After the peninsula came under the patronage of Russia, few could give a definite answer to the question of how to obtain a foreign passport in Crimea. The administrative resource was not ready to quickly adapt to new requirements and new legislation, so the issue of obtaining a foreign passport for Crimean residents was in limbo for several years. Today, the process of obtaining passports can be called streamlined, but everything is far from being as simple as we would like. Let's figure out where and how Crimeans can get a Russian passport in 2021 and what problems this is associated with.
Features of obtaining a foreign passport in Crimea
At the time of Crimea’s transition to Russian jurisdiction, the peninsula did not have the necessary regulatory and material and technical base for processing documents for traveling abroad. On its territory there was simply not a single branch of the Federal Migration Service (now the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), and local residents simply had nowhere to apply for a Russian foreign passport on the territory of the republic. Migration authorities promised back in 2014 to develop a system for producing and issuing international passports as quickly as possible, but much of what was promised has not yet been fulfilled.
The first center, where local residents could obtain a passport for international travel, opened in the fall of 2014 in Simferopol. He could admit up to 150 people a day, but this was clearly not enough, given the number of people willing. The first visitors who managed to use the center’s services before 01/01/2015 were able to obtain documents for free. Considering the huge rush (at peak periods the queue reached 15 thousand people!), a second document processing center was opened that same fall.
But this did not give a tangible result, so over the next year the opportunity to obtain a foreign passport appeared in 6 Crimean cities, including Yalta, Kerch, Dzhankoy and other settlements. In addition, residents of Sevastopol also had the opportunity to obtain a passport. We will tell you more about the cities and addresses where you can apply for a foreign passport for residents of Crimea in 2021 below.
The well-established work of passport centers only partly solved the problems of Crimeans: even after obtaining documents, they were not always able to travel abroad. Of course, having a Russian foreign passport immediately opened up 70 visa-free countries for residents of Crimea, from Georgia and Hong Kong to the exotic Maldives, Dominican Republic and Thailand. But since the “civilized West” still considers Crimea to be the territory of Ukraine, there are problems with visiting Europe and the USA.
Thus, the overwhelming majority of European countries refuse to issue a Schengen visa to Russians with Crimean registration and a foreign passport issued on the peninsula. Among the “loyal” countries are only Greece, Spain and Italy, and even then no one can give guarantees.
The story is similar with a visa to the United States. The only way out is to obtain mainland registration and obtain documents outside of Crimea or obtain visas using Ukrainian documents.
Procedure for obtaining a passport
To obtain a new passport for subsequent trips abroad, a certain procedure is provided. In practice, the entire procedure consists of the following algorithm of actions:
- Preparation of the necessary documentation for subsequent submission to the competent authorities.
- Contact the department of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the MFC to obtain a receipt for payment of the fee (the form can be found on the government services website and the FMS resource).
- Payment of the established fee, in addition, submission of the application and all documents in person or via the Internet.
- When applying for a new type of international passport, the application is submitted online, and in addition, you are required to undergo fingerprinting.
- After receiving the documents, the citizen will be given an approximate date for receiving the document (usually it takes 1 month).
- At the final stage of registration, you only have to visit the MFC or the migration service office to receive the document (depending on where the application was originally made).
Registration of a foreign passport for citizens in Crimea is available via the Internet, but this requires a personal profile on the website of government services for the population of the Russian Federation.
Submission of documents
To obtain a foreign passport, a citizen in Crimea must prepare the appropriate package of official forms. The list of required papers for registration of a foreigner includes a passport of the Russian Federation sample, an application for the issuance of a foreign passport in two copies, several photographs, as well as a receipt for payment of the state fee. Men must provide a military ID; in addition, persons serving in the RF Armed Forces are obliged to attach to the application permission from the command to travel abroad.
Important! If an old-style foreign passport is issued and information about children is entered, then a birth certificate for minors and a corresponding application with photographs are required (the presence of the child is not required).
