Applying for a Russian passport in Crimea in 2021: where to apply and how to do it

The annexation of the Crimean Peninsula to Russian territory caused difficulties in obtaining foreign identity cards for Crimeans. Many European states refused to recognize the validity of such documents, which made travel abroad impossible. To date, the situation has changed somewhat, but the procedure for obtaining a foreign passport in Crimea is still fraught with some difficulties.

Difficulties when replacing a passport

In 2021, the situation with the exchange of passports and the issuance of new ones was ambiguous. Since European migration services refused to issue visas to holders of passports issued in Crimea, residents of the peninsula were faced with a problem: in order to obtain a foreign passport for residents of Crimea, they had to travel to the mainland of the Russian Federation for stay/residence.

Today such a need has disappeared. To replace a foreign document, you must contact the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at your place of registration. The main condition for submitting an application is the presence of a Russian civil passport.

The difficulty that Crimeans have to face is that they can only obtain a foreign passport in major cities of the peninsula. Offices of the Migration Office are open in the following localities:

• Yalta;
• Dzhankoy;
• Evpatoria;
• Simferopol;
• Kerch;
• Feodosia.

But even if the document can be reissued, the chances of a visa refusal still remain high. In addition, there are frequent failures in the operation of ticket and hotel room reservation systems.

Registration of a Russian international passport in Crimea is possible only where the applicant is registered or temporarily resides. But in the second case, the waiting period can take 3 and sometimes four months. This is due to difficulties in the process of verifying information about the identity of the citizen who submitted a request to replace the document.

To urgently resolve the issue, you can go to Krasnodar or another Russian city. Most often, Crimeans go to the Russian capital. Going through the procedure on the peninsula is not the best option for those who need to quickly obtain a passport in Crimea if their travel time is running out.

Those interested can obtain the document on the Public Services portal by registering a personal account there and attaching scanned copies of documents to the application. When the application has been reviewed, a notification will be sent by mail when you need to come to collect your passport at the office indicated by the applicant.

Please note that today, replacing a Ukrainian passport with a Russian one in Crimea is only possible if the applicant has already received a Russian civil passport. Residents of the peninsula who have not yet renounced Ukrainian citizenship can obtain a foreign identity card in the Kherson region.

List of documents for purchasing a passport

• internal passport of a Russian citizen
• residence permit or other document that confirms residence in Crimea
• birth certificate
• certificate of marriage (divorce)
• military ID for men from 18 to 27 years old (or a certificate from the military registration and enlistment office for those citizens who are not doing military service)
• documents confirming work experience over the last 10 years (work book), studies, or military service

pensioner's ID

• 4 photos (3.5x4.5)

The originals of each document and their photocopies are required. If some of them are not in Russian, a certified translation into the state language is required, as well as the presence of the recipient of the international passport when submitting documents and upon receipt.

How to apply for a passport

The procedure for getting a foreign passport in Crimea is no different from the one that Russian citizens go through on the mainland. The process can be represented step by step as follows:

1. Preparation of documents.
2. Submitting an application.
3. Consideration of the request by the migration service.
4. Waiting for notification that the document is ready.
5. Obtaining a passport.

Where to contact

There may be several options for submitting a request:

• you can obtain a foreign passport through State Services;
• apply in person to the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (department for migration issues);
• use the services of the MFC.

Please note that only citizens of the Russian Federation can submit an application through the Public Services portal. When you contact the MFC, just like when you visit the Main Department of Migration in person, you will have to submit biometric data. The presence of the applicant is mandatory. Applying through State Services also does not exempt Russians from visiting the migration department.

The migration service departments are shown in the table:

Where to get a foreign passport in Crimea depends on the applicant himself.

. You can do this quickly, safely and online using a proven service

What documents are needed

To obtain a foreign identity card, a resident of the Crimean Peninsula must provide:

1. Civil passport of the Russian Federation.
2. Application for a passport.
3. Photo size 35 by 45 cm. If you are ordering a biometric Russian foreign passport, you do not need to bring a photo (if the application is submitted through the Public Services portal, then the photo file must be uploaded to the system). A digital image on a biometric passport will be taken at the place of submission of documents along with fingerprints.
4. Military ID (for men from 18 to 27 years old) or a document confirming that at the time of application the applicant was not called up for military service or was not assigned to an alternative one.
5. Previous passport (if available).
6. Proof of payment of the fee (optional).

All documents for a foreign passport must contain originals and copies. If any papers are drawn up in a foreign language, they must be translated into Russian and notarized.

Presentation of a military ID is required if the applicant has served alternative or compulsory service. Those who have been found unfit to perform military duties must also provide this document with the appropriate mark.

Obtaining a Russian passport in Crimea is only possible in person. For a minor citizen, an application is written by his parents. If the child is already 14 years old, he/she signs the document personally. If not, one of the parents signs.

Where are passports issued in Crimea?

As already mentioned, there are not many points in Crimea where a person can send an application for a foreign passport.

