Yes, this is possible under Russian law.
The fact that a marriage was registered outside Russia does not automatically mean that the divorce must also take place in that same country.
Under Article 402 of the Russian Civil Procedure Code and Article 160 of the Russian Family Code, Russian courts may hear divorce cases involving an international element, including situations where:
- the marriage was registered abroad;
- the spouses live outside Russia;
- one of the spouses is a foreign citizen;
- at least one of the spouses is a Russian citizen.
In many international families, the key question becomes where the divorce proceedings should begin and which country’s courts will have jurisdiction over the dispute.
At the same time, an international divorce is rarely limited to the dissolution of the marriage itself. Such cases often also involve:
- division of assets located in different countries;
- child support and spousal maintenance;
- child residence and custody issues;
- contact and visitation arrangements;
- recognition and enforcement of court decisions abroad.
This is why, in international family disputes, legal strategy often matters from the very beginning of the case.