Personally
If a citizen plans to apply for a foreign passport in person, then he will have to submit a corresponding application to the territorial office of the migration service, or send a request to the multifunctional center for the provision of municipal and government services to the population. This is available in any major settlement of the peninsula, or on the Russian mainland, however, in case of application in another region, the registration period may increase to 4 months. Receipt of a foreign passport after registration occurs in the same place where the papers were previously submitted.
Through the Internet
To obtain a foreign passport via the Internet, you must have a verified account on the portal of government services for the population. Here, after authorization, you will need to go to the appropriate section to fill out a form to receive the document. Electronic copies of all necessary papers, including a receipt for payment of the fee, are also attached. Subsequently, the readiness status of the international passport will be displayed in your personal account, which changes as it is ready. The citizen will be able to receive the completed passport at the migration service office nearest to his place of registration.
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Important! When applying for a foreign passport via the Internet, to receive it you will need to have all the original papers that are provided during the process of obtaining the form.
Do I need a military ID?
All men under the age of 27 must provide a military ID to obtain a foreign passport. This is a prerequisite for acceptance of documentation by the competent authority. Representatives of the stronger sex, exempted from service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation due to health reasons, are obliged to attach to the application a corresponding certificate declaring the person liable for military service unfit for military training. When accepting documentation, the responsible employee checks for the presence of a service mark.
Timing and cost
A foreign passport is issued within 1 month upon application by a citizen at the place of registration. If documents are submitted in another region of the Russian Federation, the process can take up to 4 months. Urgent production of the form occurs within one week. A state fee must be paid before submitting documents. A new-style foreigner will cost 5,000 for adults and 2,500 rubles for children. The old form of international passport, which is issued for 5, not 10 years, provides for the payment of 2 thousand for adults and 1 thousand rubles for children.
Types of passports available to Crimeans
Crimeans, like all other citizens of the Russian Federation, have the opportunity to obtain both old and new passports (biometric). Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, old-style passports are valid for only 5 years and do not have the technological advantages that biometrics provide. At the same time, they allow you to save on state fees and register a young child. This document can be issued at any MFC in Crimea.
Biometrics, of course, have many advantages: validity period of 10 years, protection against counterfeiting, individualization, etc. However, it is possible to obtain it only in six centers on the peninsula, in addition, it will require more money and fingerprints.
Those who have retained their Ukrainian passport should not forget about the possibility of processing documents on the territory of Ukraine. A biometric passport issued on Ukrainian territory will allow you to bypass sanctions and enter the EU without a visa, while avoiding the difficulties for Russians.
How to obtain a foreign passport for residents of Crimea
The procedure for processing documents for Crimeans and other Russians is absolutely the same; the law does not provide for any differences for residents of the peninsula. As throughout Russia, the issues of issuing international passports are handled by the local Migration Departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (OVM MVD), and the procedure itself is regulated by Administrative Regulations approved by Orders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 864 of November 16, 2017 (for old-style passports) and No. 889 of November 27. .2017 (for new type passports). In accordance with them, the procedure for obtaining a foreign passport includes the following steps:
- Collecting documents, taking photographs, paying state fees.
- Submitting an application and documents, checking and registering them by employees of the OVM or passport center.
- Passing an interdepartmental audit (OVM employees formulate requests to the FSSP, FSB, Ministry of Defense and other departments).
- Consideration of the application and making a decision on it.
- Receipt of the completed passport at the appointed time by the applicant personally.
This is a short order, including the main stages of the procedure. Detailed step-by-step instructions for obtaining a document can be found in the article “Applying for a foreign passport.”
