Simplified citizenship for Ukrainian citizens

On 11 July 2022 the President of the Russian Federation signed into force Edict No. 440 of 11 July 2022 "Concerning Amendments to Edict No. 183 of the President of the Russian Federation of 24 April 2019 "Concerning the Determination for Humanitarian Purposes of Categories of Persons Entitled to Apply for Citizenship of the Russian Federation Under the Simplified Procedure" and Edict No. 187 of the President of the Russian Federation of 29 April 2019 "Concerning Certain Categories of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons Who Are Entitled to Apply for Citizenship of the Russian Federation Under the Simplified Procedure".

The changes make fast-track citizenship available to all Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic and Ukraine. The fast-track process was previously only offered to citizens of Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic residing in the territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of Ukraine or the Kherson Oblast of Ukraine.

For the purposes of submitting a citizenship application, the list of documents required as evidence of the right to reside in the Russian Federation, besides a temporary residence permit, a permanent residence permit, a refugee’s identity card, a temporary asylum certificate or a certificate of a participant in the State Programme to Support the Voluntary Relocation to the Russian Federation of Compatriots Residing Abroad, has been extended to include a migration card.

We are monitoring developments and will keep you informed of any further developments in the law.