Citizens of the Russian Federation have the opportunity to obtain two types of foreign passports. But in order to decide which type of document is best to issue, it is important to understand how a biometric foreign passport differs from a regular one. New and old generation passports differ in criteria such as validity period, number of pages and ease of passing passport control at the border.
Key differences
The main difference between a new and old-style international passport is the presence of a microchip in the biometric passport, which electronically contains personal information about the passport holder.
The chip contains data from the information page of a foreign document, which facilitates a simplified personal identification process when entering the countries of the European Union.
In addition to faster and easier border crossing, a biometric passport provides a high level of migration security, since it is almost impossible to fake it.
Foreign passports of the new and old generations also differ in the number of pages: the biometric one has 46, and the regular one has 36. By applying for a biometric passport, you thereby acquire more free space for affixing future visas and stamps.
External differences
What is the difference between the old and new passports in appearance? The table below shows all the external differences between the two types of documents.
| Standard paper | Biometric |
| The state letterhead with security and watermarks is used for printing. The first page is laminated. | The first page has an electronic microchip built into it; this page is made of plastic. All the rest are paper, with government signs. The cover shows an icon indicating the type of passport. |
| The inscriptions on the cover are only in Russian. | Inscriptions on the cover in Russian and English. |
| A pasted laminated photo with an ornament is on the left, a hologram is on the bottom right. | The photo is not pasted in, but laser engraved. There is no ornament or hologram. |
| The emblem is in the upper right corner. | The emblem is in the upper right corner, depicting the owner's photo. |
| Signature missing. | Presence of an electronic signature on the first page. |
| Episode 64, 65. | Episode 72. |
New generation foreign passport - differences from the old passport
Prefacing the material about the differences between old-style and biometric passports for 10 years, we inform you, dear visitors of the portal, that both types of documents have equal legal force and depending on which choice is made, no additional restrictions will be introduced for you either in Russia or abroad.A new generation foreign passport (aka biometric), or rather its title page, contains a microchip with information about the owner: last name, first name, patronymic, date of birth, gender and other information. The chip contains an additional biometric parameter (papillary patterns of two fingers).
This page of the international passport is completely plastic, all the information on it is laser engraved (laser engraving), including a photograph and a sample signature, through the top transparent layer. More details about the structure of information distribution in a microchip can be found here.
The main advantage of a biometric passport is that it protects the loss or change of the owner’s personal data. At border control points in most countries of the world, equipment is installed that reads data from a microchip. The presence of an electronic mechanism in the document makes the procedure for identifying a traveler when crossing the border much faster and easier. As of April 2021, a number of countries have introduced or are planning to introduce restrictions on entry into the territory of their state using old-style passports.
When a new type of international passport is presented to the owner, the chip is opened (scanned in a special way using a special program and scanner) to check the correctness of the data. At the same time, access to this information in the new international passport is limited - employees of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have electronic cards with a seven-digit access code.
Biological data - fingerprints are already included, retina or special thermal photography - are not included in them yet, but they are planning
When applying for a new generation international passport, the fingerprinting procedure is mandatory for citizens of the Russian Federation who have reached 12 years of age. The fingerprint procedure is carried out using a special device - a fingerprint scanner, which scans only the pads of the index fingers. If for some reason a person cannot do this, then papillary patterns are scanned from any fingers. The procedure itself for scanning the papillary patterns of the fingers takes very little time - literally a minute, but it must be done twice: first when accepting an application, and then when issuing a completed passport for personal identification. Fingerprint data is not stored for long.
Note:
Images of a citizen’s fingerprints are stored in a special database of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs only until a biometric passport is issued. After which all information is immediately erased from the database and stored only on the electronic storage medium contained in the passport, that is, in the chip.
The microchip can be supplemented with them; it has a non-volatile memory with a capacity of 72 kilobytes.
And information from them is already read similar to the principle of bank cards. but the main advantage will be abroad, where such a system was introduced earlier than in Russia
In order to gain access to data in a microcircuit (chip), you first need to remove (read) information located in the computer-readable zone or, in technical terms, the machine-readable zone - namely: the biometric passport number, its validity period and the owner’s date of birth.
Therefore, the process of checking a new type of international passport consists of 2 stages - first, as in the case of a regular passport, a machine-readable zone is entered into the computer through a scanner, after which, using the scanned data described above, data is requested from the microcircuit (microchip) and the compliance of the information is checked on it with data on the page, a color image is extracted
The procedure for obtaining a new international passport; Booklet on international passport - GOSZNAK (in PDF format). . .
The new sample international passport has 10 more pages than the 5-year international passport. The biometric passport has 46 pages, which will please citizens who travel frequently.
Procedure for submitting documents
Documents for both types of passports are submitted under the same conditions and in accordance with the general procedure. There are two options: contacting the division of the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in person and submitting an application electronically on the portal.
In the first case, you need to stand in line, which takes a lot of time. In the second case, you simply enter data from some documents into the electronic application on the website, then you receive a notification that the application has been accepted by the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the method of your choice: SMS, email, notification in the application.
After receiving the notification, you must pay the state fee. When submitting an application online and making non-cash payments on the State Services portal, there is a 30% discount (until the end of 2021). You can pay the fee by card, e-wallet or mobile phone.
