People News

Gerard Depardieu becomes official Russian resident

Feb 25, 2013, 23:01 GMT

Gerard Depardieu

Gerard Depardieu is officially a Russian resident.

The 63-year-old French actor -who renounced his French citizenship because of his anger at President Francois Hollande's proposed 75 per cent tax hike on the super-rich - officially registered as a resident of the Russian city of Saransk over the weekend, his final step in gaining Russian citizenship.

The move was required so he could provide a home address, allowing him to receive public services including access to schools and health care in his adopted country.

This comes six weeks after he penned a letter to thank President Vladimir Putin for granting his request to become a national and praised the culture of the country.

In the letter, he said: 'I filed a passport application and I am pleased that it was accepted.

'I love your country, Russia - its people, its history, its writers. I love your culture, your intelligence.'

The controversial actor put his Parisian home on the market and moved to tax-friendly Belgium in December, declaring in an open letter that he planned to turn over his passport and French social security card because of Hollande's new tax on millionaires.

France's civil code states that a person must take up a new nationality in order to relinquish their French citizenship.