Children will no longer be able to travel abroad without a passport. What you need to know

Children with Russian citizenship will no longer be able to leave Russia on their birth certificate. To enter a country where an adult only needs an internal Russian passport, children under the age of 14 will need a foreign passport. If the child is traveling unaccompanied by his parents, he will also need the consent of at least one of them. What other documents a minor needs to cross the border can be found in the Izvestia article.

How are the rules of children's travel abroad changing?

• Starting from January 20, 2026, the procedure for children under the age of 14 to travel abroad is being changed. They will need a foreign passport to travel to Abkhazia, Belarus, South Ossetia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This rule applies regardless of whether a child enters these countries with a parent or alone. If a child entered another country on a birth certificate before January 20, he will be able to return using the same document in the future.

• Previously, a birth certificate was sufficient for children to enter the above-mentioned countries, since Russians are allowed to visit them with an internal passport, and those under the age of 14 could not have one. The only exception was Armenia, where children were required to enter only with a foreign passport, and attempts to cross the border with a birth certificate were stopped. At the same time, an ordinary passport is also enough for adults, as when entering Belarus or Kazakhstan.

• A child's passport can be issued from birth, but he cannot do it on his own — an application from a parent or legal representative is required. A new passport with a 10-year validity period will require the child's personal presence when applying, and fingerprints will be taken from the age of 12. Information about the child can also be entered into the parents' passport if it is an old-style document.

What other documents do children need?

• In addition to a foreign or domestic passport, a child does not need other documents to leave Russia if he is traveling with at least one parent, guardian or trustee. However, if the child and the parent have different surnames, and he leaves on his own passport, then it is worth showing the border guards additional documents to confirm the relationship.

• It should be borne in mind that to enter another country, you must comply with its requirements: a minor, like an adult, may need a visa, insurance, and a return ticket. Sometimes a child is required to consent to travel by the other parent if he is traveling with only one. For example, such rules apply in the USA, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and the power of attorney from the second parent must be translated into English.

How can a child travel alone

• How a child can travel abroad depends on their age. Unaccompanied children under two years of age are not allowed. From two to 12 years old, a child must also be accompanied by an adult, a parent, or a third person, but this function can also be performed by a carrier for whom an appropriate permit must be issued. From the age of 12, children have the right to travel abroad on their own.

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• The main requirement for solo trips or accompanied by third parties is the consent of one of the parents to travel abroad. This document can be issued either by a notary public or at a diplomatic mission abroad. It must be original and contain the signature of mom or dad. One consent can apply to all the children listed in it. The document may mention specific individuals, countries, and dates to which the parent wishes to extend its validity. If the consent is indefinite, it will be valid until the child comes of age (or his emancipation, for example, upon marriage). However, it may not exceed the child's passport specified in the consent.

• At the same time, one of the parents may also prohibit the child from crossing the border. To do this, you need to write an application that will be accepted by the migration department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or any diplomatic mission abroad. The ban is issued electronically, so that all border posts will be notified immediately after processing. A parent who has prohibited crossing the border has the right not to indicate the reasons and not to notify either the child or the other parent about this. Then you can find out about the existence of the ban only by sending a written request to the migration department in your region.

• An objection to departure will remain valid until it is canceled by the decision of the parent who requested it. The other parent has the right to challenge the ban in court, stating a valid reason for this: medical treatment, study, or visiting relatives abroad. The court can either completely lift the ban or make a temporary exception for the duration of the trip. As long as the disagreement is in effect, the child will also not be able to obtain a new passport. At the same time, the parent who forbade the child to leave has the right to freely accompany him abroad.