How to obtain a second citizenship? Short instructions

To obtain a second citizenship, there are several ways and different programs in countries around the world - through investments, through repatriation, through a profession, if you are a highly qualified specialist, through training, through marriage, through the purchase of real estate. Issues of emigration from Russia have never been simple. Once upon a time, ideology prevented people from leaving for another country. Today, the emigrant first of all faces the question of financial security for legal life abroad.

Closed borders and benefits of additional citizenship

Open borders and the free movement of people and finance are one of the main achievements of civilization. But the quarantine year 2021 showed the other side of this freedom - the risks of introducing infections and the vulnerability of business processes when borders are closed.

The movements of citizens on tourist visas were severely limited in 2021. And the issue of obtaining a second citizenship became especially acute, since citizenship or a residence permit (residence permit) gave the right to visa-free movement across closed borders.

What is second citizenship?

In accordance with the Federal Law “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation,” second citizenship means that a citizen of the Russian Federation has citizenship of a foreign state.

When a citizen of the Russian Federation acquires citizenship of another state, he does not automatically lose Russian citizenship, but acquires a second citizenship, if he is not required to formally renounce Russian citizenship.

The Russian state on the territory of the Russian Federation considers the holder of two passports (Russian and another) as a citizen of the Russian Federation.

How to choose the best second citizenship for Russians?

InternationalWealth experts recommend choosing the best second citizenship for Russians based on an analysis of the following criteria:

• Freedom to travel: Citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to travel without a visa, applying for a visa on arrival / receiving an electronic visa, to 117 destinations. In other words, a Russian passport guarantees simplified entry into approximately half of the countries and territories of the world (227 in total). At first glance, the figure is impressive. But the true value of a Russian passport for an international businessman is extremely small, since such a document opens simplified access to countries that account for only about 1/5 of world GDP. The document does not provide visa-free access to key destinations such as united Europe, the USA, China, and the UK.
• Guaranteed Entry: With the coronavirus pandemic restricting global travel, the value of a Russian passport continues to fall. On the contrary, the popularity of alternative documents that offer visa-free travel to important business centers during non-lockdown periods and guarantee unimpeded entry into the issuing countries even in the midst of a pandemic.
• Speed ​​/ simplicity of procedures: During a crisis period, you have to act quickly, wanting to quickly obtain foreign asylum / the opportunity to travel more freely. Therefore, you should pay attention to states that offer the possibility of obtaining a passport/residency in the shortest possible time based on investments.
• Plan “B”: The portal team has extensive experience working with many citizens of the Russian Federation. InternationalWealth experts understand that in addition to the benefits of visa-free access, Plan B is often a driving factor in the desire for a better second citizenship for Russians. In the event of increased political tension, having a foreign passport gives investors the opportunity to evacuate as soon as possible and live freely abroad in a country whose citizenship has been obtained in advance.
• Education: InternationalWealth's extensive experience in the field of investment migration, including, among other things, working with numerous citizens of the Russian Federation, points to an important fact: global business connections and education are among the driving factors in the desire to obtain the best second citizenship for Russians in addition to visa-free access. Many Russian businessmen want to educate their children in the most prestigious schools/universities in the world, located in Europe, Great Britain, and the USA. Having a second passport that gives access to the relevant region makes this goal more achievable.

Considering the above, it is not surprising that many Russian citizens are now exploring such alternatives. Moreover, wealthy people pay close attention to countries that offer foreigners the opportunity to buy a second passport / golden visa (and, accordingly, become a citizen after naturalization), based on the fairly high speed / relative simplicity of the procedures.

So how to choose the best second citizenship for Russians? The InternationalWealth team prepared the top 9 using a scientific approach and focusing on countries where citizenship can be purchased. Experts reviewed several investment migration programs, collecting the most valuable suggestions below.

What is dual citizenship?

Dual citizenship means that a person simultaneously has citizenship (nationality if the state is headed not by a president, but by a monarch) of two or more states.

Russia has completely legalized this issue with Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. An agreement was signed between the countries, which determines, in particular, that each party recognizes the right of its citizens to acquire the citizenship of another country without losing their previous citizenship. According to the agreement, the holder of dual citizenship can choose, for example, in which of the two countries he will serve in the army, and children automatically receive documents from both countries at birth.

In relation to other states, although Russians are not prohibited from having a second citizenship and a second passport, holders of two or even several citizenships on the territory of Russia are not considered by the authorities as “dual citizens”.

Dual citizenship: who is the leader among Europeans?

