What is the difference between a biometric and a regular passport in 2021?

Citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to choose the type of passport. The main differences between the old model and the new generation passport. Advantages and disadvantages of both documents. Features and deadline for registration.

Since 2010, a new type of international passport has been introduced in Russia - biometric. When applying for a foreign passport, citizens of the Russian Federation are given the right to choose an old-style document or a new generation one.

To choose a certain type of passport, you should know how the new generation passport differs from the old one, what advantages and disadvantages they have.

Similarities and differences

Today, even a schoolchild will tell you what the difference is between a new and an old passport.

A new type of document contains an electronic storage medium - a microchip embedded in a plastic page.

And in the old form, of course, there is no microchip, no plastic - just paper. This leads to other differences - in production time, price, properties and operating procedures. A new type of international passport or an old one, which is better to issue? Let's compare both options.

Appearance

On the front cover of the biometric document there is a logo - a schematic image of a microcircuit; it is from this that you can determine the type of passport without opening it. The page with the owner’s personal data is also visually different. Made of plastic, it is located at the beginning of the document rather than at the end, and is much thicker to the touch. The photo and personal signature are “embossed” with a laser. This is how the new international passport differs from the old international passport in appearance.

The documents also differ in the number of pages - in the old version there are 36, and in the new version there are 46. However, it must be taken into account that the validity period of the old foreign certificate is five years, and the new one is ten. Thus, people who travel frequently and regularly run the risk of using all the pages much faster than this time expires.

Information type

To read information from paper, you don’t need any special devices other than your eyes. However, to do this you need to open the document. There you will see the usual personal data and your image.

In a biometric passport, information from the page is duplicated on a microcircuit. In addition, there is additional data that cannot be seen with the naked eye. These are your biometric characteristics - fingerprints and facial parameters from a photograph.

Theoretically, you can read data from the chip remotely, even if it is in your pocket. But in reality, the distance between the reader and the media should be quite small, so it is quite difficult to do this unnoticed. In addition, you can easily prevent unauthorized access to your data if you simply wrap the document in a thin layer of foil.

Read in more detail how to apply for a new type of international passport in 2019.

Properties

Which international passport is more convenient to use, with or without a chip, and is there a difference for the owner?

In general, biometric documents were invented for security purposes. They are much more difficult to fake, and even if your passport data accidentally falls into the hands of fraudsters, they are unlikely to be able to read the information from the microchip.

This way, you can be sure that no one but you will be able to use your ID, even a person who looks like you.

When going through passport control at the border, holders of biometric crusts can get checked faster, but only if the point is equipped with special reading devices. Their absence also negates the first advantage, since identification in this case is carried out by the border guard in the old fashioned way - by comparing the photo in the passport with the original.

Types of passports. Which passport is better to get?

To apply for and receive a new international passport, or register it for the first time (if you have not dealt with such a document before), you will have to go through a complex, very time-consuming procedure. People have the most problems at the stage of collecting documents. You really need to submit a lot of them, and besides, you need to fill everything out extremely correctly, so it’s important to be careful here so as not to miss anything. There are two main types of foreign passports. The table below describes each passport.

For those who do not plan frequent or multi-month trips to a foreign language country, it would be more advisable to obtain an old-style international passport. Firstly, it is useless, and secondly, to obtain it you will have to spend much less time and effort. If you choose to choose a biometric passport, you will not have to worry about renewing it for 10 years. This option is suitable for those who like frequent and long trips. In any case, which international passport to get is up to you to decide.

If you need to renew your passport, the first place you need to go is the MFC (multifunctional center), where they will help you with this procedure. We also advise you to contact the institution that issued the document to you. Preferably 7 months before the expiration date of the old passport. To obtain a new passport, all documents will have to be completed again.

Application for a new generation passport for a minor citizen

Difference in filing documents

How to apply for an old-style passport? You come to the department with all the documents, write an application, and pick up your completed passport in due time. Total - two visits to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly the Federal Migration Service), provided that everything is completed correctly the first time. The main difficulty in this procedure is the constant queues, which take up time and effort.

To obtain a biometric passport, you will also have to visit the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly the FMS), but there may be one more visit. It depends on what day you are scheduled for photography. If the photo is taken on the day you submit your documents, you will not see a noticeable difference. Actually, another difference in obtaining a new type of passport is that you don’t need to be photographed in the salon.

You can also submit documents for a foreign passport of any type through the State Services portal. By submitting an application online, you thus avoid the first visit to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But if applicants for a regular passport can come to the migration service only to pick up a completed document, then those who want to receive a new form of paper are guaranteed to have to visit there twice: first to take a photograph, and then to receive a passport.

To summarize, we can say that the most convenient option for submitting documents is through the State Services for an old passport. Then you only need to come to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs once.

Find out more details about the old-style international passport in 2019.

Which foreign passport option should you choose?

There is no clear answer to the question of which is better: an old or a new passport. Each of them has its pros and cons. It is advisable for children under 14 years of age to obtain non-biometric passports. A child's appearance changes quickly. After 3-4 years a new document will be required. And the old-style passport is cheaper. Plus, the child’s presence to submit documents to the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not necessary when an old passport is issued. And to receive a biometric document, he must arrive with his parents to undergo a photographic procedure, which young children often refuse.

If we are talking about an adult citizen who plans to make multiple trips abroad in the future, it would be more advisable to apply for a biometric passport. Its validity period is 2 times longer. And passing through customs control is faster with it. But the cost of an old-style document is lower.

Therefore, when choosing, you should focus only on the frequency of your visits abroad. Plus, for now, both options are in equal circulation, and all states allow citizens of the Russian Federation with any of the presented documents to pass through, but at any moment, each of the countries can introduce entry strictly using biometric passports.

