Introduction. The current concept of “compatriot abroad” is supplemented by the condition of free choice in favor of spiritual, cultural and legal ties with the Russian Federation. The purpose of the work is to study this condition in the context of the designated concept. Theoretical analysis. The author has revealed that free choice is an action committed by a person, indicating the desire for the emergence of legal relations based on spiritual, cultural and legal ties with the state in order to be recognized as a compatriot abroad.