Until recently, the European leaders in obtaining second citizenship were those applying for Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, but now they have been successfully overtaken in this process by the French and Belgians. They are increasingly being joined by citizens of Scandinavian countries and Spain, who have awakened from complete tax dependence. In addition, Europeans who do not want or for some reason cannot move to live in non-European countries should pay attention to Monaco, Andorra, Gibraltar and Campione.

But it is necessary to take into account that, for example, for the French the door to Monaco, as a tax paradise, has been closed for a long time. Now the EU is on the way to blocking tax benefits for citizens of EU countries, but for wealthy and thinking people, not all is lost. For example, the same French citizen can receive, for starters, citizenship of Dominica or Nevis. The next step will be to renounce French citizenship. And only after this you can obtain residence in Monaco, Andorra or Gibraltar and enjoy the tax haven to the fullest while continuing to live in Europe. Since Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dominica provide the opportunity to quickly change citizenship, the entire above process will only take a few months.

But one should not think that only people who are able to live in Monaco receive citizenship. Obtaining citizenship of Dominica or St. Kitts and Nevis provides Europeans with unique business and tax planning opportunities.

Where is second citizenship allowed?

List of countries that recognize dual citizenship:

1. Argentina , but only if the second passport is either Spanish or Italian;
2. Brazil;
3. Greece;
4. Dominican Republic;
5. Israel;
6. Spain , in this country, only some countries allow you to have a second passport;
7. Ireland;
8. Latvia : retention of previous citizenship upon restoration of citizenship of the Republic of Latvia is allowed for persons who emigrated in the period 1940–1990 and their descendants;
9. Lithuania , when returning Lithuanian citizenship, persons who lost Lithuanian citizenship before the age of 18 are not required to renounce another citizenship;
10. Russia , in this country it is not prohibited to have a second citizenship, however, an agreement on dual citizenship has been signed only with Turkmenistan and Tajikistan;
11. Türkiye;
12. Chile , agreement only with Spain;
13. Jamaica.

Citizenship by Investment

It is much easier to obtain a second citizenship in exchange for investing in the country. For example, this was done by the founder of the VKontakte network, Pavel Durov, who was given a St. Kitts and Nevis passport for investing 250 thousand dollars (14.75 million rubles) in the country’s economy (this money will not be returned). To obtain a passport, Durov did not even have to visit the state.

According to Henley & Partners Marketing Director Irina Simonyan, obtaining a second passport should not be considered as a way to save on visas. Will not work. “This is not so much a question of money as a question of time and convenience. The processing of visa documents can take a long time, and citizens of some countries may even be denied a visa without any explainable reason. A second passport helps you to abstract yourself from political games and travel around the world calmly. Passports are most often received by all close family members of the new citizen, which also solves many problems

The cheapest place to get a second passport is in the Caribbean. To do this, you need to invest at least $100,000 (5.9 million rubles) in the economy of the state of Saint Lucia or Dominica. If you set yourself the goal of becoming a citizen of the European Union, then you need to pay 1–2 million euros (69–138 million rubles) for a passport from Cyprus or Malta. In this case, you can freely live and work in Europe.

Where is second citizenship prohibited?

In many countries around the world, obtaining a second citizenship is prohibited by law. Such countries include Germany, Denmark, Norway, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc. In the USA, a formal renunciation of previous citizenship is required.

*Children of migrants in Germany received the right to dual citizenship. They can retain citizenship of Germany and the country of their parents' origin even after reaching the age of 23. Previously, children of immigrants born in Germany had to choose between their German and their parents' citizenships when they turned 23.

Source: https://www.aif.ru/dontknows/eternal/v_chyom_raznica_mezhdu_vtorym_i_dvoynym_grazhdanstvom

EU CITIZENSHIP SECOND PASSPORT

DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY

Despite the fact that we constantly notify and remind our clients of the need to comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation or your country, and to submit information about second citizenship to government authorities, responsibility for these actions lies entirely with the person who received the second citizenship.

Legal DOES NOT TRANSFER OR REPORT data on your second citizenship to control authorities. Also, our company does not bear any responsibility for your refusal to report the necessary data to regulatory authorities.

Please comply with the laws of the Russian Federation and/or the country in which you live.

The rules for notification of second citizenship in the Russian Federation can be found below.

Where is the easiest way to get a second citizenship and what programs exist?

It is easiest to obtain citizenship of countries where there are appropriate immigration programs for this. Most often we are talking about repatriation programs. If we talk about the most popular countries among residents of the post-Soviet space, we should mention Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Israel, South Korea, Turkey, Finland. There are many more countries that are less familiar to immigrants from the CIS, where repatriation programs operate.

