Belarus is considered close to the Russian country, famous for its developed agriculture, delicious food and hospitality. For various reasons, Russian citizens are required to obtain Belarusian citizenship. There are not too good relations between Russia and Belarus due to frequently arising conflicts, therefore, often when changing citizenship, certain difficulties arise.
Migration features
Many Russian citizens are trying to obtain Belarusian citizenship for various reasons. They plan to stay in the country for permanent residence, and this is usually due to the presence of close relatives in the country.
The advantages of moving to Belarus include the following:
- locals are friendly and welcoming;
- all Belarusians speak Russian well, therefore there is no language barrier;
- Russians are amazed at the cleanliness of the street, even in small towns;
- only high-quality and tasty food products are presented on the market, as norms and standards are used that prohibit the use of harmful or completely dangerous additives.
But at the same time, obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Belarus has some disadvantages. This includes the fact that the level of service is considered low. There are unfavorable conditions for entrepreneurial activity, since it is officially practically impossible to engage in small business. Art lovers will encounter a small number of galleries or exhibitions. Salaries are considered low, and it is also difficult to find work in an unusual specialty.
What are the requirements for applicants for citizenship?
If a Russian wants to obtain Belarusian citizenship, then he must meet some specific requirements. Due to the presence of bilateral agreements signed between the countries, it is allowed for Russian citizens to live or work in Belarus without the need to obtain a visa or prepare numerous documents. It is only important to have a residence permit in the country, so you have to either purchase or rent real estate.
Obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Belarus is much more difficult. The decision is made by government bodies, whose employees evaluate all the documents of the applicant. The main requirements for Russians include the following:
- only an adult can apply for citizenship;
- he must live in Belarus for more than seven years;
- he should have knowledge of the main provisions of the Constitution of the country;
- knowledge of the national language is required;
- the applicant must renounce the citizenship of the Russian Federation;
- he must be solvent in order to pay bills while living in Belarus.
In certain situations, you can count on a simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship. To do this, you must submit an application to the Migration Department. Applications are reviewed once every two months. The applicant must relate to privileged categories of the population.
Registration of citizenship to a native of the Republic
Every child born in Belarus automatically receives the citizenship of this country. This applies not only to parents who are residents of the Republic, but also to other persons with other citizenship.
If a child is born by foreigners who for various reasons cannot assign him the citizenship of their country, then the baby becomes a citizen of the Republic, but he must continue to live in Belarus. If the parents decide to return to their homeland, then they must formalize the baby citizenship of their native state. Moreover, he ceases to be a citizen of Belarus.
Registration procedure
Another way to obtain Belarusian citizenship is to go through the registration process. Adult Russian citizens can apply to the Migration Service of the Republic with an application for conferring citizenship of this country. How to get Belarusian citizenship? To do this, one of the conditions must be met:
- the applicant lived in the country until November 1991;
- he is married to a resident of the Republic who obtained citizenship through registration;
- he is a close relative of a citizen of the country;
- the applicant is a minor citizen living in the country on a permanent basis, and one of his parents must be a resident of Belarus.
Children can count on registration if there are reasons:
- death of parents;
- deprivation of their parental rights;
- parental abandonment of the child;
- transfer of the baby to another family;
- recognition of parents incompetent.
The procedure is carried out by guardians or guardianship authorities, as parents lose this opportunity.
Territorial Registration
This method of obtaining Belarusian citizenship by a citizen of the Russian Federation has common parameters with registration. To do this, you must meet one of the requirements:
- at least one of the person’s parents is a citizen of the Republic;
- the applicant’s birthplace is Belarus.
Additionally, this method is used by orphans. An application is submitted by refugees who are seeking asylum. This requires living in the country for more than seven years. This period is reduced for foreigners who previously lived in Belarus. Various exemptions are offered to highly qualified specialists or descendants of indigenous Belarusians.
Use of the adoption process
Citizens of Belarus can adopt or adopt a Russian child. In this case, the baby is issued citizenship of the Republic. If the parents have different citizenships, then the status of the child is assigned with the consent of each adoptive parent.
How to get Belarusian citizenship in this way? To do this, parents submit the following documents to the migration service:
- birth certificate of the child, and if he is older than 14 years, then a Russian passport is transferred;
- certificate confirming the adoption of a minor;
- documents of direct adopters submitted by their passports;
- papers confirming that parents have a residence permit in the territory of the Republic.
