Way to Russia Talk Lounge

emeyer

My wife left the USSR with a business visa in June 1991. We visited twice since in 1996 and 2002.

This year, we have invitations from OVIR to visit this year and are planning to get Private Visas like in 2002.

Now the consulate is asking, on the application and on their web site, whether my wife has a paper showing she is not of Russian citizenship anymore.

She has no such paper, as she left on a business visa and never returned to the USSR. She has never registred for Russian papers. She gained French citizenship in 1993, and has never needed any official Russian paperwork.

What is she supposed to do to travel?
Request a Private Visa?
Does she really need to show that she is not Russian anymore?
How to do that?
Is she not Russian?
Can we simply ignore that question/requirement?

UsualSuspect · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:08 pm Post subject: Citizenship status

Emeyer,
When you become a citizen of another country you generally renounce your prior citizenship and receive a citizenship certificate. If she is a citizen of France, see the French consulate and get a copy of the papers.

Now some clarification is required.

Was she born in Russia? I can't work out whether or not she was according to your write-up.

She left Russia with a Visa??? What country's passport did she have???

Ignore the Visa question on the form? At your peril.........

Regards
UsualSuspect

emeyer · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 4:12 pm Post subject:

Yes, she is Russian. She left the USSR with a Soviet Business Visa and never came back. So, I guess she is Russian. She was a Soviet citizen when she left, and now she is French.