What Do These Men Have In Common?

Steven Seagal, Jeff Monson, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - what do all these men have in common? Well... they are all skilled martial artists, and they are all 'public figures', but there is something else they have in common as well.

They are all Americans who became Russian Citizens.

Russia's constitution permits Russian citizens to have dual citizenship. However, the owner of two passports is considered exclusively a Russian citizen, except in cases that are provided for by international agreements, such as the one Russia has in place with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The United States does not formally recognize dual citizenship. However, it also has not taken any stand against it, either legally or politically. Typically, no American will forfeit his or her citizenship by undertaking the responsibilities of citizenship in another country.

Obtaining Russian citizenship is not particularly difficult, it's just a matter of time, paperwork, and dealing with the massive Russian bureaucracy.  To become a Russian citizen you must:

• Speak the Russian language.
• Have a legal source of income and pay taxes. (The Personal Income Tax Rate in Russia stands at 13 percent.)
• Adopt lawful behavior (i.e. not violate Russian law).
• Be a temporary / permanent resident of Russia for at least 5 years. (This can be less if you are married to a Russian citizen, or have significant investments in Russia.)

Dual citizens enjoy certain benefits, such as the ability to live and work freely in two countries, own property in both, and travel between the countries with relative ease.

A second citizenship can provide a safe haven in case of political instability, social unrest or economic turmoil in your country of origin. This can be particularly important for the protection of your loved ones. Dual citizenship can provide access to the world’s top-ranking facilities in education and healthcare, a fact that appeals to families, those in need of high quality medical care or simply people planning for retirement.

There are drawbacks, however, including the potential for double taxation, the long and expensive process for obtaining dual citizenship, and the fact that you become bound by the laws of two nations.