How to make a new biometric international passport in Ukraine 2021, documents, how to obtain, status check

How is a biometric passport different from a regular one?

Biometric documents are those that have an electronic chip with encrypted personal data. Biometric passports have already been introduced in 90 UN countries, and another 20 are planning to do so in the near future.

What is a biometric passport

A biometric international passport of Ukraine is a state document that certifies the identity and citizenship of the owner crossing state borders and staying on the territory of a foreign country. The owner of such a passport is the main condition for visa-free travel between European countries.

The peculiarity of a biometric passport is the presence of a built-in chip in which the following data is recorded:

• digital photograph of the owner;
• fingerprints;
• electronic signature.

In some situations, it is possible to issue a passport without fingerprints and a digital signature, for example, if it is necessary to make a biometric passport for a child or a person who, due to poor health, cannot provide the required samples. Even in this case, the state document does not lose its biometric status and gives the owner the full right to use a visa-free regime.

What does a biometric passport look like? Externally, it will not differ in any way from a regular international passport of a citizen of Ukraine. This is a small blue book measuring 88 x 125 mm. There is a chip built into the cover of the document, and on the title page there is a mark that confirms the presence of this chip. The form includes:

• cover;
• endpaper;
• pages with personal data, and another thirty-two paper pages.

The microchip is embedded in the cover on the right. Where is the series and number of the Ukraine biometric passport indicated? This data can be seen on the plastic page - third line from the right. The main information page is made of durable material and is located after the left side of the flyleaf. The blue cover is also made of high-quality, durable material.

Identity documents in the form of biometric passports have been introduced in more than ninety countries around the world. However, taking into account the experience of our closest neighbors from Moldova, a visa-free regime does not mean absolutely unimpeded movement throughout Europe. When entering some European countries, you will still have to undergo a thorough search, during which border guards may require evidence of solvency, medical insurance, confirmation of a hotel reservation, and a return ticket.

Why do you need a biometric passport?

Why do you need a biometric passport?

From the moment the visa-free regime came into effect, citizens of our country who have issued such passports can visit thirty European countries without a special visa:

The EU countries included in the Schengen area, of which there are twenty-two, are:

• Austria;
• Germany;
• Belgium;
• Denmark;
• Spain;
• Italy;
• Greece;
• Latvia;
• Lithuania;
• Estonia;
• Poland;
• Slovakia;
• Slovenia;
• France;
• Czech Republic;
• Luxembourg;
• Malta;
• Portugal;
• Hungary;
• Finland;
• Netherlands;
• Sweden.

EU countries that are not members of the Schengen area. There are four of them:

• Bulgaria;
• Romania;
• Croatia;
• Cyprus.

States that participate in the Schengen Agreement but are not part of the EU. There are also four of them:

• Norway;
• Iceland;
• Switzerland;
• Liechtenstein.

A biometric foreign passport of Ukraine is equivalent in importance to a Schengen visa category C, which requires staying on foreign territory for up to ninety days in a six-month period. The main principles of traveling under the visa-free regime:

• Have a biometric passport, which will be valid no earlier than 3 months after the owner’s return.
• Stay in another country for no more than ninety days over a six-month period.
• Be prepared to explain in detail to the border guards the purpose of the trip, how long you plan to stay in a foreign country, how and when you plan to return to your homeland. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to document your words by providing tickets, insurance, cash, hotel reservations, etc.

Who can apply for a biometric passport?

Every citizen of Ukraine from birth can receive a biometric passport.

The exceptions are persons with dual citizenship and residents of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea who have received a passport of the Russian Federation.

Where to contact

How to obtain a foreign passport in Ukraine is described in detail in each of the divisions of the migration service. The choice of department does not depend on registration. There are corresponding branches with a sufficient technical base in each regional center. The work schedule of territorial authorities can be found on the website of the migration service.

The servicer has the right to issue a biometric foreign passport. The centers are equipped with fingerprinting machines, photo centers, payment terminals and copy machines. The service is paid separately within the range of 300-400 UAH.

You can get a biometric passport inexpensively at a regular passport office in Ukraine

An electronic queue has been opened since February of this year. You can now register on the migration service website. It is important to arrive strictly on time; if you are a minute late, your place in the queue is lost and the procedure must be completed again.

