Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on a simplified procedure for granting Russian citizenship to certain categories of Ukrainian citizens.
In particular, such right is given to the citizens of Ukraine who do not hold citizenship (nationality) of another state, as well as to stateless persons who were born and permanently resided in the territories of the occupied Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and left the said territories before March 18, 2014, as well as their children, including adopted, spouses and parents, according to the Kremlin's website.
In addition, Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons who have a temporary residence permit or residence permit in the Russian Federation, a refugee certificate, a certificate of temporary asylum in the territory of Russia may also obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure.
The decree also applies to persons who have a certificate of a participant in the state program to assist the voluntary resettlement of compatriots living abroad to Russia, and who permanently resided in the territories of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as of April 7, 2014, and April 27, 2014, respectively, as well as their children, including adopted, spouses and parents.
Moreover, Russian citizenship may be granted, under the expedited procedures, to foreign citizens and stateless persons, who or whose relatives in the direct ascending line, adoptive parents or spouses were illegally deported from the territory of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, as well as their relatives in the direct descending line, adoptive children and spouses.
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At the same time, among the documents that must be submitted by the said categories of Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons to obtain Russian citizenship are "documents confirming the absence of drug addiction and infectious diseases that are dangerous to others," as well as a HIV-negative certificate.
However, persons who have a temporary residence permit or residence permit in the Russian Federation, a refugee certificate, a certificate of temporary asylum in the Russian territory, as well as a certificate of a participant in the state program to assist the voluntary resettlement of compatriots living abroad are not required to submit these documents.
The decree also stipulates that the period of consideration of applications to acquire Russian citizenship must not exceed three months.
The decree shall come into force on the day of its signing.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 24 signed a decree on the expedited procedure for the issue of Russian passports to residents of temporarily occupied Donbas. On April 27, Putin said Russia could simplify the procedure for granting Russian citizenship to all Ukrainians – not only to those who reside in Russia-occupied districts in the east of Ukraine.
On April 29, a center opened in the town of Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov Oblast to issue Russian passports to residents of Russia-occupied districts in Ukraine's Luhansk region.
On April 30, a center opened in the village of Pokrovskoye in Rostov Oblast's Neklinovsky district to issue Russian passports to residents of Russia-occupied districts in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