The second most popular program for obtaining a second citizenship is investment. This method is not cheap, but is considered very effective. The minimum investment threshold is set by each country individually. As a rule, it is rarely below 100 thousand dollars. And the average investment size will be 300 thousand dollars. In this case, the investor has the right to obtain a residence permit and subsequently proceed to the next stages of the immigration process. Particularly large investors can be immediately granted citizenship by a special government decision. As a rule, in almost all countries investors have the right to second or dual citizenship. The United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, the Republic of Latvia, the Kingdom of Canada, the Republic of Cyprus, Malta, and the Dominican Republic are attractive to investors. For investments, you can get a passport in many countries, so their list is not limited to the listed states. They are simply the most popular among residents of the CIS countries.

Video: TOP 7 countries providing second citizenship by investment with a minimum waiting period

When purchasing expensive real estate, you can obtain a second citizenship of Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, Colombia, as well as several other lesser-known countries.

These are the most commonly used methods of obtaining second or dual citizenship. Some have been discussed above. An immigrant who does not intend to say goodbye to his country’s passport should carefully study the terms of the special immigration program, as a result of which he can become a de facto bipatriate.

The most inhospitable states where obtaining a second citizenship is extremely problematic include, first of all, China and North Korea. It is generally impossible to be binational in North Korea and China under any circumstances. The TOP 5 of the rest is headed by Kuwait, followed by the Principality of Monaco, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. It is very difficult to obtain citizenship as a second one also in Germany, the USA, France, South Africa, and Japan. From the point of view of second citizenship, Islamic countries - Iran - are problematic. Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia.

Some of the countries listed allow second citizenship, but only in exceptional cases. In addition, its holders are subject to serious restrictions when applying for civil service and in the electoral process.

Before deciding to obtain a second passport, you should evaluate its feasibility, carefully weigh the pros and cons of such a step and calculate the possible consequences

Notice of Dual Citizenship

According to the norms of Part 1 of Art. 6 Federal Law 05/31/2002 N 62-FZ dual citizenship in Russia The FMS (Federal Migration Service) recognizes that a Russian citizen has another citizenship.

This legislative act obliges persons who have acquired a second citizenship to report this fact to the relevant government authorities. Accepts notification of dual citizenship by the FMS .

Who can be a notifier?

According to domestic legislation, the following categories of persons can report the acquisition of a second citizenship by a Russian citizen:

• A person who has a second citizenship.
• A citizen who has a residence permit in a foreign country.
• A person who holds a document for the right of permanent residence in a foreign country.
• Legal representative of a minor with a second citizenship.
• Legal representative of a person with limited legal capacity who has a second citizenship.

Who doesn't report a second citizenship?

Persons who have the status of Russian citizens and possess a second citizenship, but do not reside in the territory of the Russian Federation on a permanent basis, are exempt from the obligation to inform the migration service about the acquisition of a second citizenship.

In addition, in part 3, 4 art. 6 Federal Law No. 62-FZ dated 31.05.2002 establishes restrictions on the obligation to notify. Thus, in relation to certain categories of persons, a different procedure for reporting second citizenship may be established. A special procedure is regulated by international treaties of the Russian Federation or Russian Federal Laws.

Principles of citizenship in the Russian Federation

an abstract on this topic

Statehood of Russia. In more detail, legal scholars highlight a number of basic principles of citizenship:

• The principle defining the unity and equality of all citizens of the Russian Federation before the law;
• The principle of openness and the free nature of acquiring citizenship, that is, any person has the right to apply to the Russian Federation in order to obtain citizenship;
• The principle of choice of citizenship, that is, a citizen has the right to change citizenship;
• The principle of maintaining Russian citizenship for those persons who live outside the country;
• The principle of protection and patronage of citizens, regardless of their location, that is, protection of the rights of citizens of the Republic of Armenia outside the state;
• The principle of dual citizenship, that is, each person can have, along with the citizenship of the Russian Federation, the citizenship of another state.

Form for notification of dual citizenship for an adult/capable person

Such a form can be found in Appendix No. 1 to Order of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation dated July 28, 2014 N 450.

In the document, the person notifying government authorities about obtaining a second citizenship notes the following information:

• The name of the body to which the official notification is submitted and its structural unit.
• Full name of the applicant.
• Date and place of birth of the citizen.
• Complete place of residence or stay.
• Passport details. You should provide information from your Russian passport and from a document that identifies the foreign citizen.
• Name of second citizenship.
• Date and basis for acquiring second citizenship.
• List of copies of documents attached to the notification.

