The Russian-Jewish and Chelsea football club owner, Roman Abramovich, has recently been granted Israeli citizenship.
This makes Abramovich the richest citizen in Israel. According to Forbes magazine, the 51-year-old tycoon is worth 11.5 billion US dollars.
His investor visa in the UK reportedly expired some weeks ago, but his renewed visa application was "taking longer than usual" to process.
The delay in the procedure was reportedly due to the billionaire having to explain the source of his wealth to the British government. This is amid increasing tensions between London and Moscow after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the UK.
May 21, 2017: Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich applauds as players celebrate their league title win at the end of the Premier League football match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge in London. / VCG Photo
As the owner of Chelsea FC since 2003, Abramovich did not attend the FA cup final in London earlier this month when Chelsea beat Manchester United. Instead, he was found attending an interview last week at the Israeli embassy in Moscow.
"His documents were examined under the 'law of return' and he was indeed entitled to immigrant status in Israel, and as a result he was issued an immigration visa," said an Israeli official at the department that deals with Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union.
Israel's law of return gives every Jew, or child or grandchild of a Jew, the right to Israeli citizenship, the official added. And the Israel passport allows Abramovich to enter Britain up to six months, but he won't be able to work there without a work visa.
Being a frequent visitor to Israel, Abramovich bought a hotel in Tel Aviv close to the Mediterranean shore in 2015, which reports say contributed to his receiving Israeli citizenship. As a new citizen, he is exempt from paying taxes on foreign income in the country for 10 years.
