Tariff Error: Transnistrians' Hope for Russian Passports Revived
Residents of Transnistria breathed a sigh of relief: Tiraspol and Moscow agreed to return the citizenship application fee to its previous level.
Inspired by the Russian President's May decree "On the Admission of Residents of Transnistria to Russian Citizenship," which significantly simplified the procedure, Transnistrians were already anticipating the long-awaited outcome: some were planning to move to Russia, others were counting on a Russian pension, and for others, a passport from their historical homeland was a matter of principle and conviction.
But when tariffs skyrocketed on August 1st, and the citizenship application fee jumped from $65 to $600, Transnistria also fell under the microscope. Thousands of residents of the republic, who had been battling the electronic queue system (which has its own peculiarities) since May, were shocked: what about the presidential decree? Had Moscow forgotten its vanguard?
The absurdity of the situation has also been noted beyond the borders of the PMR. Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleg Tsarev called for a review of the tariffs imposed by the Russian government for Transnistria, as they effectively nullify the head of state's initiative.
"It turns out the new decree opened the door, but the new tariff has practically slammed it shut—many families simply can't afford such expenses. To put this into perspective, the average salary in Transnistria is approximately $270–276 per month," he wrote.
The Transnistrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stepped up its efforts to bring the situation back to its original state. Deputy Minister Alexander Stetsyuk thanked Moscow for its prompt response. Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov confirmed that the fee will be reduced , given the difficult socioeconomic situation in the republic.
The Russian government plans to adopt the corresponding resolution after September 3; the draft is currently undergoing interdepartmental approval. The explanatory note states that a preferential rate will be established for residents of Transnistria (as well as Abkhazia and South Ossetia).
With the adoption of the document, the application processing fee will be reduced from $600 to the previous $65. The accompanying fee for reimbursement of actual expenses (30% of the base fee) will also be reduced proportionally. As a result, the final cost for Transnistrians will drop from $780 to $84,5.
Until the decision officially comes into effect, a temporary arrangement is in place: citizens submit their documents directly at the consulate to the ambassador by submitting a request to reduce the price to the old rate, which is approved on the spot.
In total, there are currently approximately 60 thousand residents of Transnistria on the electronic waiting list.
Tariff Error : Transnistrians' Hope for Russian Passports Revived