Way to Russia Community and Forum

LILY

My family and I have immigrated to the US in 1990 (from Russia). I was three years old then. I became a US citizen when I was thirteen through my parents and now would like to acquire a Russian passport for easy travel purposes. Is it possilble to obtain a Russian passport if I never had neither internal nor international Russian passports? Is the four hundred dollar fee refundable if my application is denied in the long run?

Thank you for your time and consideration

Lily

camarks · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:10 am Post subject:

My guess is that you can get a Russian passport. My adopted daugter is from Russia and she is still considerd to be a Russian citizen, even though she has US citizenship and a US passport (she also has a Russian passport). She can not be granted a visa to get into Russia on her US passport unless she officially renounces her Russian citizenship, and she can't do this until she turns 18. My wife and I could not do this for her, even if we wanted to, which we certainly do not. We will renew her Russian passport for her as needed, until she is able to make these decisions for herself.

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431

LILY

I called the Russian embassy and they were really vague. They said that I could try it but couldn't guarantee anything. The person that I spoke with thought it was a little bit odd that an american citizen would need a Russian passport. It is cruical that I receive one, especailly since I was born in Russia. Does anybody know an easy way to receive one (legally)?

camarks · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:26 am Post subject:

Since you left during Soviet times, it is not clear to me what the rules are. Your US citizenship did not require you to renounce your Russian/Soviet citizenship if I understand you correctly. I imagine that since you were a minor child and did not leave Russia of your own choice you can get a Russian passport. It is not surprising that the consulate was vague, and I wouldn't be discouraged by this. How did you enter the US in 1990? I assume you had a Soviet passport. Perhaps it is better to try to renew that one. You might have a look at http://www.online-translator.com/url/tran_url.asp?lang=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.russianembassy.org%2FCONSULAT%2Fpasport.htm&direction=re&template=General&cp1=NO&cp2=NO&autotranslate=on&transliterate=on, or if you read Russian, at the original http://www.russianembassy.org/CONSULAT/pasport.htm

In any event, I think you should claim Russian citizenship and try to get a passport. You need to start a dialogue with the consulate, since I don't think anyone here will be able to help. I imagine there are lawyers that could help, but it would be expensive. Good Luck,

LILY · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:28 pm Post subject:

I never had a Russian passport, I came to the US through my father. I was included on his immigration visa papers. That's just how it was at that time. Both my parents had passports but none of us (I have two older brothers) have Russian passports. We were just included in the paperwork. It sounds really wierd, but thats how it is.

camarks · Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:18 pm Post subject:

That is very interesting. I never would have guessed you could have traveled without a passport then, since I don't believe it is possible now.

I think you need to write a letter to the Russian consulate. Be sure to include how proud you are of your Russian heritage and that you have not renounced your Russian citizenship. Also state that you came to the US and obatined US citizenship through the actions of your parents, not through any choice of your own. A letter will be taken more seriously than a phone call and can be passed around until it gets to the right person to help you.

Good luck and keep us posted on your results.

Khabibul35 · Just Starting Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

I was also a former Soviet citizen that came over to the US and gained my US citizenship. I lived in the Ukraine at the time the USSR had split. My parents had to jump through some hoops to get our USSR passports to be renewed as Ukrainian passports but we succeded. Although I believe the time limit to do this was 10 years, so it might be too late.

In any case this is what happened.

My parents had USSR passports, USSR passports have all children under 18 written into the parents passports. This is not true anymore, but for me to get my passport I had to use my parents passports to prove my former citizenship, which then allowed me to get my own Ukrainian passport. I suggest you try to find your mom's or dad's old passports, plus the old soviet birth certificate. Unless your parents have been really careless this should be somewhere in their files, ask them to find it and go to the Russian consulate and ask them for a passport as if you're renewing it. That's probably the best way to go, hopefully all the paperwork is still around.

LILY · Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 4:12 am Post subject:

Thanks, that helps alot. I have all the paperwork that my family came over with so that shouldn't be a problem, I just hope it goes that smooth. I guess we will see.