Where to get a passport in Crimea
Speaking about where to get a foreign passport in Crimea, it should be noted that documents can be issued at any migration department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs operating on the territory of the republic. Below are the contacts of the most popular Crimean migration departments:
Organ | Address | Telephone |
Department of Internal Affairs of the OP No. 1 Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Simferopol | 295026, Crimea, Simferopol, st. Gagarina, 20 | +7(3652)229476 |
Department of Internal Affairs of the OP No. 2 Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Simferopol | 295034, Crimea, Simferopol, st. Dzerzhinsky, 10 | +7(3652)734656 |
Department of Internal Affairs of the OP No. 3 Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Simferopol | Crimea, Simferopol, st. Footballers, 20 | +7(3652)276284 |
Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Department of Internal Affairs for the Simferopol region | 295018, Simferopol, st. Rocketnaya, 36/2 | +7(3652)310481 |
FSUE “Passport and Visa Service” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Simferopol* | Simferopol, st. Proletarskaya, 6a | +7 |
Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Yalta* | 298612, Crimea, Yalta, st. Dzerzhinsky, 35 | +7(3654)230920 |
Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Kerch* | 298327, Crimea, Kerch, st. Komarova, 7 | +7(36561)61193 |
Department of Internal Affairs of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Evpatoria* | 297416, Evpatoria, st. Revolutions, 34/1 | |
Department of Internal Affairs of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Feodosia* | 298100, Crimea, Feodosia, st. V. Korobkova, 9 | +7(36562)35183 |
* – departments where you can issue a passport of both new and old type.
In total, there are 31 migration departments operating on the territory of Crimea; the official website of the Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Crimea can help you find their addresses.
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In addition to the migration authorities directly, you can also submit documents to the MFC located on the territory of the republic, which is an alternative option. In total, at the time of preparation of the material, there were 27 territorial branches of the MFC operating on the peninsula. There are two centers in cities such as Yalta and Kerch, three in Simferopol, the rest are dispersed throughout the republic. A complete list of territorial divisions can be found on the website of the State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Kazakhstan “MFC”.
We should not forget that Crimeans have the opportunity to apply for a foreign passport not only at their place of residence in Crimea, but also at any other point in the Russian Federation, that is, at their place of stay or actual location (clause 93 of the Administrative Regulations, approved by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 864 ). However, in this case you will have to wait longer for your passport.
You can also submit documents through the State Services website. For information on how to do this, read the publication “Get a foreign passport through State Services.”
What documents will be required?
All documents for a foreign passport that a Crimean will need are specified in paragraphs. 37-45 of both of the above Administrative Regulations. According to them, the applicant must provide:
- application in the prescribed form;
- valid passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
- a valid international passport, including an electronic one, if its validity has not expired and the applicant has one;
- military ID, if available, and for military personnel also permission from the command;
- photo of the established sample (for a biometric photo it is taken on the spot);
- birth certificate (for children);
- documents confirming the powers of adoptive parents, trustees, guardians (if they submit the application).
This is a complete list of documents; officials have no right to demand any other papers.
Production time and state duty amount
Depending on the place of registration, the terms may vary. According to paragraphs. 27.1, 27.3 of the Administrative Regulations, the period for registration at the place of permanent residence is 1 month, the period for registration at the place of stay is 3 months. Find out more about this in the article “Passport Processing Time”.
However, in exceptional cases, the processing time can be reduced to three days.
We remind you that when submitting documents you must pay the state fee for obtaining a passport. For the production of a biometric passport from 03.08. In 2021, the fee is 5 thousand rubles for adults and 2.5 thousand rubles for children under 14 years old. The price for an old-style passport has not changed - 2 and 1 thousand rubles, respectively. The replacement of a foreign passport in Crimea takes place under similar conditions. You can learn more about this from the article “The cost of obtaining a foreign passport.”
Possible difficulties
Applying for a passport in Crimea has become much easier with the emergence of migration service and MFC offices in the region, however, a number of difficulties are still present in the process of obtaining the document:
- departments of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and multifunctional centers are present only in large cities of the peninsula;
- some list of countries (including the USA, Canada and certain EU states) do not accept a document issued in the Republic of Crimea;
- The system for recording foreign passports in Russia has not yet been fully configured, which is why failures are possible.
