Almost 1,000,000 Russians declare their dual citizenship

Nearly 1,000,000 Russians have notified the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) about their second citizenship, the FMS press service said on Tuesday in regards to the first anniversary of the law on the mandatory declaration of the authorities by citizens with foreign citizenship.

"Since the beginning of the law’s implementation more than 940,000 notifications have been accepted from the country’s citizens about dual citizenship or a document on the right of permanent residence in a foreign country," the FMS said.
According to the agency, during the first six months of the year the Russian Federal Migration Service fined nearly 12,500 people $112,000 for concealing a second citizenship.

In an earlier interview FMS head Konstantin Romodanovsky told TASS that the greatest number of notifications came from residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg. They hold citizenships of the United States, the UK and Israel.

Russia in early August 2014 enacted a special law applicable to those Russians who prefer to keep quiet that they are also citizens of another country. Such persons were given a two-month deadline for notifying the Federal Migration Service. For filing such an application too late and also for presenting false or inaccurate information those responsible are to be fined 1,000 rubles (roughly a little more than $20). Those who have concealed their double citizenship on purpose face criminal responsibility - a fine of up to 200,000 rubles (about $5,000) or 400 hours of public work. Those residing outside Russia on a permanent basis are obliged to notify the authorities only if they return home.