The growing popularity of domestic air travel in the Russian Federation leads to many questions related to the set of documents for hassle-free travel. When planning a vacation or business trip, including a subsequent flight abroad, citizens often wonder whether it is possible to fly within Russia using a foreign passport or whether they must take their national passport with them. A similar question arises among foreigners in the Russian Federation.
Legislative framework regarding foreign identity cards for citizens of the Russian Federation
The rules for using a foreign passport by citizens of the Russian Federation are enshrined in two legislative acts:
- Federal Law No. 114 dated August 15, 1996, regulating the procedure for exit and entry into the Russian Federation;
- Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of December 21, 1996, concerning the main documents that establish the identity of Russian citizens outside the Russian Federation.
According to them, a foreign passport can be used to confirm age, exchange currencies and confirm citizenship. It can also serve as identification in case of loss or replacement of the national passport.
Nowhere is it directly stated that Russians can travel with a foreign passport or purchase tickets using it, but there is no prohibition. And this gives you the full right to fly within Russia using a foreign passport, if there are no other identification documents and there are no obstacles from the carrier company.
Features of domestic flights
Traveling within Russia means making short and long trips to regions by plane or train. Domestic flights require the purchase of an air ticket. The official documents for issuing a ticket in 2021 are the following:
- All-Russian passport as an identity card of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
- A child’s birth certificate is the identifying document of a newborn in the absence of other identification documents.
- Military ID. Issued to those undergoing military or contract service in the RF Armed Forces.
- Temporary passport. Serves as a replacement for a lost or expired passport during the period of registration of the main document.
The specifics of using a foreign passport are enshrined in Federal Law No. 114 “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation,” as well as by the decree of V.V. Putin on the identification of a citizen outside the Russian Federation. Having read the regulations, we can conclude that they do not determine the use of a foreign passport within the country. So is it possible to fly domestic flights with an international passport? There is no clear answer in the law, but this does not mean that there is a direct prohibition.
The need for a foreign passport
Comparing an ordinary passport with a foreign passport, one can come to the conclusion that the latter does not have a place of registration. Consequently, air carriers have the right to indicate this point when refusing to sell an air ticket. But in practice, such failures occur extremely rarely. Why?
Modern carriers offer customers to book a flight ticket through websites on the Internet. An identity document is called a passport, but sometimes also a foreign passport. The document information is entered into a special line, after which the ticket is considered issued. Consequently, to the question of whether it is possible to travel around Russia with a foreign passport, the answer is more likely positive than negative. Much depends on the policy of the airline or railway carrier.
The procedure for purchasing tickets for domestic flights using a foreign passport
Flight bookings are currently made primarily online. When making a reservation, you must provide an identification document. Depending on the conditions put forward by the airlines, this may be an international passport, a Russian passport, a child’s birth certificate, or (for foreign airlines) a passport - without specifying which one.
In some cases, the procedure for booking an air ticket requires indicating only the traveler's full name. In this case, when boarding, you will be able to present any document confirming your identity. However, upon boarding, airline employees may require a passport of a Russian citizen and a ticket issued for it. Abroad, a foreign passport is used as an identification document, as provided by law.
We conclude: it depends on the rules of the carrier company whether it is possible to buy an air ticket using an international passport for a domestic Russian flight.
But if this is realistic, you should make sure in advance that the foreign passport has a neat appearance and will be valid for the entire period of the planned trip.
A separate case is Russians who are citizens of other states. This category can freely purchase tickets and travel around the Russian Federation with a foreign passport. As a rule, they do not have a general passport, or they are just planning to get one. That is why foreign citizens are not prohibited from buying plane tickets within Russia using a foreign passport.
How to buy a plane ticket using a foreign passport
Purchasing a ticket using a foreign passport is no different from purchasing a ticket using a national passport; booking is quick and easy. You can buy a plane ticket in two ways:
- through the Internet;
- at specialized ticket offices.
Ticketing
If you are used to making purchases using a computer, then purchasing an air ticket via the Internet will not cause you any difficulties. It is convenient and can be done without leaving home.
The purchase takes place step by step, the main thing is to carefully fill out the fields that ask for your personal data.
Pros of buying an e-ticket:
- simplicity of design;
- it cannot be lost (the database will save all your data);
- the cost may be lower;
- provision of a route map.
Payment for electronic tickets is possible by bank transfer and cash.
If you do not trust online purchases, then you can purchase a ticket at specialized ticket offices in your city or at the airport. This method of purchasing will not be entirely convenient for business people who do not like to waste time in queues.
In order to purchase a ticket this way, you only need a passport. Payment can be made either in cash or by bank transfer, which may be accompanied by a commission.
