Russian Passport Application Time Reduced Starting July 1

The timeframe for obtaining a passport will be shortened to five days starting July 1, regardless of the applicant's place of residence or reasons for replacement. This was announced by the press center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, as reported by TASS.

“From July 1, 2022, a new passport will be issued within five working days, regardless of the place of residence, current location, actual residence, or circumstances of change,” the press center stated. The Ministry of Internal Affairs added that this rule will also apply with the implementation of electronic passports.

Currently, the passport issuance timeframe is 10 days when documents are submitted at the place of residence, and 30 days in all other cases. Changes to the regulations regarding Russian citizens' passports, forms, and descriptions came into effect in the summer of 2021. Specifically, the validity period of Russian passports subject to replacement upon citizens turning 20 and 45 years old has been extended to 90 days. Additionally, the timeframe for submitting applications for issuing or replacing passports for minors over the age of 14 has been increased from 30 to 90 days.

Correspondingly, the passport form itself has been updated. It no longer includes a “Personal Cover” section. The last page of the form has also changed, now providing accessible information for the passport holder.

Furthermore, due to the enactment of the decree, citizens can decide whether they need to include information regarding registration and divorce, children under the age of 14 who are citizens of the Russian Federation, previously issued internal passports, existing foreign passports, blood type, and TIN notes.

Such measures aim to simplify administrative procedures related to the issuance and replacement of passports, enhancing the convenience of using the primary identification document, considering the development of remote technologies for interaction between the state and citizens.