to become a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Those who intend to renounce their previous citizenship must pay a consular fee when submitting documents. The preparation of some documentation will also be associated with monetary costs.

All documents undergo a thorough check, and the decision is made personally by the President of the Republic of Moldova, for this reason the procedure can take a whole year.

Refusal of Moldovan status

Separately, it should be said about the renunciation of Moldovan citizenship by those applying for a Russian passport. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, fulfillment of this requirement is mandatory for all foreigners, unless otherwise provided by international treaties. Since there are no such agreements between Russia and Moldova, and dual citizenship is not recognized in the Russian Federation, the Moldovan needs to document the fact of refusal of a Moldovan passport.

It is important to know that for migration authorities it is enough to confirm the intention to do this. To do this, you need to draw up a corresponding application, have it certified by a notary and send it by registered mail to the diplomatic mission of Moldova. A copy of the document and a coupon for sending it from the post office are attached to the package of documents for Russian citizenship.

Russian passport for a Moldovan

Summarizing the above, we can state that Russian citizenship for a Moldovan is a completely achievable goal. The countries cooperate closely and have a common historical past. For many Moldovan citizens, opportunities are opening up to become a Russian citizen not only on a general basis, but also to find grounds for a simplified procedure. For Moldovans, a passport with a double-headed eagle on the cover becomes a ticket to economic stability, quality education, and also a reason for family reunification.