Can I travel to Russia on a tourist visa being myself a Russian citizen

[vitalsigns 2]

I've been in the US for over 20 years now. Got my US citizenship a while back. I don't have a Russian travel passport. While in the US I legally changed my last name. My question is can a Russian citizen who is also a US citizen travel to Russia on his US passport and a tourist visa? Will the Russian consulate here in the US issue me a tourist visa?

[Frage 67]

I'm curious. Why can't you go to the Russian consulate and apply for a passport instead?

 

Quick google search found me this:

"In order to apply for a Russian visa in a U.S. passport, however, Russian consular officials normally require a person to renounce his or her Russian citizenship."

https://ru.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/russian-visas/

Edited August 30, 2017 by Frage

[vitalsigns 2]

Thank you for your responses. My problem is I legally changed my last name in the US (I do have a document confirming that). I can see a hassle it can cause if I go in on one last name (the one that will be in my Russian travel passport) and leave with my US passport that has a different last name.

 

How does it work if someone has two different last names as it is in my case? Does it even matter?

[cosmonauts 125]

Do you have dual citizenship? American/Russian?

[vitalsigns 2]

@tamaara Yes I do.

[cosmonauts 125]

Just now, vitalsigns said:

@tamaara Yes I do.

In that case I believe you need a Russian passport to get into Russia. Your consulate should be able to answer with more authority what to do about your name change.

 

 

[Boiler 43,397]

I know I could not obtain a visa to enter the UK, and a USC can not get one to enter US, not sure why Russia would be different.

[Frage 67]

How did you change your name? If it was through marriage and/or divorce, you might need apostilles for your documents. I don't know what's needed for a legal name change through naturalization. Your consulate should provide more clarity on everything. 

[vitalsigns 2]

52 minutes ago, Frage said:

How did you change your name? If it was through marriage and/or divorce, you might need apostilles for your documents. I don't know what's needed for a legal name change through naturalization. Your consulate should provide more clarity on everything. 

My Russian last name was hard to pronounce. I got sick and tired of making everyone struggle with it. I started to develop a complex because of that too. I definitely didn't want my future children to struggle like I did either. So, I filed a name change through a court and got it changed. Really fast and easy. I want to make a trip to Russia next year and I wanted to find out what my options were when it comes to traveling on two different last names. I guess I will just contact the Russian consulate in Washington DC. I am sure they've had folks like me ten times over.

Edited August 30, 2017 by vitalsigns

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

14 hours ago, vitalsigns said:

I've been in the US for over 20 years now. Got my US citizenship a while back. I don't have a Russian travel passport. While in the US I legally changed my last name. My question is can a Russian citizen who is also a US citizen travel to Russia on his US passport and a tourist visa? Will the Russian consulate here in the US issue me a tourist visa?

No, you can not. As long as you have your Russian citizenship active you have to follow the procedures for Russian citizens, your US citizenship doesn't mean anything in Russia and there is no dual-citizenship agreement between Russia in US. You need to obtain valid and current Russian documents for travel as any other Russian citizen with no second citizenship would have to do.

 

- Victor from Russia

[JFH 12,189]

1 hour ago, vitalsigns said:

My Russian last name was hard to pronounce. I got sick and tired of making everyone struggle with it. I started to develop a complex because of that too. I definitely didn't want my future children to struggle like I did either. So, I filed a name change through a court and got it changed. Really fast and easy. I want to make a trip to Russia next year and I wanted to find out what my options were when it comes to traveling on two different last names. I guess I will just contact the Russian consulate in Washington DC. I am sure they've had folks like me ten times over.

So your new name will go on your Russian passport. That is now your legal name. I have a British passport but my last name is not English and very hard for English speakers to pronounce. Like many Americans, my husband has an Eastern European last name  because of his ancestors. It's 14 letters long and the combinations of letters in the name are just impossible in English. However, that's the name on my U.K. passport because that's my legal name. Changing your name doesn't mean you can't have a passport anymore. 

 

You don't have have two different last names. You have one. 

Edited August 31, 2017 by JFH

[Diane and Chris 651]

Go to www.russianembassy.org to get information about your name change and obtaining a new passport once your name change has taken place in Russia. They should be able to help you with your questions. There are several consulates in the US to help you. My husband did this with the Swiss consulate in Atlanta when we got married and he changed his name. Good luck!  

[Joe&LuMa 77]

How are you going to book your air ticket ? I mean, which name you will use ? It will be another problem..

[vitalsigns 2]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Today I compiled all the necessary paperwork and sent it to the embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington DC. Hopefully in a couple weeks I will now for sure if they need anything else from me or if everything is good. I will update this thread when a new passport is issued.

[millefleur 5,035]

**Moved from Tourist Visas to the RUB forum; OP is talking about applying for a Russian tourist visa, not a US tourist visa**

 

I would be inclined to agree with @Amy_and_Victor on this matter that it would not be possible to get a Russian tourist visa if you hold Russian citizenship...

 

Let us know what happens.