If you still think of Steven Seagal as just that guy from Under Siege with the ponytail and the aikido moves, you’ve missed a wild few years. Honestly, the question of what nationality is Steven Seagal isn't a one-word answer anymore. It's more like a geography quiz.
He’s currently a citizen of three different countries.
Most people know he started out in Lansing, Michigan. Born Steven Frederic Seagal on April 10, 1952, he is a natural-born American citizen. That hasn't changed. But as his Hollywood career cooled off and his interests shifted toward Eastern Europe and Asia, his passport collection started growing. It’s not just a vanity thing, either; he’s deeply involved in the politics and cultures of his adopted homes.
The Triple Threat: US, Serbian, and Russian Status
Usually, when we talk about celebs getting "honorary" citizenship, it’s just a certificate and a photo op. For Seagal, it was the real deal. In 2016, he managed to pull off a rare feat by securing two new nationalities in a single year.
First came Serbia. In January 2016, the Serbian government officially granted him citizenship. He’d been hanging out in Belgrade, meeting with President Tomislav Nikolić and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić. He even offered to set up an aikido school there and train the Serbian special police forces. He told the press he "felt like a Serb."
Then things got even more interesting.
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By November of that same year, Vladimir Putin personally signed a decree making Seagal a Russian citizen. This wasn't a sudden whim. According to Kremlin spokespeople, Seagal had been "insistently" asking for Russian nationality for quite some time. He and Putin have a well-documented "bromance" rooted in their mutual love for martial arts—Seagal with aikido and Putin with judo.
Why Did He Become Russian?
It’s easy to look at this and think it’s just a PR stunt, but Seagal has doubled down on his Russian identity. He’s not just a citizen on paper; he’s a political actor there. Since 2018, he has served as a "special representative" for the Russian Foreign Ministry. His specific job? Improving cultural and historical ties between Russia and the United States.
He's basically a volunteer diplomat.
Wait, it gets weirder. In 2021, he officially joined a pro-Kremlin political party called "A Just Russia — Patriots — For Truth." He even proposed the "Steven Seagal Law," which aimed to toughen up punishments for environmental polluters in Russia.
A Timeline of the Passport Collection
- 1952: Born in Michigan (US Citizen).
- January 2016: Becomes a citizen of Serbia.
- November 2016: Granted Russian citizenship by presidential decree.
- 2018: Appointed as a Special Representative for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
- 2023: Awarded the Russian Order of Friendship.
Does He Still Have US Citizenship?
This is where the rumors fly. Many people assume that because he’s so vocal about his support for Russia—even saying in a 2024 documentary that he would "die for Putin"—that he must have given up his American passport.
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Actually, he hasn't.
As of early 2026, there is no public record of Steven Seagal formally renouncing his US citizenship. He holds what is known as multiple citizenship. While the US doesn't exactly "encourage" dual nationality, they don't forbid it either. He can legally carry all three passports.
However, his US status does limit him in Russia. For example, he couldn't run for a seat in the State Duma (Russia's parliament) because Russian law prohibits people with foreign citizenship from holding that specific office.
The Mongolian Connection
While he doesn’t hold a Mongolian passport, his personal life is deeply tied there. His current wife, Erdenetuya "Elle" Batsukh, is Mongolian. She was a professional ballroom dancer in Ulaanbaatar and met Seagal when she worked as his interpreter during a visit in 2001. They have a son together, Kunzang, and Seagal spends a significant amount of time in the region.
He’s also been recognized as a "Tulku"—a reincarnated Buddhist lama—by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. This adds another layer to his identity that goes beyond borders. He’s a Michigan-born, Japanese-trained, Russian-representative, Serbian-policeman-training Buddhist lama.
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What This Means for Him Today
Life for Seagal in 2026 looks very different than it did in the 90s. He has largely stepped away from his Russian business projects, recently resigning as CEO of Five Elements LLC, a holding company he co-owned with his son Dominic. Most of his time is spent on "humanitarian" and cultural projects within the Russian sphere of influence.
If you’re trying to track him down, don't look in Los Angeles. While he still owns property in the US—including a home in Louisiana—he is much more likely to be found in Moscow or traveling through the regions he represents for the Foreign Ministry.
The reality of Steven Seagal's nationality is that he’s a man who has essentially chosen his own family. He was born American, but he chose to be Serbian and Russian. He identifies with the "Eurasian" identity more than the Hollywood one these days.
To understand his current status, keep these points in mind:
- He is a citizen of the United States, Russia, and Serbia.
- He holds an official (unpaid) diplomatic role for the Russian government.
- He remains a US citizen despite his heavy involvement in Russian politics.
- His family ties are international, spanning from America to Japan to Mongolia.
The next time you see a clip of him at a martial arts demonstration in Moscow, remember that he’s not just a guest—he’s a local. Or at least, he has the passport to prove it.
Check the latest official government gazettes in Serbia or the Kremlin's decree archives if you want to see the original paperwork; it's all public record. If you are researching his legal status for travel or business reasons, keep in mind that holding multiple citizenships involves complex tax and legal obligations in each jurisdiction, especially between the US and Russia given current geopolitical tensions.