The Russian Foreign Ministry has made a proposal. They want Russian citizens living abroad to notify Russian consulates of their residence permit or dual citizenship within 60 days. If this is not done, penalties may apply.
Currently, Russian citizens who obtain a residence permit or citizenship from a foreign country must notify the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. If the citizen is abroad, they do not have to report it.
The Russian Foreign Ministry says that registration of Russian citizens at consulates is now voluntary. The new changes require notification of obtaining a residence permit or citizenship. This applies to everyone, regardless of place of residence.
Violation of the new rules may lead to fines or community service. The penalty can be up to 200,000 rubles or one year's income.
The draft law introduces a new concept: "Citizen of the Russian Federation permanently residing outside the Russian Federation". This refers to a person who, in addition to Russian citizenship, also has citizenship or a residence permit from a foreign country.
If Russians have already obtained foreign citizenship or a residence permit, they must notify the consulate within one year of the new law coming into force. The new law is expected to take effect on January 1, 2028.
At the beginning of 2025, 2.2 million Russians were registered at consulates. Currently, registration is based on notification, which is not always up to date.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, slightly over 78,000 Russian citizens lived in Estonia at the end of October.