Внутренние паспорта

Getting a Russian internal passport abroad.

Here at Russian Agency we are often asked about how to get or renew Russian internal passports while living or staying abroad. As you might know Russian citizens obtain their Russian internal passport in the following situations:
  When applying for the first time after turning 14 years old
  Renewing after turning 20 years old and 45 years old
  After an official name change
  A lost or damaged valid passport.
However, Russian consulates and embassies abroad are not authorized to issue Russian internal passports. They are not set up to do this and they cannot request these documents from the territory of Russia. Even if you have already applied on the territory of Russia and your internal passport is ready in Russia, it cannot be sent to Russian consulates or embassies abroad for pick up. You must go to Russia in order to obtain your internal passport. There are people all the time who need to obtain a new Russian internal passport due to name changes, lost or damaged passports, and passing the specific age requirements.

What should you do if you have no plans or ability to travel to Russia in the near future?

First, you are not obligated to renew or obtain your Russian internal passport while you are abroad. According to the law, the main document proving the identity of a Russian citizen abroad is their Russian travel passport. If you live abroad permanently, there is no need to have a Russian internal passport. You can easily renew your Russian travel passport without having a Russian internal passport. Many Russians living abroad, especially those who were born abroad or immigrated as children, have never obtained a Russian internal passport.
Second, if you would like you can obtain a Russian internal passport at any time and with any amount of delay on the territory of Russia. There is no fine for applying for your Russian internal passport late, even if you are applying 10 years late. There is a specific form to fill out stating that you had been abroad and didn’t have the opportunity to obtain an internal passport. You will need to provide a copy of your Russian travel passport showing your entry stamp back into Russia. The fine will be waived and you will have your internal passport processed in the regular processing time, which is five business days regardless of your address registration.
Please do not worry about not having a Russian internal passport while you are abroad because you can use your Russian travel passport and will be allowed to obtain the internal passport later when you are in Russia. With your Russian travel passport, you will be able to sell property, get your inheritance, issue a power of attorney for Russia, continue using your Russian bank accounts, etc.
The important thing to keep in mind is that when you do not have a Russian internal passport, you should be careful not to let your Russian travel passport expire. You will need to apply for a new travel passport while your current travel passport is still valid, which you can do at a Russian consulate or embassy even on the day it expires. With our service you can get a next day appointment at a Russian consulate or embassy. If your Russian travel passport is expired, you will need to go through the extra step of Russian citizenship confirmation in order to renew your Russian travel passport. This is only applicable to those who are 14 years old or older. Also, there is no need to have your Russian internal passport updated after changing your name. You can apply for a new Russian travel passport with a name change without having your Russian internal passport updated.
If you have any questions in regards to Russian passport renewals or Russian citizenship confirmation, please give us a call at 1-888-978-7742 and we will be happy to discuss your situation.
The following links may be helpful for you:
Russian Citizenship Confirmation
Russian Travel Passport Renewal
Name changes in Russian Passports
Power-of-attorney for use in Russia