A passport is the main identification document. The small “book” contains not only a photograph of the owner, but also his full data, place of registration, and marital status. The slightest defect, damage or correction is considered damage and requires replacement of the form. The conditions for replacing a document rarely change, but for damage to a passport, a citizen will be required to pay a fine. Let's consider the details of the fine, its payment, and also dwell on the options when you can avoid paying a fine for a damaged passport.
Which passport will be damaged?
In Russia today there is a “Regulation on the Russian Passport”. According to the provisions of this act, a passport is considered invalid if it has the following defects:
- The document is heavily worn. The passport must be replaced immediately when the data in it is not viewable, unreadable, and the seal is in poor condition. It turns out that a citizen can only be identified by a photograph.
- Mechanical damage. Such defects can also be considered signs of invalidity of the identity card. It is extremely important that the document is not shabby and does not contain unnecessary entries. Here you can note the negative effects of fire or water, tears or missing pages. Even if a corner of the page is damaged, without data, the passport may still be considered invalid and require replacement.
- Self-made marks. In this case, the passport is immediately recognized as unusable, since personal notes cannot be left on the pages of the identity card. There are notes that are allowed. For example, information about a concluded or divorced marriage, records about blood type, notes about children. But all these marks are put by special authorities and not by the passport owner.
When such deficiencies are identified, the owner will need to immediately begin replacing the old form with a new one. This procedure takes no more than 30 days. If you are late, you will have to pay a fine for a damaged passport.
How to change a damaged passport
If your passport turns out to be damaged, invalid and needs to be exchanged, do not despair! Find out the information on how to replace a damaged passport, what documents are needed, what is the replacement procedure if it is damaged. This will help restore it in a short time.
Minimal damage to the part of the page where the information is not contained (for example, the corner of the page is torn) does not provide grounds for recognizing the passport as damaged.
Where to contact
Start replacing a damaged passport (you should contact one of the two official structures authorized to provide this service (you can also change an expired one here):
- branch of the Federal Migration Service (FMS) in the area of residence;
- state multifunctional center (MFC) located in your area.
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Each citizen makes the choice of the most convenient office location independently.
If a person who is seriously ill and undergoing long-term treatment or on a long business trip needs to change their passport due to unsuitability, their relatives can apply.
How long does it take to replace an identity card?
The passport replacement regulations indicate the maximum time required for restoration due to damage:
- up to 10 days — if the application was submitted to the FMS in the area of permanent registration;
- up to 60 days - if submitted to the Federal Migration Service, where you are registered temporarily.
Don't delay replacing your ID if it's damaged! To restore a document, submit an application within a month after it was damaged.
Submitting an application to the State Services
To replace a damaged Russian passport, turning to the State Services portal is becoming increasingly popular. You can change your passport through government services without leaving your home, at any convenient time.
We are looking for a service. From the popular services presented, we select “replacement of ID card if damaged”: use is impossible due to unsuitability. Having made a choice, we then write: last name, first name, patronymic, when and where you were born, telephone number for contact. You will need to indicate where you live, what country you are a citizen of, and also who your parents are. We inform you about your marital status and whether you have children. When completing the procedure, we provide information about the damaged document, and also indicate whether you have received a foreign passport before. Now all that remains is to choose the branch of the migration service to which you will submit your application. We carefully check what is written and confirm the submission of the application. We monitor letters arriving by email and wait for information on where and when we can receive a new document.
Is it necessary to change my passport if it is damaged?
The question is quite logical, since defects are first identified by the owners of the document. Someone will think that since no one knows about the damage except me, then it’s not worth changing the passport. In fact, such disregard for legal regulations may cause serious problems in the future. If a citizen provides a damaged form, he may be subject to a fine. Below you can see the fine for a damaged passport:
- 3-5 thousand rubles – for residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg;
- 2-3 thousand rubles – for Russians living in the regions.
After this, the copyright holder is obliged to exchange the passport and pay the assigned fine. If the fact of special damage is not confirmed, then no penalty will be imposed on the guilty person. Refusal to transfer the fine amount will result in the penalty being doubled. In other words, the citizen will be required to pay a fine of triple the amount.
Main signs of violations
First of all, it is worth studying the signs according to which a passport replacement will be considered necessary and immediate:
- It is impossible to fully read seals, stamps, and other document information. For example, on the first page of the ID there is a photograph of the owner - it is from this that law enforcement officers carry out the initial identification of the individual. If a person's face is difficult to distinguish due to certain reasons, then restoration is a priority.
- The pages of the passport contain information that should not be reflected in it in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. For example, a note about a citizen crossing the border of another state.
- The certificate was subject to significant mechanical damage, which affected the readability and structure of the main constituent elements of the document (be it a seal, records of a Federal Migration Service employee or a photograph of a citizen). According to established standards, the restoration procedure is mandatory if the pages are severely tattered or missing. Usually this sign is a consequence of the “play” of pets or small children.
