Permanent residence permit under exceptional circumstances

The Russian Constitution gives “priority” to international treaties to which Russia is a signatory, which means that rules established by an international treaty will apply even if they are different from Russian domestic law.

This principle enables nationals of Belarus and Turkmenistan to obtain a Russian permanent residence permit without obtaining a temporary residence permit first.

Moreover, the Russian law identifies four categories of foreign nationals entitled to permanent residence in Russia without having to obtain a temporary residence permit:

• A permanent residence permit shall be issued to a highly qualified specialist

• A permanent residence permit may be issued to an individual who received a Russian domestic (citizen’s) passport, but who later was not confirmed as holding the Russian citizenship (i.e. whose Russian passport was issued in violation of rules or was obtained without proper justification)

• A permanent residence permit shall be issued to an individual who has completed the process of relinquishing the Russian citizenship, but continues to live in Russia

• A permanent residence permit shall be issued to an individual who has been granted political asylum in Russia