How to obtain an electronic passport for a Russian citizen

Russian passport: general information

The Russian passport is a small burgundy book with an image of the state emblem and the words “Russian Federation” on the cover.

Since below we will only give brief general information about the passport, read more complete information about the Russian Federation passport.

The document contains the following data:

• Full Name;
• Date and place of birth;
• owner's place of residence;
• information about marriage registration, children;
• previously issued passports (including foreign ones).

At the request of the person, information about the TIN, blood group and Rh factor can be entered into the passport. True, this needs to be done in the relevant organizations: tax authorities and medical institutions.

Generally speaking, a passport, like a birth certificate, is the main document confirming a person’s identity. But the first, unlike the second, is not issued once and not forever, but is subject to re-registration in certain cases. Next, we will try to figure out why and how often passports are changed in Russia.

Electronic passports in other countries

• In the United States, electronic biometric passports have been issued to ordinary citizens since 2007. They are plastic cards or books with chips where information about the owner is stored. They are almost never used within the country.
• Most EU countries use plastic cards with a chip - ID cards - as passports. To obtain them, fingerprints must be taken.
• Finland issues electronic passports for 5 years and only includes a digital photograph.
• In Latvia, a passport is not replaced by a card, but simply contains a page with digitized fingerprints. In Latvia and Estonia, only biometric passports have been issued since 2007 in order to maintain a visa-free regime with the United States.
• Biometric passports are issued in Kazakhstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
• In January 2021, Ukraine introduced electronic passports. From this moment on, all new documents are issued in the form of a card with electronic media.

Preview photo: ngs.ru

Passport replacement

The main legislative document that establishes the procedure for handling passports is the “Regulation on the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation” (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 828 of 07/08/1997, hereinafter referred to as the Regulation).

The regulations stipulate that every citizen of our country must receive his first passport at the age of 14.

The same document states that a passport is replaced if the following grounds exist:

• reaching a certain age;
• gender change;
• change of personal data (last name, first name, patronymic, date or place of birth);
• errors or inaccuracies in information;
• impossibility of further use (wear, damage, etc.)

Now it’s worth talking about what you need to change your passport. But not much is required: collect a package of documents, pay a state fee, contact the authorized bodies and, after a certain period of time, receive a completed passport.

As for the documents (and this is perhaps the first thing that should puzzle you), the final list of them depends on the reason for which there was a need to contact government agencies. Of course, further we will talk about what is required to re-issue a passport in different cases. Let's start with the most common reason related to age restrictions.

Reaching a certain age

The above-mentioned Regulations establish the period for which a general passport is issued:

• from 14 to 20 years. This means that upon reaching the age of 20, it is the duty of every citizen to replace his passport;
• from 20 to 45 years;
• from 45 years old - indefinitely.

It will be useful for everyone who celebrated their 20th anniversary to learn how to replace a passport at 20 years old.

However, there are exceptions to this rule: these requirements do not apply to persons who are undergoing military service upon conscription. These citizens can obtain or change a passport only after their military service has expired.

Taking into account all of the above, it becomes clear how many times re-issuance is carried out and when you need to change your Russian passport by age for the last time.

The main civil document is reissued twice: at 20 and at 45 years.

For those who have to change their passport for the second time, the procedure is certainly familiar.

However, over the past time (after all, 25 years is a considerable period) significant changes could have occurred, so we recommend that you find out in advance about the current procedure, requirements for applicants and documents when replacing a passport at 45 years of age.

Another important point that cannot be ignored concerns whether the replacement procedure depends on the gender of the passport holder. In pension legislation, for example, gender is of decisive importance: the retirement age for women and men is not the same - 55 and 60 years, respectively.

What about passports? Is there a difference at what age men change their Russian passport and when women should undergo a similar procedure? What special requirements and conditions may be imposed on representatives of different halves of humanity?

It must be said that women have more reasons to renew their passports. At a minimum, because when they get married, in most cases they prefer to take their spouse’s surname (and in the event of a divorce, there is a high probability of the reverse process). In principle, this can happen at any age, but here we are talking about generally accepted timing.

The position of the legislation regarding the age at which a woman needs to replace her passport in Russia is no different from that which applies to men: both are required to re-issue a civil document at 20 and then at 45 years.