Due to possible problems with the registry programs, residents of the peninsula may not always be able to purchase a plane boarding pass or book a hotel room, since information about them may be temporarily missing from the system. According to the promises of the Government of the Russian Federation, the present difficulties will be eliminated in the near future and all residents of the Crimean peninsula will no longer experience some difficulties when traveling abroad.
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Lack of registration
If a citizen living in Crimea applies for a foreign passport not at his place of registration, then this cannot be a difficulty for him. The only point in such a situation is an increase in the period for issuing the document, which can last up to 4 months. Otherwise, you just need to write a request to accept papers to obtain a foreign passport.
Replacement of international passport
To issue a new document to replace the form on hand, an appropriate procedure is provided. The process itself is no different from the initial receipt of official paper. It also provides for the preparation of all necessary documents, payment of the same amount of fees and a step-by-step registration procedure. The only minor difference is that an expired document must be submitted when submitting an application.
Important! The established deadlines and cost of production of a foreign passport are regulated by the current legislation of the Russian Federation and apply to the entire territory of the country, including the Crimean peninsula.
Checking the readiness of documents
Crimeans can find out about the readiness of their international passport in several ways, including:
- through the official service of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which allows you to check the readiness of your passport online;
- by contacting the territorial migration department where the documents were submitted;
- by telephone – officials are required to provide information about the manufacturing stage by telephone;
- via SMS - for this, when submitting documents, you must check the box to notify the applicant via SMS.
These are not all the ways that will help you learn about the stage of obtaining a passport. Find out more about them in the article “Check the readiness of a foreign passport.”
general information
Today in Simferopol, in the new Passport and Visa Center, it is possible to issue international passports and children’s travel documents.
The center's staff prepares passports for children under 12 years of age. At the center you can issue a child citizenship certificate. This service is relevant for teenagers under 14 years of age.
Appearance of a child's passport
Russians are issued international passports valid for five and 10 years. The right to choose always remains with the applicant.
Where is the service provided?
You can obtain a foreign passport at the following institutions in Simferopol in 2021:
- OVIR.
- OGIRFL.
- State Police Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- MFC.
Simferopol OGIRFL is located at st. Treneva, 3a. Citizens who do not have Simferopol registration can apply with a corresponding application to the republican branch of the institution.
Anyone wishing to obtain a foreign passport must urgently come to the State Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The institution is located at Simferopol, st. Shpolyanskaya, 7/9. Citizens are received on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Simferopol OVIR is located at st. Franco, 44. Reception of citizens - from Monday to Saturday. The official day off here is Sunday.
Some weekdays at OVIR may also be non-working days. This question must be clarified in advance by calling the phone number listed on the official website of the institution.
An application for a foreign passport can be submitted either on paper or electronically. In the second case, the applicant undertakes to use the Unified Portal of State Services. It is located at: Gagarin Street, 18.
What documents do adults need?
To obtain foreign passports, persons who have reached the age of majority must submit:
- Passport.
- TIN.
- Military ID (relevant for men under 25 years of age).
- A document evidencing marriage.
- Certificate of divorce.
- A document indicating a change of surname.
This is what a certificate of name change looks like
- Old passport.
- Certificate from the military registration and enlistment office (relevant for persons who have not served in military service).
- Receipt for payment of state duty.
An example of a receipt for payment of the state fee for issuing a foreign passport
The last point is optional. Information about the receipt of funds can be verified using a special database. If specialists do not have such information, then the applicant will not be able to obtain a foreign passport.
You can also read the requirements for passport photos on the website.
If a person has married several times and changed his last name, he must submit all relevant documents. Career military personnel are required to submit permission from the command. Adult citizens with 10 years of official work experience must submit a high-quality photocopy of their work record.
All documents for obtaining a foreign passport are submitted in copies. But the presence of the original is the most important requirement.
Watch the video: Methods of submitting documents to the migration service.
What documents do children need?
Persons under 14 years of age who are interested in obtaining a foreign passport are required to submit the following documents:
- One photograph 9 by 12.
- Birth certificate.
- Russian passport of the father, mother or responsible person (the child must be included in the passport).
- Previously issued passport (it must be valid).