Simferopol

In this city, registration can be done at the following addresses:

• St. Footballers house 20;
• St. Gagarina house 20;
• St. Rocket house 36 building 2;
• St. Sukhodolnaya house 169 building 105.

Read also: Emigration to the Czech Republic from Russia

Contact numbers and work schedule can be found on the official source. The schedule is not the same.

Kerch

Addresses of migration service departments: Komarova street, building 7. Telephone. Working hours are from Monday to Thursday from 9 to 18, on Friday until 17. Lunch break from 13-13:45.

Yalta

Address for receiving documents: Dzerzhinsky street, building 35. Contact number. Open from Monday to Friday from 9 to 18.

Dzhankoy

Address: Sverdlova street, building 2, building A. Telephone: 8. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Evpatoria

Address: Revolution Street, building 34/1/1. Phone: 8 365 699 06 36. Work Monday, Wednesday from 9 to 13, Tuesday from 9 to 17, Friday from 9 to 16.

Selecting the type of passport

Like all other Russians, residents of Crimea can choose one of two possible types of passports - the new biometric one or the old one without a chip. The decision which one to give preference should be based on the differences between the two documents.

The difference between a new and old passport is as follows:

• The new format passport contains an embedded chip on which information about the owner of the document is recorded. This information is read using special devices and significantly speeds up the procedure for passing passport control at the border;
• the new passport contains biometric data - a fingerprint and a digital photo, which eliminates the possibility of forgery;
• The biometric passport for Crimeans and residents of the rest of the Russian Federation has a validity period of 10 years (the old one was 5 years) and has a larger number of pages.

Which document to choose is a personal decision for everyone. The Migration Service does not have the right to induce persons who contact them to order biometric documents. There is no particular need to make such a passport for children, since their appearance changes very quickly, and issuing a document with a chip is more expensive.

Waiting period and cost

When ordering an exit identity card, payment of a state fee is required. This rule applies regardless of where the applicant lives or where he files the petition.

The cost of obtaining a foreign passport in Crimea and other Russian territories is:

• biometric for citizens over 14 years old – 5,000 rubles;
• biometric for those who have not yet reached 14 years of age - 2500 rubles;
• old-style passport for persons over 14 years old – 2000 rubles;
• old-style passport for persons under 14 years old - 1,400 rubles.

An important detail: when requesting a document through the Public Services portal, you will also not be able to obtain a foreign passport in Crimea for free. But you can get a 30% discount on the price if you pay by cashless payment. This tariff is valid until January 1, 2021.

Costs will increase significantly if you turn to intermediaries. You need to be extremely careful when choosing companies that provide such services so as not to stumble upon scammers.

In 2021, some changes were made to tax laws. Based on them, the price of a foreign passport in Crimea for those who previously owned a Ukrainian civil identity card was changed. Applicants falling into this category are exempt from paying state fees to the treasury. But this benefit applies only to the initial application.

As for the waiting period, it also remains unchanged:

• when applying to the department on the territory of Crimea – 1 month;
• The processing time for a foreign passport not at the place of registration can reach 4 months.

How to check if a document is ready

There may be several ways to find out when you need to come for a ready-made document for traveling abroad:

• call the department where the application was submitted;
• come to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in person when the allotted time has passed;
• online.

The last way to check the readiness of a foreign passport is the most convenient. To do this, you need to go to and enter the data from your civil document (series and number). After entering the captcha (verification code), you should send a request for processing, and the system will provide an answer. It is important to remember that the information received is purely informational.

conclusions

Registration of a foreign passport for Crimean residents without leaving the peninsula is possible only in a few cities: Dzhankoy, Yalta, Simferopol, Yevpatoria, Feodosia, Kerch. The procedure does not differ from that provided on the mainland of the Russian Federation. You can submit your application at your place of residence or residence. Residents of Crimea who previously owned a Ukrainian passport and are requesting a Russian passport for the first time are exempt from paying the fee. , unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2021; we recommend finding out information about the existence of debt using a trusted service

International passport for residents of Crimea in Moscow

Based on the legislation of the Russian Federation, every resident of the country has the right to receive a foreign passport at the place of his actual stay.
The disadvantage of this procedure is that the issuance period is delayed up to 4 months. Plus - a Crimean citizen has the opportunity to leave the peninsula and apply for a foreign passport at any branch of the MFC or the Federal Migration Service of Russia. A document issued in the regions of the Russian Federation allows you to obtain a visa to any foreign country. Obtaining a pass to enter a foreign country in Moscow is no different from obtaining a foreign passport on the peninsula. The procedure involves collecting the necessary documentation and visiting the MFC in person. You can also submit documents through the State Services portal. This option can be used by any citizen registered on the website. A foreign passport for Crimean residents in Moscow takes 120 days to issue. Receipt is carried out on the day appointed by the representative of the government agency. If the person has no problems with the law and is not a carrier of secret information, you are welcome to get a foreign passport in the capital of our homeland.