Foreigners start submitting biometric data at Russian border

MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - Foreign citizens and stateless persons entering or leaving Russia have been submitting biometric data since December 1 as part of a pilot project, the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport's press service said.

Consistent with a government resolution dated November 14, 2024, the biometry pilot project will be implemented in two phases from December 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026.

"Phase One, which lasts from December 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, envisages that all foreign citizens arriving in or departing from Russia through the Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky international airports and the Mashtakovo road checkpoint in the Orenburg region, must provide their biometric data at checkpoints," the press service said.

Phase Two, which begins on June 30, 2025, allows foreign citizens who travel visa-free to register beforehand in the unified identification and authentication system using its mobile app, submit their photos and biometric data in real time, and file an application indicating the purpose of their trip to Russia. The system will be in effect at all border checkpoints.

Belarusian citizens, children younger than six, as well as employees of foreign embassies and consulates and international organizations accredited in Russia, and their family members will be exempt from submitting their biometric data.