Citizenship of the Russian Federation
The Russian citizenship exam in 2026
The main thing to know before anything else: citizenship requires not one exam but two. Russian language separately, Russian history with the fundamentals of legislation separately. Each has its own set of tasks, its own pass mark and its own certificate.
They are governed not by the same decree as the patent, temporary residence and residence permit, but by their own. Figures from the previous levels therefore do not carry over here at all.
From 1 January 2026 both exams are taken on a computer only.
What is known for certain
Everything below comes from Rosobrnadzor's official specifications for the purposes of acquiring citizenship.
The Russian language exam:
- Tasks — 35. Oral part — 5 (three dialogues and two monologues), written part — 30.
- Maximum — 44 points: 10 for the oral part and 34 for the written one.
- Pass mark — 31. That is more than two thirds, not half as at the previous levels.
- Time — no more than 90 minutes.
The exam in Russian history and the fundamentals of legislation:
- Tasks — 36: 18 on history (1–18) and 18 on the fundamentals of legislation (19–36).
- Maximum — 40 points: 20 for each half.
- Pass mark — 28.
- Time — no more than 90 minutes.
We do not publish the price, the validity of the certificates or the number of attempts: they are not in the specifications. The price is set by the institution administering the exam.
Sixty-six tasks out of seventy-one. Both papers: on the Russian language, everything except speaking; on Russian history and the basics of law, the whole thing. The oral part is on a separate page: Speaking in the citizenship exam.
The explanation opens as soon as you answer, and every wrong option says why that option is wrong.
Free, no registration, as many times as you like.
Test yourselfPass marks: what most candidates miss
Reaching the total is not enough. Individual sections carry their own mandatory minimums, and failing one is not offset by success in the others.
Below are both exams. The figures of one have nothing to do with the other: these are different papers, different days and different certificates.
Russian language for citizenship
31 out of 44 — that is what it takes to pass.
- Speaking 9 of 10
- Listening 5 of 6
- Reading 6 — no minimum
- Writing 4 of 6
- Vocabulary and grammar 16 — no minimum
The mandatory minimums give 18 of the 31 points required.
Russian history and law for citizenship
28 out of 40 — that is what it takes to pass.
- Russian history 12 of 20
- Fundamentals of law 12 of 20
The mandatory minimums give 24 of the 28 points required.
One number here deserves a pause.
Speaking: 9 points out of 10. This is the harshest minimum in the entire system of exams — stricter than anything in the patent, temporary residence or residence permit. There is almost no room for error: a single point short is enough for the whole Russian language exam not to count, however much you scored in the written part.
For comparison: temporary residence requires 3 out of 5 for speaking, the residence permit 4 out of 6. Here it is 9 out of 10. You can say the tasks out loud and check what came across: Speaking in the citizenship exam.
The second exam is simpler and symmetrical: you need 12 points out of 20 in both history and legislation. The mandatory minimums give 24 points of the 28 required — the remaining four can be picked up anywhere across the two halves.
Exam day
Both exams are taken on a computer, with video recording. Bring your passport with a notarised translation, your migration card or another document confirming lawful presence, the notice of registration and the payment receipt.
The oral part is recorded through a headset. If you do not have headphones with a microphone, ask the centre in advance.
Details of how the day goes are on a separate page.
If you fail
If you fail, there are two different routes, and they get confused.
Appeal. When you are shown your results you are entitled to apply to the appeals commission if you believe the work was marked incorrectly.
Retake. A separate paid attempt. The same institution is forbidden to give a candidate who failed the same variant of the tasks.
An important consequence of there being two exams: if you fail one, you do not have to retake the other. The certificates are separate, and one that has been earned stays earned.
Who is exempt
Exempt from the exam are: minors, men over 65 and women over 60, participants in the compatriot resettlement programme, and people holding an educational document issued in the USSR before 1991 or in Russia. The basis is Federal Law 115, Article 15.1, Part 5.
Citizenship of a Eurasian Economic Union state does not exempt you: a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan is exempt from the patent, but not from the citizenship exam.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that citizenship requires two exams?
Yes. Russian language is one exam, Russian history and the fundamentals of legislation the second. Each has its own tasks, its own pass mark and its own certificate.
Can they be taken on different days?
These are two independent exams, and the booking procedure for each is set by the institution. Check with your centre.
Will a certificate obtained for the residence permit do?
No. Citizenship has separate specifications and separate pass marks; a certificate from the previous level does not replace them.
Why is the pass mark higher than at the other levels?
At the patent, temporary residence and residence permit levels the pass mark is exactly half. Here it is 31 out of 44 and 28 out of 40, that is about seventy per cent. The language requirements at this level are higher, and that is built into the specifications themselves.
What is this 9 out of 10 minimum for speaking?
A mandatory condition of the Russian language exam: if you do not score 9 points for the oral part, the exam does not count regardless of everything else. It is the strictest condition in the whole system.
How much does the citizenship exam cost?
The price is set by the organisation administering the exam. There are two exams here, and how each is paid for is a question for the centre where you register.
Can I prepare for free?
Yes. Only speech assessment is paid.
Composition, scores, pass marks and timings verified on 8 September 2026 against Rosobrnadzor's specifications for the purposes of acquiring citizenship. The price and the validity of the certificates are not in those documents — so they are not here either. This page was machine-translated and has not yet been edited by a native speaker. Check figures and legal wording against the Russian version.