The application for a passport must be submitted in person (except as required by law).

Why do you need to replace passports?

Why is a passport replacement necessary? Ukraine believes that re-issuing paper passports with new (plastic) ones will make it possible to replace many documents in the future. This is planned to be achieved through the introduction of built-in electronic chips containing the necessary personal information. The plastic passport of Ukraine itself (a sample of its design and the final layout) was thought over by the developers for a long time.

In the future, it will be mandatory to enter tax, medical and insurance information, and information about vehicle ownership onto the biometric card. Also, when registering an electronic key, a citizen will receive free access to a number of government services (analogous to the government services web resource in Russia). The document will be issued in two languages: Ukrainian (state) and English.

For some time, the issuance of biometric passports in Ukraine was suspended. The main reason was cited as technical problems, including the lack of reading devices for new ID cards.

Registration period

According to information from official sources, the deadline for processing a document with an electronic storage medium depends on several conditions:

• A standard application for a document is processed within 20 working days.
• Urgent processing (double payment of state duty and direct services) is carried out within 7 working days.
• Emergency registration can be in case of illness of the traveler and the need for urgent treatment abroad, or in the event of the death of a relative in another country. Also, the person accompanying a seriously ill patient is issued a passport within 3 days.

The actual deadlines do not coincide with the stated ones. The large influx of people wishing to receive a biometric passport makes it impossible to quickly process all applications. Urgent passport processing takes from 2 weeks to a month, and a standard application is processed up to 3 months.

Those who apply for a passport not based on registration will have to wait longer. Personal data verification will be carried out at the place of registration.

Pros and cons of having a biometric passport

Many Ukrainians ask the question: what is a biometric passport? The document is an analogue of a foreign passport, the cover of which has a microchip embedded in it containing information about the owner. The electronic element includes standard passport data, electronic photos, signature, and fingerprints. The document looks like a standard international passport in the form of a book, with an icon on the cover indicating the presence of a chip.

Thanks to this device, information about its owner instantly enters the customs control computer, which speeds up passage through the border post. The advantage of this type of document is also the following:

1. It has a high level of protection against the production of a counterfeit sample.
2. If such a document is lost, another person will not be able to use it.
3. Operational clearance at the border checkpoint.
4. In the future, such a passport will provide visa-free entry into the Schengen area.
5. Regular old passports are not canceled and continue to be valid.
6. The document is valid for 10 years.

What disadvantages of biometric passports should those who are at a crossroads be aware of: should they issue an old-style international passport or a biometric one? A passport with an electronic chip also has plenty of disadvantages, namely:

1. Much higher cost.
2. If the book is tampered with, the probability of damage to the chips is very high and the document will have to be changed.
3. There is no guarantee of data security, since information from an electronic chip is easily and quickly scanned by special devices. Today, high-tech attackers don't need to steal a passport; they steal electronic personal information to use for criminal purposes.
4. Your movements will be tracked regardless of your country of residence.

Despite the above disadvantages, there are a lot of people who want to get a passport with a microchip in Ukraine, so a lot of time is spent on processing the document.

Validity

The validity periods of international passports vary:

• children from birth to 15 years – 4 years;
• children from 16 years old and adults - 10 years old;

A passport issued for a 13-year-old child does not need to be changed when he or she reaches 16. You can wait until your 17th birthday and issue a biometric passport valid for 10 years.

How much does registration cost?

The price includes payment of state duty and passport bank. The consular service charges an additional fee for issuing the document. Since October of this year, online payment has been available; the option is available to any department connected to the electronic queue.

Documents for a biometric passport

Children over 16 and adults must provide the following package of documents:

• application (drawn up by the citizen personally);
• a valid internal passport (the original document and 3 photocopies of the first, second page and registration will be required);
• two photographs 3.5 x 4.5 cm and a photo 10x15 cm (for people without documented ability to move);

• receipts from any bank for payment for services, consular fees;
• old passport and a photocopy of its first page (if available);
• originals of documents exempting from payment;
• identification code (for persons over 18 years of age). You will need two photocopies and the original;
• document confirming the change of name and its photocopy (if available).

