Russia to Verify Status of Citizens Living Abroad

Russia is considering the implementation of mandatory consular registration for its citizens living abroad. This was announced to RIA Novosti by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the official representative of the ministry, Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry plans to establish a stable definition of the term 'Citizen of the Russian Federation Permanently Residing Outside the Country.' This will allow for a clarification of the legal status of such citizens.

The ministry intends to present a report on Russians permanently residing abroad to the government by 2025.

Zakharova also stated that Russian consulates abroad do not collect biometric data of departing Russians. She noted that consular registration for Russian citizens going abroad is currently of a notification nature, taking place exclusively at the initiative of the citizen or their legal representative, including remotely.