Documents for obtaining a child’s passport
In the photo, according to the requirements, the child must be depicted against a light background, up to the chest. The birth certificate can be either new or old.
In the first case, it must be translated into Russian and certified by a notary. In the second, the document must be certified by a seal indicating existing Russian citizenship. Persons aged 14–18 years are required to present a children's civil Russian passport.
Terms and cost of registration
The procedure for obtaining foreign passports involves the following steps:
- Filling out the application.
- Preparation of a package of certificates.
- Visit to GUVM.
The application must be filled out both online and on site when submitting documents.
If none of the submitted documents cause any complaints from the Department of Foreign Affairs employees, then the period for issuing a completed international passport varies from three working days to one month. In difficult cases, obtaining a passport can take up to four months.
The state fee for a passport with a five-year validity period is 2.0 thousand rubles. For children, the state duty is 1.0 thousand rubles. The amount of state duty for a new passport with a 10-year validity period is 3.5 thousand, for children - 1.5 thousand rubles.
Watch the video: Obtaining a new type of international passport in Crimea.
What do Crimeans say about obtaining a foreign passport?
Anna K., travel agent: “If you did not have time to renounce Ukrainian citizenship and are going to Europe, try to get Ukrainian biometrics - take advantage of the benefits of dual citizenship. To obtain a Schengen visa, in any case, you will have to travel outside of Crimea and spend money on a ticket (to Moscow, Krasnodar, etc.), so why not go to Ukraine? Moreover, a Ukrainian passport allows you to enter the EU without a visa.”
Georgy M., director of the consulate tour! The “ideal” would be a passport issued on the mainland, and at the same time there is no mention of Crimea, Crimean cities, including the owner’s place of birth.”
Olga D., tourist: “We applied for a Polish visa with a Crimean passport but were refused. We issued a second passport, already in Moscow - the Polish consulate also issued a refusal. But the Italian approved! Conclusion: contact the consulates of the correct countries.”
Where to receive
As of 2021, international passports are issued in Crimea in several large cities of the peninsula.
The GUVM points of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation are open in Sevastopol, Evpatoria, Kerch, Dzhankoy, Yalta and Feodosia. The cost of registration depends on the type of document:
- old model - 2000 rubles for adults and 1000 rubles for children under 14 years old;
- biometric – 5,000 rubles for adults and 2,500 rubles for children under 14 years old.
Probably, the following information will be good news for those wishing to issue a travel document: when submitting an application through the State Services portal, the state fee can be paid there with a 30 percent discount.
Thus, the fee for a traditional passport will be 1,400 and 700 rubles for adults and minors, respectively; a biometric one will cost 3,500 and 1,750 rubles, respectively.
Please note that applicants who apply for a foreign passport for the first time are exempt from paying the state fee. Let us also recall that previously internal and foreign passports were issued to residents of Crimea free of charge. Everyone received internal documents of the Russian Federation, and there was a stir around foreign passports.
Not by registration
In order to somehow speed up the process, residents of Crimea who urgently need to go abroad were asked to contact the departments of the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly the FMS) of the Krasnodar Territory. Offices that help with the registration of foreign passports in Moscow also offer their services.
It must be taken into account that there are legally established deadlines for the production of documents. So, if you submit documents at your place of registration, you will have to wait for 1 month. If for some reason you apply to the Department of Internal Affairs at the place of temporary registration, the registration period will be 3 months. Moreover, according to the law, you have every right to draw up a document where it is convenient for you.
International passport online
On the State Services portal https://www.gosuslugi.ru/ Crimea is included in the list of subjects of the Russian Federation. This means that you can apply for a foreign passport in Crimea online.
To do this, you must first register on the site, then select the appropriate service from the list and fill out a form. You will still have to visit the migration office, but by invitation, within the specified time frame, which, of course, is more convenient than waiting in the general queue.
In this way, you can order a passport for yourself in any department of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, including in the Moscow region, and without resorting to the services of intermediaries.