Due to changes in appearance

There can be a lot of reasons for changing one’s appearance: from a person’s personal desires to unforeseen life situations. But whatever the reason, a person must understand that a radical transformation is the basis for replacing a passport. And this is understandable: if the photo in the passport does not closely match the appearance of the person presenting it, representatives of the law have every right to question the authenticity of the document.

Change of personal data

Personal data usually means a person’s last name, first name, patronymic, date and place of birth. Any (even the most insignificant in the form of one letter or number) change in them is a reason to change your passport.

The most common reasons for changing a surname are marriage or, conversely, divorce.

Much less often this happens at the person’s own request.

Changing a name is a rather exotic phenomenon, but nevertheless exists. In most cases, such a decision is made for some subjective reasons, and the basis “I just wanted to” is not excluded. But from the point of view of legislation, a person who has changed his name is a different person, which means that re-issuance of a civil passport is inevitable.

We invite you to learn more about the specifics of the procedure for replacing a passport when changing your name.

The next parameter that can theoretically be changed is date of birth. Simply put, no matter how strange it may sound, the age of the citizen is adjusted. Of course, in this case there must be very compelling reasons for such corrections: documentary evidence will be required.

Read about all the nuances and sequence of actions before changing the age in your passport.

As you know, a photo of the owner is pasted into the passport, which greatly simplifies the identification procedure. However, in some cases it becomes necessary to replace the image. The reason for this could be, for example, damage to a photo or a change in a person’s appearance.

If the photo in the document begins to differ from the “original”, it is better not to tempt fate, but to find out as soon as possible how to change the photo in the passport.

Incorrect information

Before issuing a completed passport, a representative of government agencies will definitely ask you to check the correctness of the information provided. And neglecting this request is extremely undesirable, since any inaccuracy is fraught with big problems. In particular, difficulties may arise when concluding various types of contracts, drawing up powers of attorney and other actions where a passport is required. There is only one way out of this situation - to reissue the document.

Damage or loss

There are other reasons for replacing a passport: damage, theft or loss. Both events are certainly unpleasant, but restoring a document after it has been hopelessly damaged is much easier than re-issuing a stolen or lost passport.

Find out more about what to do if your passport is stolen.

If your passport has been lost (or stolen), you need to submit a corresponding application to the nearest law enforcement department; their employees will fill out all the necessary papers, which are subsequently provided as documents confirming the reason for the replacement.

Expiration

As mentioned above, a passport is issued for a certain period, after which it is considered expired. In everyday life, there may be many situations when you need to present your passport. And, of course, it must be valid. Therefore, if it turns out that the validity period has expired, then it’s time to find out how to change your passport if it is expired.

This issue should not be taken lightly. Most people use their passport quite often, and walking around with an invalid document will, unfortunately, be short-lived. The very first meeting with representatives of government agencies will result in, at a minimum, a warning or a fine. Agree, it is much easier to comply with the requirements of the law, which establishes a standard procedure for replacing an expired Russian passport.

Strictly speaking, it boils down to the fact that you need to collect a standard list of documents, attach them to the application and transfer them to the department of the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in order to reissue an invalid passport. Expiration of a period is one of the grounds (but not the only one) on which a document is invalidated.

We invite you to read about other reasons when a passport is invalidated.

Where to change

The registration and replacement of passports is carried out by the specially created Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation). But you can submit an application with documents in several ways, which we will talk about in this part of the article.

Appeal to the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

The first way (perhaps it can be called traditional) assumes that the replacement of the internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation is carried out directly through the department of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The applicant must personally appear at the government office, submit documents, and then receive a completed passport.

Contacting the MFC

Another option is to act through a multifunctional center for state and municipal services (hereinafter referred to as the MFC). His employee will check the correctness of the documents, accept them and inform you about when you can pick up a new passport. Here it should be taken into account that the passport is also issued at the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the MFC performs the functions of receiving and issuing documents.

If this registration method is more convenient for you, then read the full information on how to obtain a passport through the MFC.

Registration through the State Services portal

There is a third option - submit an application through the State and Municipal Services portal. True, it will still not be possible to avoid a visit to government agencies: only information about documents (series, numbers, dates of issue, etc.) is entered into the electronic application, but their originals must be provided to the department of the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

This procedure is somewhat different from the standard one; read the full information on how to apply for a passport through State Services.

Registration not at the place of registration: is it possible?

