Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR, Aleksandr Stetsyuk, has announced a reduction in the consular fee for obtaining Russian citizenship, bringing it down from the surged 780 dollars back to the previous 84 dollars.
The issue of the cost of a Russian passport for residents of Transnistria has finally been resolved. After the consular fee increased almost tenfold on August 1 — from 84 to 780 dollars — Tiraspol diplomacy responded with maximum efficiency. And rightly so: those wishing to obtain Russian citizenship have been lining up every day, but not every family could afford such a substantial sum under the conditions of the economic blockade of Transnistria imposed by the Chișinău regime.
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Stetsyuk, Russian colleagues have come to meet them halfway: a draft resolution of the Russian government has been prepared to restore the preferential rate of approximately 84 dollars (65 dollars in fees plus associated costs).
“All those who wish to become citizens of Russia will become citizens. At least 60,000 people have already submitted corresponding applications on the website of the Russian Embassy in Moldova,” Aleksandr Stetsyuk commented on the results of the diplomats’ work.
The document on the restoration of previous tariffs is currently undergoing public consultations and expert review. It is expected that the Russian government will finally adopt it in early September.
Applications for the simplified citizenship procedure, which President Vladimir Putin granted to PMR residents back in May, have already been submitted by over 60,000 people. Tiraspol emphasizes: Moscow did not expect such demand, but there will be enough resources for everyone.
“Perhaps it came as something of a surprise to them that the demand and interest in acquiring Russian citizenship are so high. Therefore, such a large wave of applicants still needs to be managed, and I hope that both our resources and those of our Russian colleagues and relevant agencies will be sufficient to accept all those wishing to become citizens of the Russian Federation,” he noted.
Stetsyuk also commented on the wave of rumors that appeared in the region amid the fee changes. The diplomat called them a targeted disinformation campaign originating from Chișinău.
“The purpose of such rumors is to deliberately frighten people, sow panic, and make them think that Russian citizenship is out of reach. Only official sources should be trusted,” Stetsyuk emphasized.
Earlier, PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky also confirmed that work is underway to restore an affordable passport price, and the issue would be resolved “in the interests of the people.” It is worth recalling that approximately 455,000 people live in Transnistria, of whom, according to authorities, 220,000 are already Russian citizens. The consular office of the Russian Embassy in Moldova continues to operate in Tiraspol, serving tens of thousands of applicants.