The advantages of purchasing tickets this way are that you will not worry about filling out the data correctly. For people who are not good with computers and do not know how to shop online, it is best suited.
The disadvantages are as follows:
- such a ticket can be lost;
- there will not be enough choice of flights or seats on the plane;
- service fee;
- lack of profitable offers.
Check-in and boarding
You should arrive at the airport in advance, since check-in for the flight begins 2 hours before the plane’s departure and ends 30-40 minutes before departure.
The process of registering a passenger using an international passport will not differ in any way from registering using a general passport. When registering, you are required to provide documents that prove your identity and air ticket.
Read: How long does it take to check in for a plane?
If you bought an electronic ticket, you only need to provide your passport.
After check-in, you will be given a boarding pass and baggage tags. All you have to do is check in your luggage, present your hand luggage and wait to board the plane.
If you don't want to waste time checking in at the airport, you can do it at home. Some airlines provide their passengers with this opportunity. To do this, you will need a computer or phone with Internet access. After check-in, you will need to print your boarding pass.
If you are interested in this offer, you can learn more about it in the articles with the headings “Mobile check-in for flights.”
Aeroflot policy
According to Russian legislation, purchasing an air ticket is possible using any document that identifies the passenger. It follows that it is possible to fly on domestic flights using an international passport.
The airline's rules clearly define the documents required to purchase a ticket:
- passport;
- birth certificate (if children under 14 years of age are traveling with you);
- military ID (for persons undergoing military or contract service);
- temporary passport (issued for the period of replacement of the Russian passport).
But airline employees often turn a blind eye to passengers flying within Russia on international passports, since the law does not prohibit the use of this document.
How to fly with an international passport in Russia instead of a regular passport
Situations in which federal law allows the use of a foreign passport as an identity document:
- the general passport is lost;
- the general passport is damaged and cannot be used to confirm identity;
- the general passport is invalid (expired, the photo has not been replaced).
However, we should not forget that a foreign passport officially serves as proof of your identity only outside the country and it is better to re-issue a ticket in advance. By entering the correct ID details when purchasing it, you can safely travel around Russia with a foreign passport.
Domestic travel using a foreign passport – what does the law say?
Does not say anything. Domestic legislation does not establish whether it is possible to travel around Russia with a foreign passport. It does not generally provide for all possible situations in which a foreign passport can be used as a replacement for a general civil passport.
Only a few cases are mentioned when this is permissible: a foreign passport can confirm your age and your citizenship (Russian, of course). To confirm your identity, you can also present it at a currency exchange office and, oddly enough, at the library. If you permanently reside in another state, having a Russian passport allows you to participate in Russian elections. That’s it, there is not a single word in the law about this document.
One thing is certain: those citizens who have the status of foreign residents, that is, do not have a general passport at all, but have a foreign one, are absolutely entitled to move around Russia using a foreign passport.
If we proceed from the fact that what is not prohibited by law is permitted by default, traveling around Russia with a foreign passport is quite acceptable. Sometimes (although not often, but still) a vital need arises to go to another city, and your passport, as luck would have it, is lost or reissued. Will they sell you a ticket using your international passport, if at the moment it is the only identification document without which we cannot travel outside the city where you are registered?
Air ticket re-issuance process
If problematic situations arise with documents in the period between booking and departure, the best solution would be to notify the carrier company. If necessary, you will be offered to reissue your ticket for another document. This service may be paid; the tariff is usually indicated on the airline’s website.
Changes can be made with the help of a call center operator by phone, through the airport ticket office or in the client’s personal account on the company’s website. Any changes must be made no later than 40 minutes before departure and the end of the passenger check-in procedure.
How to reissue a paid air ticket
Ticket re-issuance is possible in your personal account on the carrier’s website. In the fields provided, you must enter the required data and click on the confirm button. In most cases, the service is paid. You can contact the company’s contact center and request changes.
It is possible to fly within Russia using a foreign passport if you managed to book a ticket using the appropriate details. Travelers should not worry about the reaction of airline staff. Reviews say that in most cases they are loyal to their customers and provide various options for purchasing tickets. At the front desk, it is important to hand over exactly the document that was specified when making the reservation.
Is it possible to use a foreign passport to travel by train in the Russian Federation?
To use railway transport services in the Russian Federation, you will also need an identity card. Despite the fact that a foreign passport is officially issued abroad and only in some cases within the country, it is possible to purchase tickets at most railway ticket offices using it. Having the original document in hand, you can travel around Russia on any trains using your international passport. The main thing is that the data on the ticket and the document match: in the event of even minimal discrepancies, the conductor has every right not to let you into the carriage.
When purchasing a train ticket using your international passport, make sure that it will be valid for the entire period of your trip.
An expired document may also prevent you from getting into the carriage.
