Abramovich has been granted Israeli citizenship following a spat between Moscow and London in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich will be able to return to the UK after becoming an Israeli citizen.

Abramovich arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday and received an Israeli identity card under the Law of Return, which allows Jews, as well as people with a Jewish parent, grandparent or spouse, the right to citizenship.

The Russian billionaire, who owns a £125million mansion in London's Kensington, made the move to become an Israeli citizen after the renewal of his British visa was hit by a delay.

Abramovich was caught up in the row after Theresa May targeted Russian oligarchs in a tit-for-tat row with Putin in the wake of the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

The 51-year-old businessman was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents Irina and Arkady, which gives him the right to an Israeli citizenship.

Russia maintains a strong relationship with Israel, and allows dual citizenship, meaning Abramovich will be able to hold both a Russian and and Israeli passport.

Israeli citizens may enter the UK without a visa for short stays, although they require a permit in order to work in Britain.

Abramovich arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport, southeast of Tel Aviv, early yesterday, Israel’s Interior Ministry confirmed.

The Nativ Liaison Bureau, which manages immigration from Russian-speaking countries, confirmed the tycoon applied for citizenship from abroad last week.

‘Roman Abramovich arrived at the Israeli embassy in Moscow like any other person. He filed a request to receive an immigration permit, his documents were checked according to the Law of Return, and he was indeed found eligible,' a spokesperson told Channel 10 news.

A view of the Varsano Hotel in Neve Tzedek from the garden - Roman Abramovich's home in Israel, and bought from Hollywood star Gal Gadot

Chelsea Football Club Billonaire owner Roman Abramovich's specially adapted £56 million pound Boeing 767 Airliner (stock image)

Abramovich has been a regular visitor to Israel, where he has bought a former hotel from Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot in Neve Tzedek, an old Tel Aviv neighbourhood, close to the Mediterranean shore.

Israel-based Russian language newspaper Vesty reported the tycoon was on the ground at Ben Gurion Airport for around three hours after arriving in his £56million private Boeing 767 jet.

'He was issued a certificate of a new repatriate (Teudat Oleh) and an identity card (Teudat Zehut),' reported Vesty yesterday.

Upon receiving his citizenship, Abramovich, who is worth £8.6billion ($11.4bn), immediately became the richest man in Israel.

The website reported that he opened a bank account and arranged medical insurance during his three-hour stint in the country, before jetting off to an unknown location.

Should Abramovich take up residence in Israel, he would be able to benefit from the 2008 tax law, which allows new Israeli citizens a ten year tax exemption on all income earned abroad.

Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich (left) shakes hands with former Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink during a UEFA Champions League Group C football match between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on December 5, 2017

Eclipse yacht, the world's second largest, belonging to Roman Abramovich, moored near Cavtat, Croatia (stock image)

A source close to Abramovich told the Jerusalem Post that the billionaire 'is very committed to Israel.

'He has family ties there and has invested in business and has charitable contributions and this has been in the back of his mind for a while, to formalise his ties with the country.'

The Jerusalem post added that Abramovich has made multiple generous donations in Israel, including about $60million to various advanced medical ventures at the Sheba Medical Center, and $30million towards the establishment of an innovative new nanotechnology site at Tel Aviv University.

Abramovich's British special investor visa expired last month.

The delay in renewing it follows a Whitehall crackdown on Russian applications in the aftermath of the Sergei Skripal nerve agent poisoning, which was blamed on Moscow despite the Kremlin's strong denial.

Scores of Russian oligarchs with homes and businesses in London face being swept up in the Government’s new crackdown on ‘unexplained’ foreign wealth.

Abramovich, who bought Chelsea in 2003, was last in the UK in early April this year. He was unable to travel to Britain to watch Chelsea win the FA Cup Final.

The British government has declined to comment on Abramovich's case.