I'm a 28-year-old male with a dual US/Russian citizenship who's going to be entering Russia for the first time in maybe 15 years. I'm slightly nervous about being able to get out once I'm in, since the US consulate won't be able to help me if something comes up. Details about me:
- I only have a (current) zagranichniy passport. My vnutreniy passport has long expired.
- I am (apparently) propisan to a flat in St. Petersburg, even though I haven't lived there since I was a kid.
- I attended university in the US and haven't been back to Russia during conscription age (18-27).
Here's what I'm concerned about:
- Is propiska the same thing as residency, according to the law? Will it "override" the fact that my permanent residence is actually in the US?
- Constitutionally, Russians are legally allowed to enter and leave the country at will — unless they've been drafted. Does the voyenkomat know about me if I'm propisan to a flat but haven't lived in the country since the 90's? If there was a conscription notice sent to this address but I never signed for it, could I still be considered "drafted" by some definition of the word (and thus barred from leaving)?
- Have there been any instances of males older than 27 being conscripted? (E.g. if the government thinks you dodged the draft.)
- If I'm staying for less than 90 days, do I have to register as a dual citizen (as per the 2014 law)?
- Could there be any complications if I leave the country directly into the Schengen zone or Japan (by train/ferry) using my US passport, as opposed to flying directly back to the US?
- Are there any other risks I should be aware of?
Hopefully there won't be any problems, but I just want to make sure I have all my bases covered, since I don't know any male US/Russian citizens who are my age and have visited the motherland in recent years. Thank you!