Sample notification of dual citizenship. Procedure for filling out the document

The notification document consists of 3 parts. Information regarding the fact of acquiring a second citizenship is placed on the front and back of the sheet. The front side of the notice contains a tear-off portion.

The document can be filled out manually or using technical means. The information noted in the notification must be reflected in Russian. Individual columns can be filled in in Latin letters.

It is prohibited to indicate abbreviations and abbreviations in the document. Corrections or strikethroughs are not allowed in the document. All notification fields must be completed.

Procedure for notification of dual citizenship: documentation

According to Part 7 of Art. 6 Federal Law dated May 31, 2002 N 62-FZ, the notifier must prepare the following documentation:

• A copy of the passport of a Russian citizen.
• A copy of the foreigner's identity document.
• A copy of the foreign citizen's passport.
• A copy of the document confirming permanent residence in Russia.

In addition, in accordance with Order of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation dated July 28, 2014 N 450, the following is attached to the notification document submitted in relation to a minor or incompetent person:

• Birth certificate of a child with a second citizenship.
• The act of appointing a guardian.
• The act of appointing a trustee.

If a legal representative submits a notification in relation to a child under 14 years of age, then he should have with him a document confirming that the child has Russian citizenship.

According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 13, 2011 N 444, such documents are:

• Foreign, diplomatic or service passport of the child.
• Foreign, diplomatic or service passport of the parent.
• Birth certificate and marks made on this document by competent foreign authorities.
• A mark on the translation into Russian of a document issued by competent foreign authorities.
• Insert for the child registration document issued by the competent foreign authorities.

Methods of obtaining

Regulation of the immigration flow is an internal matter of the state and does not contradict international legal principles. In a number of countries (for example, in Kuwait), the legislation establishes a meager level of foreigners who can be granted citizenship of the country annually.

It is worth saying that the overwhelming number of states provide significantly wider opportunities for applicants to acquire their citizenship.

In the Russian Federation

In the Russian Federation, methods of obtaining citizenship are mainly in line with international law. In the Federal Law of May 31, 20102. No. 62-FZ “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”, Chapter 2 (Articles 11-17) establishes the grounds and procedure for acquiring citizenship.

It is purchased:

1. recognition;
2. by birth;
3. by registration;
4. admission to citizenship;
5. restoration of Russian citizenship;
6. option;
7. for other reasons.

The most common is, of course, citizenship by birth (affiliation). Its grounds are listed in Art. 12 FZ-62 and combine the principles of “blood” and “soil”.

Read what fines an employer may face for migrants. How can a foreigner obtain a TIN in Russia? More details at the link.

Naturalization in the Russian Federation requires a person to fulfill the following conditions (Article 13 of Federal Law-62):

• compliance with the residency requirement (you must live legally in the country for at least 5 years, and only short trips abroad are allowed);
• compliance with the laws of the country;
• there is a job, property, the person provides for himself;
• renunciation of previous citizenship (there is an exception - when there is an international treaty of the Russian Federation, or when this is impossible for reasons beyond the control of the applicant);
• language qualification (language knowledge is tested in a special exam);

These are the general conditions for naturalization in the Russian Federation, from which there are several exceptions:

• reducing the period of residence to 1 year for scientists, cultural workers, refugees, and persons granted political asylum;
• abolition of the residency requirement and the need to provide residence permits to citizens of states that were part of the USSR, as well as contract soldiers of the RF Armed Forces and other military structures who have served for at least 3 years.

The simplified naturalization procedure, in particular, applies to:

• citizens of states that were formerly part of the USSR, who studied in Russian universities and other educational institutions in the period after 2002;
• WWII veterans—former citizens of the USSR living in Russia;
• foreign citizens and stateless persons, if their spouse is a citizen of the Russian Federation and the marriage has lasted for at least three years.

The simplified procedure comes down, most often, to lowering the residency requirement. Anyone wishing to obtain citizenship must comply with the law and the Constitution.

Refusal to become a citizen of the Russian Federation is possible for reasons of threat to the security of the country, actions against the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, or the use of falsified documents and information.

Filing notification of dual citizenship

The citizen submits the required package of documents to the authorized FMS employee.

The official accepts the papers and fills out the necessary points of the notification. After this, the migration authority employee separates the tear-off sheet from the notification submitted by the person. This tear-off sheet is issued to the citizen. It confirms the fact of contacting the migration service with a notification.

Contents of the tear-off sheet

The following information is recorded on the tear-off sheet:

• Full name of the person who has a second citizenship.
• Information about the notifier's passport or residence permit.
• Position and full name of the FMS employee who accepted the notification.
• Date of document acceptance.
• Personal signature of a civil servant.