Yes, this is not prohibited by law. You can get a new passport at any of the departments of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: at the place of residence (this is the registration address indicated in the passport), place of residence or place of application of the person. In the case of the MFC, it is better to clarify in advance whether such a rule applies where the applicant plans to apply: some centers are authorized to accept applications only from those citizens who are permanently or temporarily registered in the region of application.

If at the time of re-registration the applicant is outside the territory of permanent residence, it will be useful for him to clarify how to replace a passport at a location other than his place of registration.

How to obtain an electronic passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation 2021 through government services?

Foreign citizen's passport

The easiest way for users to obtain a passport or apply for registration is through government services. The gosuslugi portal is a website or electronic application for owners of Apple and Android devices through which they need to submit an application. You must first take a photo in a photo salon - a standard photo for documents must be requested from a specialist electronically through the citizenship government services portal: uploaded to a flash drive, or asked to be sent in an email, and also print the photo. Step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a passport on the website will not be useful: the procedure for obtaining the service is very simple.

You can submit documents for Russian citizenship through the government service website by going to your personal account in the “Issuing or replacing a passport” section and selecting the required section. Next, from the State Services portal you will be asked to go to the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and select the “Get service online” menu item.

After this, the user will be able to attach a photo and an application in the prescribed form and send it for consideration and registration by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who will transfer the data to the MFC. In this case, an MFC employee will issue the document personally to the owner, having previously notified via SMS that the passport is ready.

Important! Registration takes on average 10 days, and the service fee will be 300 rubles. If the passport was stolen - 1500 rubles.

Submitting documents for Russian citizenship through the government service website is easy and simple. But you can also contact a government agency - FMS branches or the regional office of the MFC and provide the necessary package of documents there.

According to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1 325 of November 14, 2002, such documents in 2021 will include:

• birth certificate;
• 2 photos of the established size;
• international passport (if available);
• all kinds of certificates of change of status (for a person under 14 years of age - birth certificate);
• document on registration for military service.

Registration through the state. services are possible from any device

List of required documents

No matter how the application for a passport replacement is submitted - electronically or by personal visit - it must reflect information about documents confirming certain information. Their originals must be presented to an employee of the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the MFC. Below we will take a closer look at what documents need to be provided to replace a civil passport in 2018.

As mentioned earlier, their final list depends on the reason for the re-registration. The fact is that any reason for replacing a passport must be documented: a change of name - with an appropriate certificate, a change of surname - with a certificate of marriage or divorce, etc.

Read more detailed information about what is provided and in what cases, as well as how to collect documents for a passport.

Strictly speaking, the main list is the same for all applicants; the lists of documents differ only due to the clause that concerns confirmation of the reasons for the replacement.

As an example, consider the reason that is probably very popular among potential applicants - reaching the age of 20 or 45 years.

This is what the standard list of documents required to replace a passport by age looks like:

• application in one copy;
• 2 photos measuring 35x45 mm.
• birth certificate (most often it acts as a document that confirms the achievement of a specified age);
• documents required for making mandatory marks (military ID, marriage/divorce certificate, birth certificates of children under 14 years old, etc.);
• receipt of payment of state duty.

It is important to take into account all the nuances that relate to passport photographs: an incorrectly taken photograph can lead to refusal to accept documents, so we recommend that you carefully read the requirements for passport photographs.

An important question that concerns citizens is whether their passport is taken away when they are replaced with a new one. Yes, the old passport is subject to confiscation, it must also be presented along with other documents. The new passport will contain information about the series, number, as well as when and by whom the previous document was issued.

It must be said that replacing a passport based on age and due to expiration is, in fact, the same procedure, since the validity period is determined precisely by the age of the owner. This means that the list of documents for replacing an expired passport will be absolutely identical to the one described in this part of the article.

Package of papers

To obtain an electronic passport, you need to collect a standard package of documents:

• Sample application
• For secondary (or more) registration - an old passport that is subject to exchange
• Duty payment receipt
• Birth certificate
• Photos are taken on site (where the package of documents is submitted)

If a citizen wishes to add additional information to the electronic identifier, he, depending on the situation, attaches:

• Certificate of marriage (divorce)
• Birth/adoption certificate of a child under 14 years of age
• SNILS
• Driver license
• Taxpayer identification number
• Compulsory medical insurance policy
• Certified electronic signature
• Bank statements, etc.

How long does it take to replace?

A passport, unlike a driver’s license, for example, cannot be replaced in one day. Even if the application is submitted in person to a department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the finished document can only be received after a period of time specified by law. For those for whom it is extremely important to have a valid document in hand in order to plan their actions, it is better to find out in advance how long it takes to replace a passport.

