The Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified the rules for the return of children to the Russian Federation on a birth certificate

Children under the age of 14 who left Russia on their birth certificate before January 20 this year will be able to return to the country using it. This was announced on January 26 by the migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

"Children under the age of 14 who left the country on a birth certificate before the entry into force of these requirements (by January 20, 2026) will be able to return to the Russian Federation using it," the department's Telegram channel says.

The Interior Ministry stressed that in all other cases, minors can only leave Russia and enter its territory if they have a foreign passport.

In addition, they also recalled that adults and children over the age of 14 are still allowed to enter Abkhazia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and South Ossetia using an internal Russian passport.

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On January 1, Russian Railways (RZD) announced that starting from January 20, 2026, tickets for children under 14 for trains to foreign countries can only be issued with a foreign passport. They clarified that children who left Russia before January 20, 2026 on a birth certificate will also be able to return to the country on this document even after the new rules come into force.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.