Second Russian passport abroad: a guide

How to get a second Russian passport abroad while the first sits at the Italian consulate: booking, the 10-year biometric and delivery from Rome.

An applicant for an Italian D visa almost always has to part with their international passport for the duration of the review: the consulate takes the document and holds it for weeks, even months. At the same time, you cannot live abroad with no valid passport at all - it is asked for when renting housing and at any dealing with a bank or local authorities. The way out that most people arrive at is to obtain a second Russian international passport in advance, so that one can be handed in to the consulate while you calmly remain in your country of residence with the second and travel when needed. Below is a practical summary, according to the community, of how Russians obtain a second passport abroad. Important: this is a description of the Russian consular procedure, not the actions of Italian agencies; the permesso, the ricevuta, and trips are handled under Italian rules. This is not legal advice - verify the booking rules and the set of documents on the website of the specific Russian consulate.

In brief: community data

Only the 10-year biometric: a five-year passport is not issued as a second one - a new five-year passport cancels the previous one (per the community). A local residence permit is usually not required to apply abroad; you can apply even as a tourist.
Timelines per the community: about three months as standard, in EU countries often five to seven because of diplomatic mail and sanctions; you almost always pick it up in person, and courier delivery is possible from Rome. Check current details.
Booking via kdmid and the waiting list: create your request as early as possible (your position is tied to the date), you get about two days to pick a slot per the community, and check spam for the invitation.
Refusals most often come from a travel ban: debts that reached the bailiffs (check on Gosuslugi or the FSSP) and errors in military-service data. Check before applying.
Transliteration: you cannot set it in the online application - to match the first passport you must ask separately, in person at the photographing, with a copy of the first passport.

Why do you need a second passport for the Italian D visa?

You need a second passport because during the review of the D visa your only passport sits at the Italian consulate, and you remain in a third country with no document proving your identity abroad. The internal Russian passport is of no use to anyone in most countries, so without an international passport you effectively end up in limbo. A second passport closes several tasks:

while the first is handed in for the visa, with the second you remain "with documents" in your country of residence;
if you already hold a permesso di soggiorno or a ricevuta, a second valid passport is needed for trips - for more on what actually grants the right to leave and return, see the article on the ricevuta and trips;
a spare passport insures you in case the main one is lost or damaged - for those living abroad permanently this is sensible in itself, regardless of the visa.

According to the community, a second passport especially helps those who plan to apply for the D visa not in their own country but to travel for the Italian visa, while keeping the ability to cross the borders of their country of residence.

A separate frequent question is whether the second passport will be taken if you come to the filing already with two valid ones. According to the community there is no single rule, but there is a working practice: if you show that the second passport is needed for trips while the first is under review, you can keep it. For this people prepare copies of all pages of the second passport and attach bookings for tickets and housing for the dates when the main passport is at the consulate. At the Moscow visa center, with such a package, the second passport, according to the community, was not taken - both when filing for the C visa and the D. In case of objections from the staff member, people bring a printout of the rules from the visa center's site. This gives no guarantees, so clarify the procedure in advance.

I came to the filing with two valid passports and was afraid the second would be taken away. I made copies of all its pages, attached bookings for the trip for the dates while the first would be at the consulate - and they let me keep the second. Just in case, I printed out from the visa center's site the point about how they are not obliged to hand it in.

Ruslan, communitypersonal opinion

When I realized the passport would go to the consulate for a couple of months, I was horrified: how would I live here without a document then? I made the second one in advance - and it turned out to be a lifesaver. One I handed in for the visa, and with the second I calmly took care of all my affairs.

Andrei, communitypersonal opinion

How the second passport differs from a regular one: only the 10-year biometric

Every Russian citizen has the right to a second international passport in addition to a valid one. But there is an important restriction, according to the community: an additional passport comes only as a 10-year one (biometric, of the new type).

you can have a five-year passport and obtain a 10-year one as the second;
you can add another 10-year one to a 10-year one;
you cannot obtain a five-year passport as the second - a new five-year document simply cancels your previous passport.

A few more points that the community often raises:

to apply at a consulate abroad, a local residence permit is usually not required - you can apply even while in the country as a tourist (but verify the conditions of stay separately);
according to the community, when applying through the consulate they do not ask for the military ID and do not check the military-registration status;
if the internal passport remained in Russia or was lost, you can still apply abroad as long as you have a valid international passport;
when arranging through Gosuslugi, the community notes that the passport goes in addition to the existing one, and to the question of whether you will bring the old passport for cancellation, the answer is "no" - otherwise it is no longer a second passport but a replacement;
the original of the first passport is, according to the community, not needed to arrange the second - a copy is enough, and it is by it that they ask you to make the same transliteration of the first and last name (more on this below).

Verify the exact rules and the list of documents on the website of the very consulate where you plan to apply - the set is almost everywhere standard, but the details differ.

