RUSSIA – Fingerprinting Introduced for Visa Applicants at Certain Consulates
Effective 10 December 2014, all applicants for Russian visas at the Russian consular posts in UK, Ireland, Denmark, Myanmar and Namibia and also at the border control service on arrival at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, will be required to undergo fingerprinting.
The new requirement, which is irrespective of the visa type, validity or number of requested entries, was introduced in an Order signed by President Putin on 24 November 2014, and is the first step in a program to implement fingerprinting at all Russian consular posts abroad, as well as on entry to Russia. The timeframe for the rest of the project has not been announced.
Action Items
- Anyone preparing a visa application for Russia from one of the affected countries should allow extra time for the applicant to attend the Russian consulate for fingerprinting.
- Follow our alerts or our blog for news of the extension of this new requirement to more Russian consulates around the world.