Possible problems with documents:

1. The photocopy of the identification code should not share the sheet with the photocopy of the passport.
2. The same surname must be indicated in both the passport and the identification code (this problem often arises in women after changing their surname upon marriage).
3. If the registration mark in the passport was left less than 6 months ago, a certificate from the Housing Office is needed.

List of documents for children under 16 years of age:

• application (drawn up by both parents or a guardian of a child under 12 years old, independently 12-15 years old in the presence of a parent or guardian);
• photo 10x15 and 2 photos 3.5 x 4.5 cm. Photo on a matte background, the face should occupy at least 80% (for children under 12 years old);
• copies of parents’ passports in 2 copies (1-2 pages and registration);
• a valid internal passport (children 14-16 years old);
• birth certificate (children under 14 years old);
• receipts from any bank for payment for services, consular fees;
• originals of documents exempting from payment.

Children living only with their mother or only with their father will require additional documents:

• Death certificate of the second parent.
• A document indicating the deprivation of parental rights of a parent.
• Document declaring a parent missing.

• Document on the incapacity of the second parent.
• A certificate confirming the place of registration of the child with the submitting parent. application for a biometric passport.
• Birth certificate with information about the father.

How to get an ID passport

If you have decided to receive a plastic passport, you should prepare yourself mentally, since, according to the experience of many pioneers, this process, especially in the regions, occurs with difficulty.

The procedure itself, if we exclude the human factor, is very simple and should not take much time. You must collect a number of documents, and then contact them with the territorial division of the DMS (State Migration Service, - Ukrainian, an interactive map of which you can download here) or CNAP (Center for Administrative Services, - Ukrainian) at the place of registration.

To schedule an appointment, it is advisable to join the electronic queue, which simplifies the waiting procedure. This is possible in the following ways:

• On the official website of VHI (only for residents of Kyiv and the Kyiv region) - no earlier than 2 weeks in advance
• Through the terminal in the VHI department - for the current day or for any available date in the next month.
• On the CNAP website in your region - for the period established by them (usually dates are available 2 weeks in advance).

Documents are submitted there, and after 20 working days from the date of submission of the application, you can pick up the finished document.

Obtaining an ID card in Ukraine

You can monitor the status of issuing a passport in the form of a card on the official website by clicking on this link.

When you receive a card, you will need to program codes onto it. To do this, come up with them in advance, you can write them down somewhere, but under no circumstances tell them to others. The codes should not coincide with your date of birth, etc., but only have meaning for you. It is desirable that it is just a random set of characters.

So, you need to come up with:

• 2 PIN codes, 4 digits each
• 2 pack codes of 8 digits each

In the future, they can be changed.

Required documents

First of all, collect the necessary documents. Pay close attention to the list and try not to miss anything.

Submitting documents to replace a passport booklet with a plastic one

To receive for the first time (upon reaching 14 years of age)

• Birth certificate
• Original passport of one of the parents who at the time of birth had Ukrainian citizenship
• A foreign passport for those who permanently reside outside of Ukraine or have received citizenship abroad.
• Certificate of an internally displaced person (for displaced people from the ATO and ARC zones)
• Documents confirming the information required for entering (not required if an old-style passport is being replaced): birth certificates of children, marriage or divorce, certificate of registration of place of residence (Form A).
• Tax Identification Number (TIN)

For passport exchange

• Passport that can be exchanged (booklet or plastic)
• In case of change of name/surname/patronymic – the corresponding document
• Certificate of an internally displaced person (for displaced people from the ATO and ARC zones)
• A receipt for payment of fees for this service or documents exempting them from payment.
• Documents confirming the information required for entering (not required if an old-style passport is being replaced): birth certificates of children, marriage or divorce, certificate of registration of place of residence (Form A).
• Tax identification number (TIN).

To restore a stolen or lost passport

• Application in the form established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the loss or theft of a passport
• Extract from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (if the passport was lost in Ukraine)
• Certificate of an internally displaced person (for displaced people from the ATO and ARC zones)
• A receipt for payment of fees for this service or documents exempting them from payment.
• Documents confirming the information required for entering (not required if an old-style passport is being replaced): birth certificates of children, marriage or divorce, certificate of registration of place of residence.
• Tax Identification Number (TIN)
• A court decision to establish identity if it has not been established in the standard manner.