I didn't immediately understand why I was being offered only the ten-year one. I thought I'd choose the five-year - it's cheaper and faster, after all. It's good I read up in advance: a five-year is not issued as the second, it would have zeroed out my current one. In the end I got the biometric one and didn't lose out.

Svetlana, communitypersonal opinion

How to book at a Russian consulate: the unified system and the waiting list

According to the community, booking at all Russian consulates now works under a unified scheme through an electronic booking system (usually addresses of the form "city".kdmid.ru or q.midpass.ru). Two scenarios are possible:

Free slots are available. If there is no rush for the consulate you need, you create a request and immediately choose a convenient day and time.
A waiting list is in effect. If the queue is large, after creating a request you are assigned a number in the queue. Each day the number decreases; when it reaches the minimum value, an invitation to choose a slot arrives by email.

Several practical observations from the community:

confirm your email address at registration - without this you cannot complete the request;
check your personal account at least once a week so the request isn't deleted, and check the "Spam" folder - the invitation often lands there;
if the invitation has arrived, you are usually given a limited time to choose a slot (according to the community, about two days), otherwise you can be sent back to the start of the queue;
the key rule, according to the community, is to create the request as early as possible: the earlier it is in the system, the sooner your turn comes up.

The times for the invitation to arrive and the available dates depend heavily on the specific consulate - there is no official table; verify the current details on the diplomatic mission's website.

The main thing I understood about the waiting list: you can't drag your feet. I created the request - and from that day the countdown started. The queue moved in jumps: sometimes five people a day, then suddenly by fifty. I nearly missed the slot email, it flew into spam.

Dmitry, communitypersonal opinion

In which country to apply and how long to wait for the finished passport

The first thing that comes to mind is to apply in the country where you are now. But according to the community, in a number of places the queues are very long, so many people choose a consulate in another country (you have the right to apply at any Russian consulate regardless of your country of residence).

Production times, according to the community:

the standard reference point when applying abroad is about three months from the day of submission;
in EU countries, because of aviation sanctions and slow diplomatic mail, the wait often stretches to five to seven months;
the finished passport almost always has to be collected in person, a second visit to the consulate is inevitable - courier delivery exists only in certain places.

Why it takes so long: according to the community a 10-year passport goes through several stages - first a check of the information, then printing the booklet itself, then forwarding by diplomatic mail to the consulate. The last stage depends heavily on how often this mail is sent at all, so the same "official" timeline in practice stretches out for some and passes faster for others. A biometric booklet cannot be filled out in advance, unlike a five-year one, and this too adds time.

I applied not in my country of residence but where the booking was literally for the coming days - I arrived effectively as a tourist. In terms of timing it still came out long: first the checks, then the printing, then this diplomatic mail. So the gain was in the booking for the filing, not in the speed of production.

Timur, communitypersonal opinion

Separately, the community notes the option of applying in Rome: from there delivery of the finished passport to another country via a courier service is possible, which spares you a second flight. But even there you shouldn't expect fast production - the timelines at Schengen consulates are roughly the same. The size of the consular fee, the currency, and the payment method differ by country, so always verify the specific amounts and the procedure on the website of the chosen consulate - they change.

I applied not in my own country but where the queue was shorter. In terms of timing it still came out long - the passport took several months. My advice: check that your current passport will last both until you enter the country of application and until the repeat trip for the finished document.

Igor, communitypersonal opinion

What to check before applying so as not to get a refusal

According to the community, the most painful surprise is a refusal due to a travel ban. A few things are better checked in advance:

a travel ban due to debts. If a debt has reached the bailiffs, the passport will most likely be refused. You can check on Gosuslugi or by your own data on the FSSP website. The limit at the border crossing and the grounds for a ban are different things: a ban can be imposed even with a smaller debt amount;
military-service data. According to the community, the absence of or errors in service information is a frequent reason for refusal, so the unit number and other data are better stated without errors;
name transliteration. The Latin spelling of the full name must match what will be in the Italian documents and visa. Here is an important subtlety according to the community: in the online application (on Gosuslugi) you cannot set the desired transliteration - the system applies its own. You can change it only in person, at the moment of photographing, and usually no one reminds you of this: you need to ask for a separate application form yourself, indicate that the spelling must match the first passport, and attach a copy of this first passport;
the validity of the current passport. It must last both until you enter the country of application and until the repeat visit for the finished passport several months later.

According to the community, the application form for the biometric passport is filled out online and printed (it does not need to be sent separately to the consulate - that requirement applies only to five-year ones). The photo for the 10-year passport is usually taken on the spot.

Before applying I went to Gosuslugi and checked whether there was a travel ban - it turned out there was a small old fine hanging there. I paid it off in advance, and there were no problems. I know that for some people it was because of such a ban that the passport wasn't made, and the documents had to be submitted again.