Since the adoption of the Russian child is being carried out, the adoptive parents should prepare for regular checks, as the Russian authorities must make sure that optimal conditions for growth and development are created for the minor. If these requirements are violated, the adoption may be canceled. Under such conditions, the child returns to Russia, and also ceases to be a subject of the Republic of Belarus.
Who can use the simplified procedure?
The Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Belarus allows using the simplified process of obtaining citizenship of the country. This is due to the fact that a special agreement on simplified migration control has been drawn up between Russia and Belarus. Such an agreement has been additionally signed with other partner countries, which include Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and some other states. Obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation to a citizen of Belarus is possible through this simplified system.
Take advantage of the preferential registration process can people who until the collapse of the USSR permanently resided in the country or among their relatives there are indigenous Belarusians.
Documents for implementing a simplified process
The applicant must have supporting documents, which include:
- documentation confirming that until 1991 a citizen resided in the country;
- papers indicating that the person was born in Belarus;
- 3x4 cm photographs;
- papers confirming the existence of family ties with a citizen of the Republic;
- documents indicating that in Russia a person was deregistered.
Employees of state bodies of the country may require other documents if necessary, if they have doubts about the advisability of obtaining citizenship.
What documentation is required for regular registration?
Registration of ordinary or dual citizenship in Belarus requires the preparation of certain documents from the applicant. The specific list of securities depends on which method is selected. Mandatory documents include:
- applicant's passport;
- correctly prepared application in the form of a questionnaire containing basic information about a person and members of his family;
- birth certificate if citizenship is issued for a minor;
- bank statements, with which the applicant confirms his solvency and the ability to pay various bills while living in the country;
- a list of people who are members of the applicant's family;
- applicant's autobiography.
There will be no difficulties with registration if a person who has lived in the Republic for more than 7 years, speaks the Belarusian language and has not violated the legislation of that country in the past claims to have the procedure.
All documents must be prepared in triplicate, as well as the person must have the originals. All copies are notarized. Different documents or corrections are not allowed on the documents. If stamps or stamps are affixed, they must be clear and understandable.
If the questionnaire contains corrections or the data are entered incorrectly, the migration service officer will not be able to accept it, so another day will be appointed for admission.
The Law on Citizenship of Belarus presumes that status is granted not only after a positive decision is made by the Department, but also when a special decree is issued by the President of the country. If the preferential procedure is applied, then a decision by the Ministry of Internal Affairs is sufficient.
Reasons for refusal
Russians often face a denial of citizenship of Belarus. This is due to various reasons, which include:
- the presence of at least one criminal record in the past;
- in the territory of the country where the applicant resides permanently, he was held administratively liable for various offenses more than three times;
- during the interview in the migration service the applicant provided false information;
- the applicant has numerous debts to various creditors in the country of residence;
- a person previously served in the internal security organs of another state.
Additionally, a refusal can be received if the questionnaire is filled out incorrectly or if necessary documents are missing. In this case, you can try to correct the violations and submit the desired package of documents again.
The nuances of obtaining dual citizenship
In order for a Russian citizen to obtain citizenship of Belarus, he needs to renounce his citizenship of Russia. There are no other alternatives, therefore, obtaining dual citizenship Russia-Belarus will not work.
Dual citizenship is allowed to apply only to minors in the presence of unique circumstances. For example, the child of foreign parents permanently resides in the Republic. After reaching the age of majority, he must independently decide which citizenship will be chosen by him.
Can citizenship be revoked?
There are certain situations where cancellation of citizenship is not possible. This is due to the presence of certain problems with government bodies.
It is impossible to refuse citizenship under the following conditions:
- a person is charged with various crimes, but a trial should already be held;
- the person was found guilty, therefore he is required to serve his sentence in prison;
- a citizen is a debtor to the tax inspectorate or other state bodies, private citizens or commercial companies;
- he does not have guarantees that he will be able to obtain another citizenship.
If all the above problems are resolved, then it is allowed to revoke citizenship and obtain citizenship of another state. For the exit from citizenship of Belarus will have to pay a fee equal to 230 Belarusian rubles.
Conclusion
Obtaining citizenship of Belarus is considered not too complicated process, for the implementation of which you can use different methods. To do this, adult citizens will have to abandon past citizenship.
A simplified procedure is proposed for some people if they previously resided in the Republic of Belarus or have close relatives who are Belarusians.