Specific features of Russian citizenship

• Russian citizenship of an individual in a married couple cannot be revoked if his or her spouse renounces Russian citizenship 

• Russian citizenship of a child cannot be changed (revoked) if the child’s parents divorce 

• The Russian law allows a Russian citizen to obtain citizenship of another country (countries), and he or she does not have to renounce Russian citizenship. Therefore, a Russian citizen can legally have two or more citizenships. This is usually described as “dual” or “multiple” citizenship in other countries, but the term “dual citizenship” is reserved for a handful of very special cases 

• Even though a Russian citizen may be also a citizen of another country, the Russian Federation will still regard and treat him or her as a Russian citizen 

• The fact that a Russian citizen has become a citizen of another country does not affect or change his or her rights and obligations available and applicable to Russian citizens under the Russian law 

• Before submitting an application for Russian citizenship (by naturalization), a foreign national shall submit to an authorized agency of his or her country a request to renounce citizenship. The requirement is specifically to submit such an application, i.e. there is no need to actually renounce once citizenship until the Russian citizenship application has been approved 

• After decision to grant Russian citizenship to a foreign national has been made, the Russian Federal Migration Service will send notice of this decision to the foreign national’s “home” country’s authorized agency (consulate or embassy). For countries that disallow concurrent other/dual citizenship, this information may be grounds for revocation of that nation’s citizenship from the foreign national