Is military service in Russia required with dual citizenship? [closed]

I have British and Russian citizenship and passport. When I go to Russia on my Russian passport there I am no longer British but Russian and likewise in Britain.

Under Russian law, you are required to do military or alternative service when you are 18. Say if I travelled there when I am 18 or over would I still be called up to do service?

As there I am Russian. Could I go to the British embassy while there and ask for help?

Best Answer

Indeed, if you are "permanently residing outside the Russian Federation" you are exempt from military registration ("???????? ????"), hence, a fortiori, from military service. Here is the link to the law: https://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD_%D0%BE%D1%82_28.03.1998_%E2%84%96_53-%D0%A4%D0%97/%D0%A0%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BB_II#%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D1%8F_8 (see last line of the header of paragraph 1, just before subparagraph 1.1)

Concretely, to benefit from this, you need to cancel your registration ("??????????? ?? ????? ??????????") at your Russian address (if you still have one), and then to register at the consulate ("??????????? ????"). (Maybe registering at the consulate automatically cancels your registration in Russia, but if I remember correctly, it does not: you have to first de-register from Russia, then register abroad, in that order.)

If I understand correctly, in order for them to send you an invitation ("????????"), you need to register at the military commissariat first. If you have not done this, then they are not even aware that you exist. They will certainly not pick you up at the airport. Your only risk is to be caught in a conscription roundup conducted by the police, e.g. in the metro. I have heard about them happening, but have never seen one (and I have spent about a year total in Moscow). And in any case, I do not think they ever happen outside the draft period (given in @undercat 's answer).

And if you are ever caught in such a roundup, be aware that the law grants you much more protection than the police would let you think. Do your research, and refuse to cooperate to any illegal requests of the police. (For example: they are not allowed to take you directly to the military commissariat, only to the police station.)

Source: I used to be in a similar situation with a similar issue, so I did my research at that time.

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Do dual citizens have to serve in the military?

United States citizenship is not a requirement for serving in the US military. In fact, immigrants have served in the US military since Civil War days and non US citizens continue to do so today.

Can you avoid military service in Russia?

How do men avoid military service? There are several ways men can get out of service. Legally, \u201cthe draft is limited to those whose state of health is recognised as fit\u201d, Kuznetsov said, adding a medical commission has a long list of illnesses that preclude conscription.

Does dual citizenship affect military?

The U.S. allows people to hold dual citizenship and it is also the case for certain military members. However, officer positions or positions that deal with sensitive information will require the person to renounce their old citizenship.

Can you avoid the draft if you have dual citizenship?

In the Event of a Draft They would also be eligible for any deferments, postponements, and exemptions available to all other registrants. However, some non-citizens and dual nationals would be exempt from induction into the military if there is a draft, depending on their country of origin and other factors.

Here’s How the Draft Actually Works in the U.S. | NowThis

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