After delivering the document, the citizen who applied to the migration authorities signs the notification point that he has received this tear-off sheet.

He will be required to indicate his full name, the date of receipt of the document, and also put a personal signature.

Expert support for those wishing to obtain the best second citizenship for Russians

Above, popular routes to a foreign passport are analyzed and explanations of popularity are given. But, when considering proposals to obtain the best second citizenship for Russians, by first obtaining a residence permit or immediately “buying” a second passport for investment, remember: there is no universal approach.

A personalized approach and taking into account the needs of a specific client are important. Consultation with Russian-speaking InternationalWealth experts, who have extensive experience in the field in question, guarantees this, usually becoming an invaluable tool in making such important decisions as choosing the best second citizenship for Russians.

Order a free consultation right now by contacting the portal experts using the feedback form!

What criteria should you consider when choosing the best second citizenship for Russians?

Any country offers citizens a unique list of visa-free destinations. It is important to consider the quality of such destinations, taking into account important factors such as GDP, speed of procedures, educational opportunities, and the cost of obtaining a foreign passport. Making a choice is difficult. We recommend consulting with InternationalWealth experts.

How does InternationalWealth help you choose the best second citizenship for Russians?

The portal team offers a personalized approach that involves analyzing the needs and capabilities of a specific client. For example, a client seeking to obtain an “alternate airfield” will be offered a passport from a stable and safe country. In the event of increased political tension in their historical homeland, having a second passport will give such an investor the opportunity to evacuate to a safe place as soon as possible.

Is it worth getting a second passport during a crisis and pandemic?

The pandemic has been a major catalyst for demand for investment migration services, which has increased sharply this year. Wealthy people have focused their efforts on obtaining an elite second passport or prestigious foreign residency, guaranteeing themselves and their loved ones the right to live in a stable and secure state. However, there are fundamental factors that have nothing to do with the global Covid-19 crisis. For example, people are increasingly embracing the idea of ​​being a “citizen of the world” rather than wanting to remain tied solely to their country of birth.

Receiving notifications of dual citizenship

FMS officials receiving notifications are responsible for verifying the accuracy of the data recorded in the notification.

Civil servants will have to make sure that the citizen has attached all the necessary copies of documents to the notification.

A migration service employee compares copies and original copies of papers and checks the consistency of citizens’ signatures. The FMS employee is engaged in filling out the detachable part of the notification submitted by the citizen.

The fact of receipt of the notification is confirmed by the signature of an official acting as an employee of the Federal Migration Service or postal service.

The signature confirming the acceptance of the document must be present on the notification form, as well as on its detachable part. In addition to the signature, there must be a seal of the branch of the migration authority or an imprint of the stamp of the post office that accepted the document for sending.

If the notice was sent by mail, then authorized employees must forward it to the specified address within 1 business day. The period begins to be calculated from the moment the notification is received from the citizen.

Liability for violation of the obligation to report second citizenship

Federal Law No. 142-FZ dated June 4, 2014 introduced a number of changes to regulations regarding the types of legal liability to which a violator of the obligation to notify migration authorities of dual citizenship is subject.

Administrative responsibility

Article 19.8.3 appeared in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. This provision contains sanctions for committing actions that violate the procedure for filing a notification. This violation can be expressed as:

1. Late submission of a document.
2. Providing incomplete information in the notification.
3. Providing knowingly false data.

These acts are punishable by a fine. The amount collected varies from 500 to 1,000 rubles.

Criminal liability

Article 330.2 was introduced into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provided for punishment for failure to report the acquisition of a second citizenship.

The Criminal Code provides for an alternative sanction that has 2 types of punishment.

Fine

In the absence of a notice, the person obliged to submit it may be required to pay a fine in the amount of:

• from 200 thousand rubles;
• in the amount of wages;
• in the amount of other income.

The fine is collected from the income of violators received by them for a period of up to 1 year.

Mandatory work

A person found guilty of failure to provide notice may be punished with mandatory labor. The maximum period for performing such work should not exceed 400 hours.

Let's summarize. The procedure for submitting a notification to the migration service is quite simple and will not cause any particular difficulties for the citizen. For persons who have received citizenship of a foreign state, it is important to correctly fill out the notification and submit it to the Federal Migration Service within the period established by law. Notifiers who do not submit a document, submit it later than the regulated deadline, indicate incomplete or unreliable data, will be punished with penalties or mandatory work.

Source: https://sovetnik.consultant.ru/dvojnoe_grazhdanstvo/uvedomlenie_o_dvojnom_grazhdanstve_fms_forma_obrazec_skachat_blank/