When traveling, your passport should always be at hand: it is checked when boarding a plane or train and when checking into a hotel. In such a situation, anyone can be left without documents: it’s easy to drop your passport from your jeans pocket or become a victim of a street thief. Lawyer Maria Goncharova tells where to turn in such a situation and what is needed to return home safely.
Travel around Russia
What documents to take with you when traveling around the country
If you travel around Russia, take with you:
-
identification document; This May be internal passport or international passport, military or sailor ID, military ID, birth certificate (for children under 14 years of age);
-
a paper or electronic ticket issued for the document you have chosen (if you bought a ticket for a foreign passport, then you need to travel with it);
-
medical insurance policy (CHI).
If your internal passport has expired, then you There is 90 days to replace the document (and 30 days if you changed your first or last name). During this period, you can drive using your old document. If tickets were purchased using an old passport, and you have already received a new one, you will be placed on a train or plane based on the mark on the previously issued passport.
What to do if your passport is lost
If you have lost your passport while traveling in Russia, you need to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs and get temporary identity card of a citizen of the Russian Federation. For registration you will need a color or black and white photo measuring 3.5 by 4.5 cm. A temporary certificate is issued for 10 days. Based on it, you can board a plane or train if the ticket has already been purchased. Or buy a new ticket at the box office (you won’t be able to issue tickets online).
The second option is to go home using a different identity document. Will do, for example, a foreign passport, a military or sailor ID card, a military ID. But you won’t be able to return home with a driver’s license.
If the ticket has already been purchased using a lost internal passport, you will have to reissue it. This can be done independently in the “Manage booking” section if the ticket is electronic, or at the box office if the ticket is paper. Allow time for this and arrive at the station in advance.
What to do if you lost your license
If you are traveling by car and have lost your driver’s license, you can restore it at any traffic police registration office. To do this, contact the police with a statement that the documents are lost or stolen. The police officer will give you a certificate with which you need to go to the nearest traffic police station.
To replace your license, you need to have a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation or any other identification document with you. You will also have to pay a state fee of 2000 rubles. But a medical certificate and a document confirming passing the exam will not be required: when replacing, all information from the old license will be transferred to the newly issued one. The photo will also be taken on site.
They promise to spend no more than an hour replacing documents en route, while replacing your license at home through the MFC will take up to 15 working days.
🚘 If you lost your driver’s license abroad, restore it in another country will not work. If you are away for a long time, you can try to get a local or international license. The rules for preparing this document are different in different countries.
Travel abroad
What documents to take with you when traveling abroad
The exact list depends on the country you are traveling to. The basic set of documents is as follows:
-
internal passport of the Russian Federation;
-
international passport;
-
driver’s license (if you plan to drive a car on a trip);
-
birth certificate of children if you are traveling with them (this is necessary to confirm the degree of relationship);
-
hotel reservation confirmation;
-
service ID with photo, if available;
-
medical insurance.
🤞 What to do before your trip
-
Make photocopies all necessary documents and take them with you. Store copies separately from other documents. For example, put it in your suitcase and leave it at the hotel upon arrival.
-
Take a photo of the documents and send the pictures to yourself by email or save them in the cloud. This will help you recover documents faster if you lose your phone too.
-
Get travel insurance with the obligatory clause “Insurance against loss of documents”. In case of loss or theft of documents, insurance company employees will help you find the consulate phone number, provide translation services, check you into a hotel, and also buy a ticket home.
What to do if your passport is lost
As soon as you discover missing documents, go to local police department. They will help you file a statement about the loss or theft of documents. Ask for two copies of such an application: one will be needed at the consulate, and the second in Russia to restore the passport.
Then you need to contact Russian consulate. Unlike an embassy, which performs representative functions and resolves diplomatic issues, a consulate issues visas to foreigners and helps Russians abroad. There may be several consulates in a country; they are usually located in large cities. The address and telephone number of the nearest consulate can be found at information portal.
At the consulate you will be issued Certificate of return to the Russian Federation. This is a temporary document with which you can return home. To register you need:
-
application for a certificate of return;
-
two photographs 3.5 by 4.5;
-
internal passport.
If you do not have an internal passport, then you need to bring two witnesses – citizens of the Russian Federation with passports, so that they personally confirm that you are who you say you are. If this is not possible, provide any other identification documents: driver’s license, copies or photographs of domestic and foreign passports, a statement from the local police confirming the fact of missing documents. As a last resort, the consulate will request information from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A certificate of return is issued free of charge within one to two days. However, if additional information had to be requested, the period may extend to 27 days.
The certificate is valid for 15 days: during this period you must return home. If you already have a ticket purchased using a lost passport, you need to update the information in it. You can also buy a new return ticket using your return certificate.
Keep in mind that you cannot enter countries other than Russia with a return certificate. If you planned to return home with a connection, you will have to change your tickets and take a direct flight.
If you have to stay abroad longer than planned, financial difficulties may arise. Pre-purchased travel insurance will help here. If your insurance package covers this, then they will help you with paperwork, pay for a hotel while they wait, and buy a return ticket.
If you do not have insurance, contact your consulate. There will help contact relatives and provide other necessary assistance.
Forewarned – forearmed!