Olga, communitypersonal opinion

How the second passport fits with Italian matters

A second international passport is in itself a Russian document, and Italian agencies do not issue it. But it is what determines whether you can properly conduct your Italian affairs while the first passport is occupied:

while the D visa is under review, with the second passport you remain "with documents" and can cross the borders of your country of residence if needed;
when you hold a ricevuta or a finished permesso, a valid passport is needed for trips - exactly what grants the right to leave and return is covered in the article on the ricevuta and trips;
when preparing the Italian package, documents from Russia go through legalization - and there too it is important that the spelling of the name in all papers and in the passport match.

A couple of practical observations from the community worth knowing in advance:

if you entered the country on one passport and leave on the second, it will have no entry stamp - for some people this raised questions at the border. It is better to think through the logic of trips on two passports in advance, and at the border be ready to explain the situation;
try to arrange a biometric passport: according to the community, more and more EU countries refuse to admit on non-biometric documents, so a non-biometric passport for trips to Schengen risks becoming useless over time. This is one more argument in favor of the 10-year biometric as the second.

It is convenient to plan whether you can travel at particular stages (on the D visa, on the ricevuta, during renewal) through the tool - it will tell you what exactly, in your situation, grants the right to cross the border:

Travel & re-entry on the ricevutaCan you leave and re-enter Italy while the permesso renews? A check based on the MVD circulars.

Separately, it's worth keeping in mind basic digital hygiene: the services around consulate booking and "expedited" passport issuance have long been a favorite of scammers. Any offers to "get a slot for a fee" and requests to send scans are better checked against the note on red flags and scammers.

For me the combination was this: one passport goes to the visa, with the second I live and travel. Without a spare I would simply have been stuck without documents for the whole review period. And be wary if someone in a chat offers to "quickly" make a booking for money - there are plenty of such scams.

Marina, communitypersonal opinion

Legalization of documents for Italy - apostille, translation, and certification of Russian papers, where matching the spelling of the name matters.
The ricevuta and trips - what grants the right to leave and return while the permesso is being issued.
Red flags and scammers - how to avoid falling for "expedited booking" and fake intermediaries.
Tools: travel check - whether you can travel at your stage of processing.

Official sources

esteri.it - Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the rules and the set of documents for the D visa, during the review of which the consulate holds the international passport.
portaleimmigrazione.it - the procedure and deadlines for submitting documents for the permesso di soggiorno after entry.
questure.poliziadistato.it - the questuras: booking for fingerprints and collecting the permesso, where a valid passport is needed.
interno.gov.it - Italian Ministry of the Interior (rules of stay and residence permits).

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need a second international passport if I'm applying for a D visa to Italy?

While the Italian consulate is reviewing the D visa, it keeps your international passport - sometimes for months. You cannot remain without a valid document in your country of residence, so many people obtain a second passport in advance. This is a description of the Russian consular procedure, not the Italian one; the permesso and trips are handled under Italian rules. Verify the current details on esteri.it - this is not legal advice.

What validity period can the second passport have?

According to the community, an additional passport is issued only as a 10-year biometric one. A five-year passport is not issued as a second one: a new five-year passport cancels the previous document. Verify the exact rules and the set of documents on the website of the specific Russian consulate - this is not legal advice.

How long does it take to get the second passport ready?

According to the community, the standard reference point when applying abroad is about three months, but because of aviation sanctions in EU countries the wait often stretches to five to seven months. The timelines depend heavily on the diplomatic mail and the region of registration. Verify the current details and build in a buffer - this is not legal advice.

Do I need a residence permit of the country where I apply for the passport?

According to the community, to submit documents at a Russian consulate abroad a local residence permit is not required - you can apply even while there as a tourist. But verify the conditions of stay in that country separately. Verify the current details on the consulate's website - this is not legal advice.

What can cause a refusal of an international passport?

According to the community, the most frequent reason for refusal is a travel ban due to debts that have reached the bailiffs, as well as errors or gaps in the military-service data. You can check for a ban on Gosuslugi or through the FSSP before applying. This is a description of the Russian procedure; verify the current details - this is not legal advice.

Will the second passport be taken if I come to the D visa filing with two valid ones?

According to the community there is no single rule, but there is a working practice: show that the second passport is needed for trips while the first is under review. People prepare copies of all pages of the second passport and bookings for tickets and housing for the dates when the main one is at the consulate; at the Moscow visa center, with such a package, the second one, according to the community, was not taken - both for the C visa and the D. There are no guarantees, clarify the procedure in advance - this is not legal advice.

How do I make the transliteration in the second passport match the first?

According to the community, in the online application on Gosuslugi you cannot set the desired transliteration - the system applies its own. You can change it only in person at the photographing: ask for a separate application form, indicate that the spelling must match the first passport, and attach a copy of it. They usually don't remind you of this, you need to say it yourself - this is not legal advice.

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