Family trips are always wonderful. You can't think of a better time in life than spending time together with your significant other and, of course, your dear and beloved children.
Nowadays, trips to foreign countries with children have not become rare. On the contrary, parents strive for their children to see the world as early as possible. And parents are much calmer when their daughters and sons are nearby.
Those who decide to take the brave step of a family trip for the first time are faced with the issue of mandatory registration of foreign passports. If the situation with the adult population is clear and understandable - a foreign passport is needed under any circumstances, then the need for parents to obtain a document for their children raises some doubts and disputes.
Documents for children's travel
To begin with, it is worth noting that a child who is going to cross the border of the Russian Federation definitely needs a foreign passport. Without it, you won’t be able to get on board an airplane and go on a flight abroad. Even a baby under one year old needs a foreign passport.
As for an adult, passports in the following format can be issued for children:
- new generation, called “biometric”;
- old style.
An important point is that the migration service considers the age of a citizen of the Russian Federation to be under 14 years old to be a child.
Once a child turns 14, they are eligible to receive an adult document. Russian legislation has not established any minimum threshold for obtaining a foreign passport.
In terms of content, a passport identifying a child outside the Russian Federation is no different from an adult. However, the difference is that children who do not have foreign passports cannot cross the border of our country without being accompanied by their official representative (mother, father, guardians, etc.). Now there is no doubt whether the child needs a foreign passport.
What kind of passport does a child need?
To issue a passport for a child to travel abroad, you first need to decide on his “generation”. As mentioned earlier, you can apply for a foreign passport for your young son or daughter in 2 (two) varieties. Which one to choose is up to the parents to decide for themselves.
We can only give some explanations on this matter:
- A new generation biometric passport is issued to Russian citizens for a period of 10 (ten) years. Over these years, a child, if a document was issued for him, for example, before 2 years of age, changes significantly in appearance. This fact may cause some difficulties when crossing the border. The old generation passport is valid for only 5 years.
- However, the new generation passport contains a unique microchip, which contains quite important information about its owner. If you have a biometric document, there is a high probability that at the border the verification of personal identification data using a passport will be faster than using an old-style passport. This is how the situation most often develops on the border with the countries of the European Union.
- Many large stores, supermarkets and shopping centers, and airport premises have special readers of information from microchips and microcircuits. They help to recognize biometric data from a document if the child suddenly gets lost. But it is worth mentioning that such a system is developed and does not operate at full capacity everywhere.
- Submitting documents to obtain a new format passport with a microchip may take longer from the migration service than its previous version. So, with a child under 3 years old, standing in a stuffy and nervous line for a long time is not easy. The baby may become very tired, overworked, begin to be capricious, or even throw a tantrum. This outcome of events is not very pleasant for parents. In addition, obtaining biometrics is directly related to the personal presence of the child at the migration service office, since it is only possible there to undergo the procedure of photographing the document.
- Many departments of authorities that accept and issue foreign passports practice issuing old-style “foreign passports” for a child without his personal presence. It is enough just for his legal representative to come to the migration department.
- The processing time for a new passport and an old one is very different. You will have to wait less for the previous version of the document - about 3 (three) weeks, and for a new version - up to 2 (two) months;
- The cost of the state duty also differs in the specific situation of registration of a particular sample. For children, the law establishes a lower cost of state duty for international passports than for adults.
Let's start preparing documents
The documentation package for obtaining a foreign passport for a child under 14 years of age is similar to that provided by his parents. It practically does not change, whether the child is under the age of 3 years old or at an age approaching 14 years of age.
Fill out the personal data
The application form that needs to be filled out for the child can be obtained from:
- directly at the branch of the Federal Migration Service;
- on the website of this government agency (by downloading the necessary file);
- on the government services portal.
You can fill out the application form:
- by hand (printed, legible letters);
- using computer input, and then print the form;
- directly on the government services portal. In this case, the application is not printed, but submitted electronically.
You must enter data into the form's columns carefully, without errors and identical to what is written in the original documents. Corrections are not allowed.
What you need to provide
In addition to a competently and correctly completed application form, you must prepare the following documents in order to receive a ready-made international passport in the future:
- baby’s birth certificate (original and copies);
- if for some reason the birth certificate does not indicate the citizenship of the child, then an insert containing such information will be required;
- a copy of the passport of the child’s representative (father, mother, guardian and other authorized person);
- photographs of the child;
- bank receipt confirming payment of state duty to the budget;
- If the child already has a foreign passport, a copy of its first page will be needed.
As you can see, the list of documents differs from that submitted by persons over 14 years of age in a few points.
More about the photos
The provision of photographs (their number and type) is different for new and old generation passports.
Thus, when applying for a biometric foreign passport, you must provide only 2 (two) photographs of a minor citizen of the Russian Federation to the migration service department. And those who want to get their hands on it for traveling abroad need to take 4 photos in the photo salon.
General requirements for photographs:
- matte paper;
- image of a man in an oval;
- size – 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm;
- in color or black and white;
- serious expression.
As for the last point, it will not be easy to complete for newborn babies and children under 5 years old, since it is difficult to force them to take a serious look, not to turn around and look in one direction. However, migration service employees take this fact into account and are more loyal to photographs of children than to adults.
Government duty
Russian legislation contains a provision that only adult and fully capable citizens can make payments in banking institutions and organizations. The payment of state duties clearly fits into these rules. How can a minor pay state fees? The answer is simple - his legal representatives can do this for him.
The payer (according to the explanations of the FMS) is the person who will ultimately submit documents for the child’s international passport as his representative.
Bank details to which funds should be transferred can be easily found on the website of the relevant department of the migration service of our country, and obtained directly from an employee of this department.
When paying via online banking or a government services portal, you do not have to request details in advance. Usually, they are automatically released during the payment process.
The state fees for children's passports are slightly lower than for adults:
- you need to pay for a biometric passport – 1500 (one thousand five hundred) rubles;
- for an old-style passport – total 500 (five hundred) rubles.
The old format international passport, apparently, is more expensive than “biometrics”.
What to do when receiving a passport after 14 years of age
According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, a person is recognized as an adult from the moment he turns 18 years old. To obtain a foreign passport in the period from 14 to 18 years, a citizen of the Russian Federation must attach a copy of the internal Russian passport (preferably all its pages) to the previously described list of documents. Representatives of the minor also pay the state fee.
We use the government services portal
In order to submit documents in electronic format through a convenient service for the provision of public services, it is necessary to carry out the registration procedure on it, if this has not been done previously.
It happens as follows:
- enter your data from your passport and SNILS on the portal;
- assign yourself a password;
- we request an activation code, which can be obtained at the Rostelecom office, by registered mail based on the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (in both cases);
- Enter the received code into the appropriate fields on the site and complete the registration procedure.
Next, you need to find the corresponding section of the electronic services of the Federal Migration Service on the website. Select from those presented the one that relates to filling out data for a minor child.
After filling out the form and providing other necessary documents and information, we send the request. After a certain time, messages about the progress of document review will be periodically sent to the site.
Messages will come:
- if an error was made somewhere when filling out the application;
- when will you need to appear for photographing at the Federal Migration Service (for a biometric passport);
- when the passport is ready to receive it.
It is worth noting that the information about which is placed on the microchip is not necessary for children under 14 years of age to obtain a biometric passport.
Travel in comfort! Show your children the world!