There is no need to take a photo for this passport - you will be photographed on the spot, at the VHI office or the Central Medical Assistance Center.

The mentioned certificate of place of residence and registration is obtained from the central administrative offices at the place of registration, although you can also get by with a Certificate of Family Composition (formerly “Form A”), which is issued by the Prezhovo (formerly the Housing Office).

Lost passport

How to get a foreign passport in Ukraine after it has been lost, stolen or damaged will be explained in detail at the passport office. All you need is to remain calm and know a few nuances.

1. Passport stolen.

If you discover that your passport has been stolen, you must contact the police department as soon as possible (preferably at your place of registration). Law enforcement officers will offer to write a statement with a detailed description of the time and location of the incident.

A police officer can fill out the application, in which case it is certified by the signature and the phrase “from my words it is written down correctly” of the applicant. An application to initiate a criminal case must be issued within 10 days.

2. Passport lost.

Previously, in case of loss of a passport, it was necessary to submit an advertisement in the All-Ukrainian newspaper . In 2021, passport offices have declared this procedure optional.

In both cases, the next step will be to go to the branch of the migration service. There is no penalty for losing a biometric passport. The main work on document restoration is carried out by the migration service.

If your passport was lost abroad, you must contact the Ukrainian Embassy. They will issue a temporary identity card confirming the legality of your stay in the country, as well as a document that allows you to leave the country. The issued documents are valid for 30 days. Visas from a lost passport can be recovered from the relevant embassies.

There is no penalty for losing a biometric passport. Receipt of a new document is carried out on a general basis with the same package of documents.

Ways to minimize the inconvenience of losing your passport:

• Have photocopies of all completed pages.
• Ukrainians can have 2 valid passports.
• Attach a “security sticker” with a phone number and reward amount to the document. This way, the finder can return the document to the owner.

Production time and cost of a biometric passport

Production time and cost of a biometric passport

The production of a biometric passport is an administrative service, so the applicant will be required to pay an administrative fee. In addition, the cost of the form is paid separately, the price of which on average is in the range of 330 - 350 hryvnia.

As for the administrative fee, its cost and the timing of document production are interrelated. The total production time is about twenty days, while the amount of the administration fee will be 352 UAH. If a person urgently needs to obtain a foreign passport within seven days, the cost of administrative services will be 704 UAH, which together with the cost of the form will be 1034 UAH.

The shortest time frame for obtaining a foreign passport, which takes three days, is provided for the following cases:

• need for urgent treatment abroad;
• departure of a person accompanying a seriously ill patient;
• sudden death of a loved one living in another country.

All unforeseen circumstances must be confirmed by relevant documents. How much does a biometric passport cost in such situations? The amount of the administrative council is 704 UAH, plus do not forget about the separate cost of the form - 330 UAH. The total cost of a biometric passport will be 1034 hryvnia.

Pay for the services of the company that will process the foreign visa. passport, you can at any bank branch or at a terminal located at a branch of the State Migration Service or a center for providing administrative services of Ukraine.

You will have to pay more for obtaining a foreign passport through the state enterprise Document, but not much. Preparation of documentation within fourteen days will cost 1,082 hryvnia, and if it is necessary to prepare it as soon as possible, such a service will cost 1,434 hryvnia.

Validity period of a biometric passport

We already know what a biometric passport looks like, it is issued for a certain time. For persons who are already sixteen years old, the document will be valid for four years. For persons over 16 years of age, the document is issued for ten years. After the expiration date, you will have to register everything again.

Benefits when obtaining a foreign passport in Ukraine

Ukrainian citizens wishing to obtain a biometric passport must pay a state fee, the amount of which is 10 minimum tax-free income. In 2021 it is 170 UAH. Preferential categories of citizens are fully or partially exempt from paying state fees, but not the passport form.

These categories include:

An exception may be children under 16 years of age. When they receive permission from an OVIR employee, the cost of obtaining a foreign passport is reduced to the amount of the state duty.

There are no benefits for pensioners or students.

How to check if your passport is ready?

You can check the readiness of a biometric passport, the registration of which was initiated on the territory of Ukraine, on the website of the migration service. Checking is available within a day after going to the passport office.