Save time

Which passport is made faster, the old or the new type? According to the regulations, the period for producing a document of any type is equal to:

• one month if the applicant applies to the migration service at the place of registration;
• four months if the applicant submitted documents at the place of temporary registration or actual location.

Choosing a place to apply increases the time for checking documents rather than producing them. In fact, entering data into a ready-made paper form takes a few minutes. But the biometric passport is printed at Goznak, and not en masse, but each individually. Let's add the time for sending documents back and forth - we get that the further you are from the capital, the longer it will take for your document to be processed.

That is why, in emergency cases, when people need to travel abroad immediately, regular passports on paper forms are issued within three days. True, to take advantage of this opportunity, you need to have good reasons: being late for the funeral of a foreign relative, rushing to see a sick person, or yourself in need of urgent treatment abroad.

Look at detailed information about how long it takes to obtain a foreign passport.

Which passport is better: old or new?

If you have to travel outside the Russian Federation infrequently, then most people do not really think about choosing an old or a new type of international passport. Usually they settle on the option recommended by loved ones. But we must take into account that each situation is individual. You can only make a decision by comparing all the pros and cons of each option.

Reference! There is an opinion that you cannot enter some countries with international passports without a chip. It's not entirely correct. Both versions of ID cards are accepted worldwide. But in the USA, Great Britain and some other countries, if you have a chip in your passport, entry is easier and faster.

The new type of foreign passport has the following advantages:

• long period of validity;
• a large number of pages;
• the presence of a chip that simplifies entry into a number of countries;
• minimizing the risk of counterfeiting.

But an identity card with electronic media also has a number of disadvantages:

• children cannot be included;
• higher state duty;
• the need to undergo fingerprinting and photographing by employees of the Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs / MFC.

An old-style foreign passport also has a number of advantages:

• lower price;
• possibility of urgent registration in emergency situations;
• Possibility to accommodate children under 14 years of age.

A document without a chip also has disadvantages:

• fewer pages;
• possible problems when entering some countries;
• short period of validity.

Typically, an old-style international passport is issued to children in order to reduce the cost of replacing the document if the child’s appearance changes. It is also issued in emergency cases, when a trip abroad occurs for unexpected and unpleasant reasons. In other cases, it is wiser to pay attention to a new document.

For a child

What type of document to choose for a child depends on his age. Usually for very young children it is recommended to issue simple passports because they are cheaper. The document will have to be changed more often than once every five or ten years, because children change a lot in appearance as they age. If your child stops looking like his or her passport photo, problems may arise at the border. But from the age of 14 it is quite possible to get a passport for ten years.

Read more about how to get a foreign passport for your child.

How to include children in a parental passport

You can enter information about the child in the parent’s document only if you have a regular paper passport. You won’t be able to enter anything into a biometric passport printed at Goznak. Actually, there is no particular need for this.

Previously, when children were allowed to go abroad without their own documents, an entry in the father’s or mother’s passport was really enough. Now, even with such a record, the child must have a personal passport.

And parents enter children into their passports so that they can prove their relationship without additional documents, for example, a birth certificate. If you have such a need, read more about how to include a child in a foreign passport.

What is needed to obtain a biometric passport?

It is worth mentioning that for each type of passport, the list of documents to fill out is different. First, let's look at the procedure for processing documents for a foreign passport for children under 14 years of age:

The form must be completed by the child's parent or legal guardian. It can be printed out and freely available on the official Gosuslugi portal.

The child’s photograph is taken at the MFC branch itself. You need to present a birth certificate of a minor - as confirmation that the child is a citizen of the Russian Federation. On the part of the parent (official guardian), it is important to have a passport or any other document confirming his identity, as well as the fact that he (the parent) is a resident of the Russian Federation. The guardian must have legal proof of custody of the child. Under other circumstances, it will be impossible for a minor to obtain a passport.

Next, you will need to pay a mandatory state fee - this is 2,500 rubles, and provide your old passport (if you have one). For persons over 14 years of age, in addition to the basic requirements, the mandatory provision of a passport is added in order to confirm their Russian citizenship and obtain permission to issue a foreign passport.

Best before date

As already noted, the old and new types of foreign passports differ in their validity period. If a regular foreign passport needs to be changed once every five years, then, having received a biometric one, you can forget about visits to the Main Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for as long as ten.

In addition, there are countries that issue visas for a long period - for five or ten years. Of course, the validity of the visa cannot be longer than the expiration date of your passport. Therefore, it is not possible to get such a long-lasting stamp in a regular five-year passport.

Look at the exact information about what the validity of a foreign passport will be for different countries.

conclusions

1. A new sample of a foreign passport contains biometric data that allows for complete identification of the identity of the person crossing the border, which increases security.
2. A clear issuance procedure allows you to quickly, without queues, via the Internet, obtain your certificates on time.
3. Increased tariffs, the result of more complex manufacturing technology, the identity card of a person leaving the country contains more data (photo, fingerprints).
4. Savings on payment of state fees due to the 2-fold in passport validity.

The procedure for obtaining a foreign passport does not require collecting a large package of papers. The smooth functioning of regional migration departments allows you to quickly arrange it in order to enjoy a trip with loved ones, relatives, hold business meetings, see a different rhythm of life, people with a different mentality, expand your personal horizons, visit countries, cities, dream places.

Video on the topic - old and new passports:

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State duty amount

When considering which one is better to obtain a foreign passport, biometric or regular, one cannot help but take into account the difference in cost.

Paper passports with a validity period of five years will cost you 2,000 rubles for an adult, and 1,000 rubles for a minor under 14 years of age.

For biometric passports with their ten-year shelf life and complex manufacturing technology, the state duty is set at 3,500 rubles for adults and 1,500 for children under 14 years of age.

Find out more about the cost of a foreign passport in 2019.