Russian citizens will no longer be able to add information about their children to international passports starting January 1, 2027, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has reminded travelers.
The policy decision follows frequent border entry refusals in unfriendly European countries, according to a report by news agency TASS citing information provided by the ministry.
European border officials turned away Russian minors who lacked individual travel documents, even when their parents held valid international passports featuring official stamps recording their children's details.
Passports that were previously issued with child endorsements recorded in them will remain fully valid until their scheduled expiration dates, officials confirmed.
Passport rules and travel documents
Russian citizens use two separate identification documents for official purposes: an internal passport for domestic use within the country and an international passport required for foreign travel. The Ministry of Internal Affairs manages migration services and document issuance across Russia, offering traditional five-year non-biometric passports as well as modern ten-year biometric passports containing electronic microchips.
Historically, parents carrying old-style five-year passports were permitted to have records of children under 14 stamped directly into their own documents. This administrative option allowed young children to travel internationally with their parents without needing a separate passport of their own.
European border restrictions
The decision comes amid broader travel restrictions enforced across parts of Europe. The Czech Republic, Lithuania, and a number of other European nations have already prohibited entry to travelers carrying five-year non-biometric Russian passports, requiring all visitors to hold ten-year biometric documents.
Both the Czech Republic and Lithuania are member countries of the European Union and the European Schengen Area, which regulates border controls across member nations. Moscow maintains an official list of designated unfriendly foreign states, encompassing European nations and other Western countries that have introduced border, visa, or diplomatic restrictions.
Following the January 2027 rule change, Russian parents planning overseas family travel will be required to obtain individual international passports for every minor child prior to departure.