After payment, a notification will be sent to your personal account on the website about when you can appear at the Ministry of Internal Affairs department in person to submit documents. Upon preliminary electronic application, documents at the Ministry of Internal Affairs are accepted without a queue. The originals must be submitted no later than 6 months from the date of acceptance of the application by the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
After submitting the originals, all that remains is to wait for the notification of the date of issue of the foreign passport and come on the appointed day to the department of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pick up the long-awaited document.
Find out more about how to get a passport.
Registration of international passports for children
If you need to issue a foreign travel document for a child, you can choose from the following options:
- obtain a biometric passport;
- issue an old-style passport;
- enter the child into the old-style parental passport.
To issue a new or old international passport for a child, you will need to provide the minor’s birth certificate, a civil passport and a document confirming the Russian citizenship of the parent or legal representative to the Ministry of Internal Affairs department.
The option of including the child in the parental identity document abroad is the least expensive both in terms of time and finances, since there is no need to collect the necessary papers and wait for them to be completed. However, this method is only possible for paper foreign passports, and in this case the child has the right to leave Russia only if accompanied by the parent in whose passport it is written.
Therefore, if a minor needs to travel abroad without being accompanied by parents or official guardians, then it is better to issue a separate document of a new or old generation for him.
What documents are needed to obtain a new passport?
The package of documents to be received has a large list. The procedure for completing the necessary papers begins with the fact that you need to fill out a special form for a new type of international passport. To apply for a biometric passport you will need:
- civil passport (number, series);
- previous passport (if issued);
- marriage confirmation paper;
- military ID;
- information from the place of work or study (taken from the work record book for the last 10 years);
- individual entrepreneur certificate (if the activity is closed, then a certificate of suspension).
The list of documents for a foreign passport for minors is slightly different from the previous list. You will need to submit:
- child's birth certificate;
- parents' passports;
- citizenship of the child;
- civil passport (for children 14-18 years old);
- previous passport (if available).
The application form for a biometric foreign passport can be easily found on the Internet, and you can see an example of how to fill it out.
There are rules when filling out a biometric passport application. It can be filled out manually or on a computer.
If you write data by hand, you must use black ink and write carefully, without errors, and legibly. It is mandatory to print the application form on both sides of the sheet; a form on two sheets will not be considered. There should be no empty or missing columns.
The paper is certified by an employee of the Federal Migration Service. In addition to the completed form and the previous list of documents, to fill out the application you will need:
- payment of state duty (receipt);
- one photo for the application form (no need to paste the photo onto the form).
There are situations when it is simply impossible to include information about work in the application for a foreign passport, then you need to fill out a special application for issuing a foreign passport (a sample application is publicly available on the Internet).
There are no particularly new wishes for the photo. The oval face must be clearly visible in the photograph, no headdresses (except for religious reasons). The photo size is standard – 35x45 mm. The gaze is directed at the camera, the head is straight. It is better to take photos in casual clothes. You cannot be photographed in work uniform and it is better to avoid white flowers. Lighting in a photo plays an important role. No shadow or glare of light can fall on the face. You can be photographed wearing glasses only if they are transparent and the frames do not cover your eyes and face. Lenses should not produce glare from the flash. For a complete list of photo requirements for a foreign passport, read this article.
This is interesting: Going abroad with children? We will show you how to enter your child into your passport without any problems!
It is worth paying attention to the clause on the state duty for a new type of international passport. Here you need to enter the data correctly; if you make a mistake, you will have to pay the state fee again.
Be sure to check the budget classification code. For old-style documents, this code was different in each region, but for a foreign passport with a chip it was the same for everyone.
Which passport is issued faster?
If you are interested in which international passport is made faster - the old or new type, then you should know that there is not much difference. When submitting an application for a document at the place of permanent residence, the waiting period for both types of passports is up to one month; when submitting at a temporary place of residence, the wait can last up to four months. In any case, you will receive a notification about when you can pick up your foreign passport (with or without a chip), 2-3 days after submitting the documents to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
We recommend that you learn more about procedural issues – what exactly determines how long it takes to obtain a foreign passport.
Difference in terms of validity and cost of registration
A significant advantage of the new document is its validity period. The old passport is valid for 5 years, and the new one is valid for 10 years. From this point of view, issuing a biometric document is much more profitable and convenient, since after the passport expires, you need to go through the document collection process again, pay for production services and wait for issuance in the general manner.
In addition, you should pay close attention to the approaching expiration date of your foreign passport, since most countries have requirements for its validity when applying for a visa.
If you're planning to travel abroad, find out more about passport validity periods for different countries.
Despite all the advantages of obtaining a new passport, its obvious disadvantage is the higher cost of the state duty. The cost of obtaining a new document for an adult citizen of the Russian Federation is 5,000 rubles, a regular one will cost 2,000 rubles. For children under 14 years of age, the registration fee is 2,500 rubles for a biometric passport and 1,000 rubles for a standard passport.
Find out more about the cost of a foreign passport in 2021.
Does a child need fingerprinting?
Adults who plan to travel to other countries with their children, when applying for a new type of foreign passport, think about whether fingerprints are needed for the child’s foreign passport. The legislation does not provide a clear answer to this. Parents have the right to decide this issue themselves, but if the child is under 12 years old. From this age, children, as well as adults, are required to undergo fingerprinting.
