A complete list of documents for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation

Every adult has the right to choose for himself which country he wants to be a citizen of. Many migrants consider the Russian Federation as one of the promising countries for permanent residence. In order to have the official status of a Russian citizen, a foreigner must fulfill a number of requirements. At the same time, one must clearly understand that obtaining Russian citizenship is a long-term and costly procedure, both financially and morally. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for such a responsible step carefully. One of the important conditions, without which it is impossible to count on citizenship in 2017, is to correctly collect a package of documents for citizenship of the Russian Federation.

What conditions must be met?

The first thing a migrant should do when coming to our country in 2017 is to get a migration card. At the next stages, a residence permit is issued for legal residence in the Russian Federation. Obtaining it before citizenship will take some time and will require financial investments, you also need to know the list of documents for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation. But this is one step closer to obtaining coveted citizenship. There are a number of additional obligations for a person applying to become a Russian:

  • Russia should become a permanent place of residence until citizenship is acquired for five years. A foreign citizen has the opportunity to travel abroad, but only for 90 days per year;
  • A migrant living in Russia must have an official income;
  • The migrant must be officially registered at the place of residence;
  • Being on the territory of the Russian state, a migrant should not have problems with the laws of our country;
  • Be sure to be able to correctly express yourself in Russian, perceive Russian speech, be able to write.
  • Voluntarily renounce the citizenship of another state.

Important! People who aspire to become Russians and acquire citizenship on a general basis can count on a reduction in the mandatory residence time in our country to 12 months. This is possible if their activities in the cultural or scientific field have brought benefits to the Russian Federation, or their professional qualifications are needed by our country, or they had to hastily leave their native state, fleeing repression.


Only compliance with all the above points will allow a migrant to apply for the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation. The following circumstances can simplify the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship:

  • The father or mother has the citizenship of the Russian Federation;
  • Before the collapse of the USSR, a person had the status of a citizen of the Soviet Union, after that he has no legal ties with any of the states.
  • Birth on the territory of the RSFSR and the presence of appropriate citizenship;
  • The advanced age of people with adult children of citizens of the Russian Federation;
  • If native children who have not reached the age of majority and are left without the care of a second parent, who have citizenship, live in the territory of the Russian Federation. The same applies to children recognized as incompetent;
  • Education in Russian universities after July 2002;
  • The ability to speak fluently, write in Russian, perceive Russian speech;
  • WWII veterans;
  • Participants of the program for voluntary resettlement of compatriots;

Important! The conditions listed above can not only simplify the procedure for acquiring citizenship, but also reduce the time of residence in the territory of the Russian Federation, after which you can apply for a change of citizenship.

The algorithm for acquiring citizenship on a general basis is more costly in terms of time and money. That is why we will analyze it in more detail.

Required documents

With a complete list of documents for citizenship of the Russian Federation in 2017, anyone can get acquainted by going to the website of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. What documents are needed to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation, you can also find out when you personally contact the migration service. Below is a list of certificates and documents required for obtaining citizenship:

  1. Application for admission to the citizenship of the Russian Federation, written by hand or printed on a computer. ;
  2. Resident card;
  3. Passport of another state and a notarized copy (a translation of the document must also be certified);
  4. Birth certificate and its certified copy at the notary;
  5. Marriage certificate, its translation. To obtain citizenship, everything must be certified by a notary.
  6. A document confirming the renunciation of the existing citizenship of another state;
  7. A document confirming the presence of a migrant's official income in Russia;
  8. Receipt of payment of the state duty for citizenship in the amount of 3,500 rubles;
  9. A document confirming the change of surname, its translation and a notarized copy;
  10. Photos of the established sample - 3 pieces.

Important! Elderly people, children under 18, incapacitated persons, people with disabilities (group 1) do not need to submit certificates, certificates, confirming the ability to speak and write in Russian.

Rules for preparing documents

Having collected the necessary package of documents, after you have looked through the list of documents for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation and found out what documents are needed to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation, be sure to make sure that the certificates and their copies meet the requirements. After all, if you make an incorrect registration, you will be denied acceptance of the application, and the procedure will need to be repeated. Primary requirements:


  • Copies of an identity document, copies of a birth, marriage or divorce certificate must be certified by a notary;
  • All documents in a foreign language must be translated into Russian, and the translation must be notarized;
  • The application of a strictly sample is written in two copies. It can be done on a computer or manually. The main thing is the accuracy of filling and the completeness of the entered information.

Important! Appeal to the migration service for citizenship should be only personal. Copies of all documents must be accompanied by originals, which will be returned after verification.

What can confirm the knowledge of the Russian language?

Without knowledge of the official language of the country in the Russian Federation, it is impossible to apply for citizenship in 2017. But if a basic level of knowledge is enough to obtain a residence permit or a work license, then for people who are ashamed to become Russians, the level is much more serious. First, he must be fluent in the official language of the country and apply it in everyday life. Secondly, a migrant must be able to write in a great and powerful language. To confirm knowledge of the Russian language, a foreigner presents to the inspector of the migration service copies and originals of the following documents:

  • Diploma of graduation from an educational institution located on the territory of Russia or the USSR, if a person studied before 1991;
  • Documents on graduation from an educational institution of another state, one of the official languages ​​of which is Russian.
  • Certificate or certificate of passing a special exam on the knowledge of the Russian language and the history of Russia for people receiving citizenship. It must indicate the level of language proficiency.
  • A diploma certifying that the migrant has completed Russian language courses abroad.

Important! A certificate confirming the level of proficiency in the official language of the country, which increases the chances of acquiring citizenship, has a limited validity period of 5 years.

Official test of knowledge of the Russian language

If the migrant cannot produce the diplomas, certificates, etc. listed above, then the inspector of the main department sends him to take a mandatory examination for knowledge of the official language of the country. In order for a foreigner to be admitted to take the test, a number of documents must be submitted:

  • Identity document. If this is a passport, then a translation will be required for it;
  • A migration card is a document received by a foreign citizen when crossing the border of our country. Issued free of charge;
  • A document confirming payment for passing the test. The cost of the service is 6-8 thousand rubles;
  • A document issued by the migration service for testing.

Important! The list of educational institutions or centers accredited for testing for obtaining citizenship can be found on the website of the GUVM.MVD.rf.

Testing in 2017 takes place in the following order:

  1. Before the test, the person taking the test will be explained the procedure for filling out the examination paper, they will specify how much time is allotted to complete all the tasks;
  2. A foreign citizen writes out answers to questions only manually;
  3. During the performance of tasks in the classroom, complete silence is maintained. If there is any misunderstanding, it is better to clarify everything before testing;
  4. Reference literature, textbooks, smartphones are strictly prohibited during the exam.

The test itself is divided into five blocks: writing, grammar, speaking, reading and listening to the text. The time it takes to complete the tasks is 4 hours.

It happens that a foreigner cannot pass the citizenship test the first time. You shouldn't get upset. You need to prepare more carefully and retake the test. All subsequent attempts to pass the exam are also paid.

Testing for citizenship in 2017 is considered passed if, for each of the test blocks, the examinee correctly answers 65% of the questions. After that, he will be awarded a certificate of proficiency in Russian.

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