- Leaving by the owner of unauthorized notes or entries in the passport that are not reflected in paragraph 5 of the “Regulations on the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.”
Most violations are associated with a citizen’s neglect of his own identity card. To begin with, the document should be stored in places that are inaccessible to small children or animals. In addition, it is recommended to acquire a special crust - this, at least in case of rain, will protect the paper from moisture.
Sample application for obtaining a biometric passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation:
How is the amount of a fine determined?
Paragraph 17 of the “Passport Regulations” states that every Russian must store and take care of his identity card, that is, prevent damage. If this happened through the fault of the owner of the form, then Art. 19.16 of the Administrative Code, which states that the fine for such actions is 100-300 rubles, as for deliberate damage to a passport.
They resort to “administration” only when the intentionality of damaging the document has been actually proven. In practice, the situation is almost unproven, except in cases where the owner of the document himself admits to the crime.
Sometimes loss or damage to a document occurs due to negligence. This indicates that the person did not negatively impact the passport on purpose, or did not provide it with proper storage. Often young children paint on their passports, and then this is also considered damage. Speaking in legal terms, there is no penalty for damaging or replacing a passport, but there is a penalty for providing an invalid document.
Necessary documents for replacing a passport if damaged
An appeal to the migration service will be effective if you have:
- applications for replacement of a Russian passport due to damage. An application for a replacement passport (application form) can be filled out upon application or in advance;
- ID card that needs to be changed;
- photographs - 2 pcs. (35x45 mm);
- receipts confirming that the passport replacement fee has been paid. The state fee for a damaged passport can only be confirmed by information about the details of the payment receipt.
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If the passport is damaged so that it is impossible to read the information contained therein, documents confirming this information will also be required. Additional documents to replace a damaged passport:
- Confirmation of marital status - certificates of a concluded or divorced marriage.
- Confirmation of information about young children - their birth certificates.
- Confirmation of information about military service - military ID.
Please note that replacing a passport if damaged takes some time, especially if the procedure is not carried out at the place of permanent registration. In this case, in order not to be left without a document for a long time, submit an application to the employees of the Federal Migration Service or the passport office for the issuance of a VUL (temporary identity card). Why you need and how to register a VUL read here.
Procedure for paying a fine
Having figured out how much the fine for a damaged passport is, you need to consider the payment procedure. Like any other fine, a monetary penalty in this case can be paid in different ways. The most common options:
- In cash, at the bank's cash desk, based on a receipt.
- At the post office.
- Through an ATM.
- Online, on the State Services portal.
Each of the presented options has its own advantages and disadvantages, but in any case, you will have to take a receipt for payment in advance, where the correct details will be indicated. Otherwise, the money will be credited incorrectly.
How to challenge a fine?
Any imposed fine can be challenged, but this requires official grounds. If the passport has become unusable or was lost in some other way for objective reasons, then there is nothing to punish the citizen for. You can appeal the imposed fine in the following ways:
- Send a complaint to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Submit a claim to the court.
The appeal should be supported by documents proving the applicant’s correctness and innocence. These may include an accident or theft report, damage to property and similar documents. Sometimes the degree of punishment is reduced, according to Art. 4.2 Code of Administrative Offences. The basis for using this provision may be sincere repentance or voluntary notification of the loss of a civil document. In addition, it is worth highlighting cases when a minor is guilty of damage or there are difficult circumstances in the family. In such situations, the fine for a damaged passport may be canceled.
When an appeal occurs in a pre-trial manner, the application is drawn up in simple oral or written form. Legal proceedings are initiated on the basis of a statement of claim drawn up according to the sample. The decision is made solely by the judge.
Fine for a damaged passport in 2021 - basic concepts and amount
According to government officials, if the owner did not bother about the proper storage of the document and this became the reason for its unusability, he must be held liable for negligence in relation to the identity card. A distinction is made between loss due to negligence and intentional damage to a document.
Loss due to negligence is careless handling of a document. Unintentional damage to a passport includes:
- carrying it in the general compartment of the bag;
- neglect of the cover;
- picking up with dirty or oily hands.
Deliberate damage means the deliberate destruction of all or individual pages of the passport or damage to the form, as a result of which records, stamps and other marks are distorted.
Deliberate damage to a passport
Important! Transactions made using an invalid passport have no legal force and can be challenged in court.
According to the law, in any of the above cases, a citizen is obliged to contact government authorities (MFC, passport office, FMS) at his place of residence within 30 days and write an application to restore the document. The fine for careless storage of a passport is imposed by an official of the migration service department on the basis of Article 19.16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses on deliberate damage to a document. The amount of recovery is 100–300 rubles.
Important! When a document of a minor citizen becomes unusable, responsibility shifts to the parents or guardians. Persons under 18 years of age do not have a permanent source of income, so they do not pay the fine on their own.
If the passport has been lost or damaged, restoration (the 2018 fine for minors is also 100–300 rubles) is carried out at the FMS office or the passport office at the place of registration. The new document will be restored within 10 days.
