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US dual citizenship with Russia: can you hold both passports in 2026

9 min read ·

The US does not require you to give up your previous citizenship, though the oath renounces former allegiance, and Russia does not treat the oath as renunciation. How to live with two passports, taxes and obligations.

In short

Yes: the US does not require leaving Russian citizenship and Russia does not end it, but a Russian citizen must notify the Interior Ministry of the US passport within 60 days.

Previous passport on naturalisationKept
Country ruleUS law does not require you to give up your previous citizenship, although the oath includes renouncing former allegiance
Legal basisUS Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
What Russia requiresnotify the Interior Ministry within 60 days
CheckedOctober 2026

Each state treats you only as its own citizen: American in the US and Russian in Russia.

What the USA requires on naturalisation

The US Immigration and Nationality Act does not require you to give up your previous citizenship. The naturalisation oath renounces former allegiance, but for Russia this is not an application to leave: Russian citizenship ends only through the Russian procedure.

You can apply for citizenship after 5 years in the US with a green card, or after 3 years for spouses of US citizens. Continuous residence, an English and civics test and an interview are required. From application to oath usually takes a few months to a year.

There is one practical requirement: a US citizen must enter and leave the US on a US passport.

What Russia requires

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, but inside the country treats you only as a Russian citizen (Article 10 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ on Citizenship).

  • Within 60 days of receiving the second passport, file a notification with the Interior Ministry (MVD). If you are abroad at that moment, the period runs from the day you enter Russia.
  • Attach a copy of the foreign passport or another document proving the citizenship.
  • Failure to notify falls under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code: a fine of up to $2,400 or up to one year of income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.
  • Late or incomplete notification: a fine of $10-15 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
  • A residence permit abroad must be reported under the same rules (Article 11 of Law No. 138-FZ).

A Russian citizen with a second passport may not hold state or municipal office, serve in government bodies or stand for election. The duties of a Russian citizen, including military service, remain, and inside Russia the second passport is not taken into account.

How to keep both passports: step by step

  1. Apply for naturalisation after 5 years with a green card or 3 years of marriage to a US citizen.
  2. Pass the interview and take the oath. No separate release from Russian citizenship is needed.
  3. Get a US passport and use it to enter and leave the US.
  4. Keep a valid Russian passport to enter Russia: on a US passport you would need a visa, which is not issued to a Russian citizen.
  5. Notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days of receiving the passport, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you are abroad.

What happens to children

A child born in the US is a US citizen by birth. If at least one parent is a Russian citizen, the child is also entitled to Russian citizenship: the child is registered through a Russian consulate and then gets a passport. Children of US citizens born abroad acquire US citizenship if the parent lived in the US for the period required by law before the birth.

Taxes and military service

The key feature of the US is citizenship-based taxation: a US citizen files a return and pays federal tax on worldwide income wherever they live. The foreign tax credit and the foreign earned income exclusion help avoid double taxation. Russia suspended its double tax treaty with the US in 2023, so taxes in the two countries are calculated in advance. A Russian citizen who is a Russian tax resident reports foreign accounts to the Russian tax service.

Men aged 18 to 25 living in the US, including green card holders, must register with the Selective Service System. A Russian citizen's military obligations remain with a second passport.

Common mistakes

  • Treating the oath as leaving Russian citizenship. For Russia you remain a citizen, so you must notify the Interior Ministry.
  • Entering the US on a Russian passport. A US citizen must cross the US border on a US passport.
  • Letting the Russian passport expire. Without it you cannot enter Russia: a Russian citizen will not get a visa.
  • Not filing a US return while living abroad. Citizenship-based taxation applies everywhere, and penalties for not filing are high.
  • Not registering a child at a Russian consulate. The child is entitled to Russian citizenship, but a passport cannot be issued without registration.

How to get US citizenship

The path to US citizenship runs through a green card: by employment, family, investment or the lottery. Then 5 years in the country, or 3 years if married to a US citizen, and naturalisation.

Requirements, timelines and costs are on the page US citizenship.

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

Two passports mean two sets of obligations

The law does not prevent naturalising in the US on your own. But mistakes cost more than fees: breaks in residence, unfiled tax returns, a missed notification to the Russian Interior Ministry and the wrong entry order with two passports. Murblz support removes these risks: we check your residence and travel, prepare naturalisation documents, remind you of notification deadlines and help structure taxes in both countries. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process.

The support fee depends on the green card route and family size; a manager will calculate it in the chat.

Talk to a manager now

This topic in other countries

Dual citizenship rules with Russia in other countries:

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

FAQ

Can you hold US and Russian citizenship at the same time?
Yes: the US does not require leaving Russian citizenship and Russia does not end it, but a Russian citizen must notify the Interior Ministry of the US passport within 60 days.
Do I need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry about US citizenship?
Yes. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days under Article 10 of Law No. 138-FZ; failing to notify carries criminal liability under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.
Do I have to leave Russian citizenship to become a US citizen?
No. US law does not require it, and for Russia the oath is not a release from citizenship.
Which passport do I use to enter the US and Russia?
The US passport for the US and the Russian passport for Russia.
Does a US citizen pay tax while living in another country?
Yes, the US taxes citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, but the foreign tax credit and income exclusion reduce the double burden.
Will a child born in the US have Russian citizenship?
Yes, if one parent is a Russian citizen and the child is registered at a consulate.
How many years until US citizenship?
After 5 years with a green card, or 3 years for spouses of US citizens.
Is the Russia-US tax treaty in force?
Russia suspended it in 2023, so taxes in the two countries are calculated separately.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

We handle the whole process end to end: we check your documents, match a program to your situation and give you honest timelines and costs. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.

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