The Russian government has submitted a draft law to the State Duma that would change the set of documents required for several migration procedures. If adopted, foreign citizens arriving in Russia - regardless of whether they require a visa - will be obligated to provide a certificate of no criminal record from their country of origin when applying for a temporary residence permit (TRP), a permanent residence permit (FRP), or Russian citizenship. The document must be issued by the competent authorities of the foreign state no more than three months before the date of application.
The draft law also introduces a significant change to the list of grounds for refusing or revoking temporary and permanent residence permits: any unexpunged or outstanding conviction will become an absolute ground for refusal for all foreign citizens. Previously, restrictions only applied to grave and especially grave crimes; under the new rules, the ban would extend to all types of offenses. This applies to crimes committed both in Russia and abroad. Regarding grounds for rejecting citizenship applications, the changes pertain to criminal intent. The draft law proposes expanding the list of grounds for rejection to include crimes committed through negligence as well.
A two-year transition period is introduced for citizens of Ukraine: during this time, they are exempt from providing certificates from Ukraine due to the impossibility of obtaining them in their home country. The new rules will not affect foreign citizens under the age of 14 and will not apply to documents issued before the law comes into force. When applying for a permanent residence permit based on holding a temporary residence permit, applicants will not need to provide such a certificate again if it was already submitted during the temporary residence permit procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions:
-
What kind of criminal record disqualifies a person from obtaining a temporary/permanent residence permit or Russian citizenship?
Under the new draft law, any unexpunged or outstanding conviction (not just for serious crimes) on the territory of Russia or abroad will become grounds for refusal of a temporary/permanent residence permit and citizenship. -
How can one obtain a certificate of no criminal record for a permanent residence permit application?
The certificate must be requested from the authorized body of the foreign state. The document must be issued no more than three months before submitting the application, have an official translation into Russian, and be notarized. -
How long is the criminal record certificate valid for the migration service?
The certificate of no criminal record, issued by the competent authority of a foreign state, is valid for three months (90 days) from the date of its issuance. -
What should be done if a certificate of no criminal record is not issued in Ukraine?
The draft law addresses this issue. A two-year transition period is provided for citizens of Ukraine from the moment the law is adopted, during which they are not required to provide a criminal record certificate. -
Can a foreign national obtain Russian citizenship if they have a criminal record in their home country?
According to the new amendments, if adopted, the presence of any unexpunged or outstanding conviction (regardless of the form of guilt or severity) will be grounds for rejecting an application for citizenship.
For more information, please contact the consultants of the Confidence Group company.
* The texts of the newsletters are intellectual property of Confidence Group, protected by the copyright laws of Russia. The information may not be reproduced in any form whatsoever without linking to this web site or to pages of this website.
