Decree No. 821 of November 5, 2025, signed by the President of Russia, introduces a temporary procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship and residence permits for foreign nationals and stateless persons, directly linking these migration benefits to participation in the so-called “special military operation” that began on February 24, 2022.
The document was published on the official legal information portal pravo.gov.ru and entered into force on the day of publication. The text of the decree, consisting of two provisions, is attached to the Russian version of the article.
War as a legal basis
The key feature of the decree is the systematic use of the date February 24, 2022, and the wording “during the period of the special military operation.” These criteria serve as the basis for:
- expedited admission to Russian citizenship;
- issuance of residence permits;
- extension of these rights to family members of servicemen, including in cases of death.
No other military campaigns or conflicts are mentioned in the document. Thus, the decree is legally tied to the war against Ukraine, which the Russian authorities officially refer to as a “special military operation.”
Who falls under the decree
The right to simplified acquisition of citizenship and residence permits is granted to:
- foreign nationals and stateless persons who signed contracts for military service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation after February 24, 2022;
- those who signed contracts before that date but served during the period of the “SMO”;
- individuals discharged from military service after February 24, 2022, on certain grounds;
- spouses, children, and parents of the above-mentioned persons, including families of those killed;
- spouses, children, and parents of Russian citizens who took part in the “SMO.”
It is separately specified that these provisions do not apply to citizens of Belarus.
The age category of potential applicants is legally capable men aged 18 to 65.
Migration benefits as an instrument of military policy
The decree effectively formalizes participation in the war as a legal basis for obtaining key migration statuses. The document details:
- lists of supporting documents;
- certificates confirming service during the period of the “SMO”;
- procedures in the event of a serviceman’s death;
- accelerated application review periods of up to one month.
At the same time, residence permits and previously issued documents may be annulled in cases of early discharge from military service on certain grounds.
Continuation and expansion of previous practice
Decree No. 821 simultaneously repeals two earlier presidential decrees — dated January 4, 2024, and July 31, 2025 — which also concerned the admission to citizenship of foreigners who had signed contracts for military service.
Thus, the new document does not introduce a fundamentally new mechanism but expands and systematizes an existing practice that has developed since the start of the war in 2022.
Formal language, concrete consequences
Although the text uses the official formula “special military operation,” the decree establishes a direct link between participation in the war and the granting of migration rights. Citizenship and residence permits become not only a legal status but also an element of state policy in the context of an ongoing armed conflict.
Legally, this means that the war that began on February 24, 2022, is used as a basic condition for redistributing the rights and obligations of foreign nationals in the Russian Federation.
At the same time, for citizens of Uzbekistan, participation in armed actions outside the country entails criminal liability. Under Article 154 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (“Mercenarism”), participation by a person who is not a citizen or serviceman of a state involved in an armed conflict, or who is not authorized by any state to perform official duties within armed forces, on the territory or on the side of a foreign state in an armed conflict or military actions for the purpose of obtaining material remuneration or other personal benefits is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to ten years. Recruitment, training, financing, or other material support of a mercenary, as well as the use of a mercenary in an armed conflict or military actions, under the same article, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of seven to twelve years.