The standard procedure period is 10 days from the date of submission of the application and package of documents; it is provided for those cases when the applicant applies to the unit of the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation at his place of residence.

Find out what deadlines are provided for when applying through the MFC or outside the region of residence, as well as the standard deadlines for issuing a passport.

Surely the majority of our fellow citizens who are waiting for a new passport are interested in how they can find out about the readiness of the document. In the case of obtaining a foreign passport, for example, a corresponding online service has long been in operation, which allows you to avoid fruitless calls and visits to authorized bodies, but for internal passports there is no such service yet.

Is it possible to exchange urgently?

All the deadlines allotted for the production of a passport (both upon initial receipt and in case of replacement) are regulated by legal norms. There are no exceptions or benefits in this matter: the requirements are the same for everyone. However, life situations are different, and in some cases people have to find out whether it is possible to change their Russian passport urgently.

Unfortunately, the answer is clear: there is no legal way. Nevertheless, there are a lot of companies on the market that offer assistance in urgently replacing the main civil document. Of course, their services are not free, but very expensive. But you need to understand that contacting such companies is illegal, so it is better not to engage in such games with the law.

Where to apply for an electronic ID card

All the information presented below related to where to obtain an electronic passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and what is needed for this is perhaps somewhat premature, but with a high degree of confidence we can say that there will be no special changes in the procedure for obtaining the document.

Traditionally, the specialized departments of the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation are responsible for everything related to the preparation of identification documents. However, today there are other options that allow you to save effort and time, and apply without even leaving your home.

Considering the availability of alternative institutions where you can make a biometric passport, we will briefly consider each of them.

Profile departments of GUVM

The standard and usual place for issuing passports is the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has branches in every city.

It is interesting that you can apply for an electronic version of an identity card to the migration department not only at the place of permanent registration, but also at the place of actual residence of the citizen.

Multifunctional centers

Another organization providing public services to the population is multifunctional centers. There are currently fewer of them than GUVM branches, but their work based on the “single window” principle, speed of service and the ability to make online appointments are making MFCs increasingly popular.

The algorithm for submitting an application for an electronic identity card is similar to visiting GUVM branches. In both cases, it is necessary to submit the application in person, since a photograph is required, which is taken directly at the time of application.

Online application mode

With the development of technology, it became possible to submit an application online through the Gosuslugi service without leaving your apartment.

To do this you need:

• Go to the State Services portal
• In the “Authorities” tab, click on the section “GUVM MIA (FMS)”
• Fill in the required information in the form
• Attach photos and scanned copies of documents
• Send data and monitor status

After the application is accepted within a certain time frame, the status will change to “Ready”. In this case, the citizen will receive a notification with information about where and when he can pick up the completed document.

About the state duty

In most cases, for the preparation of government documents, you need to pay a state fee and then submit a payment document to the authorized body. The usual state fee for replacing a passport is 300 rubles.

For some cases, other amounts are provided, so we recommend that you find out all the details about paying the state fee for a passport.

Is it necessary to change my passport?

As noted earlier, an expired passport will be considered invalid, and the citizen simply will not be able to perform any legal operation. It may be possible to use such a document for some time, but sooner or later you will still have to re-issue it. However, there is no need to panic in advance: not a single legal norm clearly states how many days after your birthday you need to change your passport.

The obligation to obtain a new civil document does not mean at all that the day after your 20th or 45th birthday you need to rush to the law enforcement agencies with an application and a pile of documents. However, there are still restrictions regarding the re-registration procedure. It must be said that in this matter the law is on the side of the applicant and determines within what time it is necessary to exchange the passport. The application must be submitted within 30 days from the moment the grounds for replacing the main civil document arise.

Fines

If the specified deadline is missed, then replacing the passport will cost much more than 300 rubles. Violation of the established deadline is fraught with very unpleasant consequences in the form of a fine.

Find out in more detail about the amount of the fine for overstaying your passport.

Grounds for refusal

The main reasons for refusal to replace a passport are:

• If an application is submitted through a branch of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation or the MFC: absence, unreliability, or incomplete indication of the information provided for in the application form;
• absence in the package of documents that are provided for in the mandatory list;
• the photo does not meet the established requirements;
• documents in a foreign language do not have a notarized translation into Russian.