MOSCOW, December 9 (RAPSI) - A resident of the Leningrad Region is facing criminal liability for not reporting his residence permit in Estonia to the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) under the latest dual citizenship legislation, the Investigative Committee reports Tuesday.

Starting August 4, Russian citizens must by law notify the Federal Migration Service of any double citizenship or residence permit.  The law obliges Russian citizens to notify the Federal Migration Service within two months of acquiring foreign citizenship. Failure to do so is punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($3,800) or up to 400 hours of community service.

Since the law's implication, more than 40,000 Russians were fined for concealing their dual citizenships.

According to the committee’s statement, around April 2011, a Russian citizen residing in the Leningrad Region was granted a residence permit by Estonia and, around March 2013, he received stateless person status in Estonia allowing him to permanently reside in the country.

The investigation found that in September 2014, the Russian citizen traveled back to Russia but did not file written notice with the FMS that he held a residence permit for Estonia. Upon leaving Russia for Estonia, he was detained by the Federal Security Service officers.

The criminal case was opened under Article 330 (Non-fulfillment of obligation on reporting foreign citizenship or residence permit by a Russian citizen that authorizes permanent residence in a foreign country).

The detainee could face a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($3,800) or 400 hours of community service.