Traveller · Just Starting Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

I have a bit of bad news for you.
I am in the same situation as you are, and have done some research on the topic.
Here is what I know:
Prior to 2002, you could return your Russian citizenship without problems. Now, you have to give up your American citizenship if you want to become a Russian one. That was Russian side's initiative, as far as I know, American one doesn't care if you have dual citizenship.
If you manage to miraculously get what you want, could you please let me know? Thank you. Good luck,

Lyudmila

camarks · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:10 am Post subject:

Wow this is interesting. In several other circumstances it is clear that Russia requires one to officially renounce the Russian citizenship before one can travel to Russia on any other nations passport. Are those that came to the US this way (on parents Soviet passports) no longer considered citizens? Or is that to renew the expired Russian passport, one must renounce US citizenship? As I understand it, my daughter Alyona (adopted from Murmansk oblast and having dual citizenship) will be able to renew her Russian passport (not expired, maybe this makes a difference) and maintain dual citizenship indefinitely. Can you please elaborate on your research, Lyudmila? Thank you,

Traveller · Just Starting Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

When you deal with Russian bureaucracy, you never know where you will land.
My friends (American citizens) recently managed to renew their Russian passports, which they kept from the moment they immigrated to the USA. Following legal logic, they were supposed to renounce American citizenship.
So, my conclusion would be: if you have Russian citizenship, you may keep it (together with the American one), and even renew your passport. If you don’t have it, there is no legal way to obtain it now, without giving up your second citizenship. As we, Russians, say ,-Кто не успел, тот опоздал (roughly: you missed your chance if you are late).
However, you never know, what the next bureaucrat you deal with knows about the new legislation. You may get lucky, and get what you want (I hope).

montazhnik · Just Starting Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 4

I have a question on a somewhat related topic. I am a U.S. citizen who was born and raised in the U.S., no Russian heritage. My ex-husband is orginally from Russia and emigrated to to the U.S. in 1990 but did not renounce his Russian citizenship. He now has dual citizenship. Our daughter, born in the U.S., has a U.S. passport, and is also "written in" to her father's Russian passport, thus I guess she also has dual citizenship, even though she does not have her own separate Russian passport.

Here is the strange thing--we are now divorced, he lives in the U.S., and my daugher and I live in Russia (I am here for work purposes). She is here on her U.S. passport, with a Russian visa of course. Because we are here long-term, and she is attending school etc, would it make more sense for her to be here on a Russian passport? Or would it be complicated because as a U.S. citizen I would not be able to represent or defend her rights here in Russia as a Russian citizen, and the parent through which she has her Russian citizenship is not even here with her in Russia?

I do know that in order to get her a Russian passport it would have to be done through the Russian embassy or consulate in the U.S., and that her father, as a Russian citizen, would have to initiate the process. I as a U.S. citizen would not have the right to do it on my own. And my ex seems hesitant, I haven't wanted to push the issue, so for now she is here in Russia as a U.S. citizen.

If anyone has any light to shed on this issue I would appreciate it.

camarks · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:44 pm Post subject: Re: minor child

montazhnik · Just Starting Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 4

Thank you for your reply.

You're right, we do need to decide for ourselves which citizenship will be best for our daughter when she is in Russia, and then take it from there. Most likely her applications for visas have not attracted any attention as she was born in the U.S. etc., and no one thought to check that she was registered as claiming Russian citizenship when she was added to her father's passport. Although she did travel to Russia once on her father's Russian passport when she was an infant.

If I take any further steps I will definitely report on my findings. It may be useful information and of interest to someone.

Destinations

Moscow Trans-Siberian Golden Ring Irkutsk	St. Petersburg Baikal Lake Ekaterinburg Vladivostok other...


Travel Services

Visa Support Transfers / Taxi	Train Tickets Phone Cards

Way to Russia Community and Forum

If you have a question or want to help someone, please, go to
Way to Russia Forum on our Facebook page.

We also invite you to join our Facebook community, where you can meet other travelers and read interesting news on topics ranging from visa regulations to culture and music.

We are currently moving the old forum to Facebook, so what you see below functions as an archive.

If you have a question, please, post it on
Way to Russia Facebook Discussions Page

Recent Site Activity:

Recent Blog Activity:

	Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Russian Visa Forum	All times are GMT + 3 Hours Goto page 1, 2 Next
Page 1 of 2

Way to Russia Community and Forum

If you have a question or want to help someone, please, go to Way to Russia Forum on our Facebook page. We also invite you to join our Facebook community, where you can meet other travelers and read interesting news on topics ranging from visa regulations to culture and music.

We are currently moving the old forum to Facebook, so what you see below functions as an archive. If you have a question, please, post it on Way to Russia Facebook Discussions Page

Recent Site Activity:

Recent Blog Activity:

If you have a question or want to help someone, please, go to
Way to Russia Forum on our Facebook page.

We also invite you to join our Facebook community, where you can meet other travelers and read interesting news on topics ranging from visa regulations to culture and music.

We are currently moving the old forum to Facebook, so what you see below functions as an archive.

If you have a question, please, post it on
Way to Russia Facebook Discussions Page