If two Russian citizens married in Russia but later divorced abroad, that divorce may also be recognized in Russia.
The procedure usually includes the following steps:
- Obtain the foreign divorce judgment or another official document confirming the dissolution of the marriage.
- In most cases, the document must be apostilled or legalized through consular legalization, depending on the country where the divorce was granted.
- The documents must then be translated into Russian, and the translation must be notarized.
- After that, the parties may apply to a Russian civil registry office (ZAGS) to register the fact of the divorce in the Russian civil status records.
In some situations, however, a separate court procedure for recognition of the foreign judgment in Russia may be required — especially if the case involves issues beyond the divorce itself, such as:
— child-related disputes;
— maintenance obligations;
— division of property;
— other legal consequences arising from the foreign judgment.
It is also important to understand that not all foreign divorce procedures are treated identically by Russian authorities. Relevant factors may include:
— the country where the divorce was obtained;
— the form of the procedure;
— whether the divorce was judicial or administrative;
— whether proper notice was given to the other spouse.
In international family disputes, the recognition stage is often one of the most legally complex parts of the process, because one family may simultaneously exist within several legal systems.