The document is drawn up in several stages:

• No information.
• The documents have been accepted.
• Permission to personalize the document has been issued.
• Data in the personalization center.
• The document has been sent to the migration service (delivery time 1-3 days, in case of weather disasters up to 7 days).
• The document is ready to receive.

Information is updated every 4 hours, so there may be delays in changing the registration status. If 48 hours after accepting the documents the status is still “no information”, you must contact the e-mail of the territorial center where the documents were submitted.

The letter must contain the following information:

• Full name of the applicant.
• Series and number of the internal identity card.
• City of application.
• Date of acceptance of documents.
• Contact number.

Information on the degree of readiness of a biometric passport, the registration of which was initiated abroad, can be viewed on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Where is the number on the biometric passport?

Tell me, if after a person has pasted in after 45 or 25, but on the next page there is no data on who and where the passport was issued, that is, just a blank page! how to explain this? Is this a mistake in the passport office or is this allowed?

When filling out form P21001, you must indicate who issued the passport. In Ukrainian foreign passports, instead of “issued by,” the “authority that issued” is indicated and is simply designated by four numbers - 1219.

Those who disagree with the newly made decision file a complaint with the appellate court. If the ruling is cancelled, the court representative will urgently notify the relevant government agencies that register the property.

Multifunctional centers operate in all regions of the Russian Federation. They are constantly expanding the list of services they provide.

How to obtain a children's biometric passport?

The consulate or passport office will tell you how to get a foreign passport in Ukraine for a child.

The procedure differs from issuing an adult passport in just a few nuances:

• The passport of a citizen under 12 years of age does not contain fingerprints. The passport is issued for 4 years, but a three-year-old child will not be allowed to cross the border with a document containing a photograph of an infant.
• A child aged 12-14 years must submit fingerprints to the all-Ukrainian database and be entered on the chip. A photo for the document is taken at the State Migration Service department

  
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• Children from 14 to 16 years old must provide an ID card. From the age of 14, a sample signature is required.
• After 16 years of age, children can apply for a passport without permission or the presence of a guardian.

Where is the series and passport number in the biometric passport?

If there are no numbers, then you must indicate in the form that the data is missing. If they exist, then the number is entered together, without signs or spaces.

The passenger's last name and first name in the relevant fields must completely match the data specified in the document. In the case of a double surname, you need to write both surnames together and both names together. If the names are very long, you can specify only the first name.

Attention The entire combination is indicated, all nine digits in a row. In some cases (when filling out a form for issuing a Schengen visa), details should be entered separated by a space. And when replacing an expired document, different fields are provided for the series and number.

Do not confuse an ID card with a biometric foreign passport; we traveled with foreign passports and will continue to travel. An internal passport does not provide any advantages. An internal passport remains a document for movement within the country and for trips to CIS countries, but it does not provide the opportunity to travel to Europe.

The identity card form for returning to Ukraine is prepared in the form of a booklet and consists of 8 pages and a separate data page intended for entering information about the bearer of the certificate and the details of the certificate. It is required from the moment you cross the Ukrainian border when leaving and until the moment you cross the border in the opposite direction.

Grounds for refusal

In Ukraine, a temporary ban on the departure of certain categories of citizens is practiced.

The grounds for refusal to issue a biometric passport may be:

• Availability of outstanding debt obligations (alimony, loan). To receive the document, you must pay the amount owed, or leave a deposit sufficient to repay the debt.
• Conscription for military service at the time of registration of a passport. The issue can be resolved either by a temporary deferment from service or by serving the full term.
• Initiated criminal case. It is not possible to issue a passport until the investigation is completed.
• Deviation from judicial obligations. Only after agreement between the parties is a biometric passport issued.
• An applicant serving a sentence or under administrative supervision cannot obtain a document to travel abroad.
• People who provide false information or incorrect personal data are denied a passport.
• People with access to secret data may be refused a passport if they intend to leave Ukraine to change their permanent place of residence.

Anyone who has made a biometric passport will be able to receive free information about viewing personal data entered into the Ukrainian register. The persons who viewed the information, as well as the reasons for viewing it, are also recorded and stored. How to use this function will be explained in detail at the migration service department.

Article design: Vladimir the Great