questions about travel to Russia for dual citizens of US and Russia

[Irina Dubinina]

I am very glad that Renee mentioned heritage speakers. I am often asked by my heritage students who want to travel to Russia if they would have problems not just entering, but also living there.  This especially concerns men.
    
  If they immigrated in early 90s, they were already citizens of the Russian Federation (not the USSR).  As far as I understand, immigrating to a foreign country did not automatically mean a loss of Russian citizenship (unlike how it was in the USSR).   If a young man who is an American citizen and who is now 20 or 21 decides to go to Russia, is he still considered to be a Russian citizen? (because he has never renounced his Russian citizenship).  My understanding (which could be entirely wrong) is that one must renounce the Russian citizenship in order to be able to receive Russian visas.  Otherwise, the Russian government treats a person as its citizen and will not allow a visa issued (visas are reserved for foreign nationals only).   The answer to the question "are they still considered to be Russian citizens" affects not only a young man's visa, but also his legal obligation to serve in the Russian army.    And that is the question that worries all of my male heritage
 students and their parents.  I refer them to the Russian consulate, but as we all know this agency does not give out information easily -- especially on such complicated matters.  Plus many of the immigrants have this deep-rooted fear of dealing directly with consulates/embassies and don't want to risk asking the question.
   
  Can anybody clarify this situation?  I will be very grateful (and so will many of my students)!
  Best wishes,
  Irina Dubinina
  Lecturer in Russian/Director of Russian Language Program
Dept. of German, Russian and Asian Languages & Literature

Renee Stillings <renee at ALINGA.COM> wrote:
  This is very interesting. As a result I assume you get a visa in your
passport just like any other foreigner? What types of visas (business,
tourist, student) have you done in this manner?

This is a particularly interesting issue for heritage speakers because of
some complications of enrolling in Russian universities for short-term
studies due to their citizenship. In other words, their position is that you
need to be enrolled based on your student visa - and not your passport. 

Renee

-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list 

I am a dual citizen and have been going to Russia on my US passport for 
almost 10 years now. The rules have changed slightly -- you now have to ask

MID for the permission to enter Russia on a different passport and it costs
you 
$30 to do so. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------



       
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------