Estonia to Stop Accepting Non-Biometric Russian Passports Citing Security Concerns

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said non-biometric foreign passports issued by Russia “entail various security risks” and make it hard to tell where or who it was issued by.  

This is a problem when it comes to “non-recognised regions’ such as occupied areas of Ukraine.  

“Russian passports [including biometric] issued in non-recognised regions are not accepted as travel documents by the Schengen countries,” a statement said.  

The ministry said non-biometric passports and are not in line with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 

“[They] do not contain electronic data carriers, which is why it is not possible to compare the personal data of the passport holder with the data on the microchip,” it said in a statement. 

The ministry said people with a residence permit living in Estonia or another EU member state can use their non- biometric passport to cross the Estonian-Russian border until September 30, 2025. 

Individuals with a non-biometric Russian passport can leave Estonia after this date but cannot return. They will not be able to cross land, air or sea borders or apply for an Estonian visa. 

While Finland, Lithuania and Latvia have closed their crossing points with Russia in recent years, it is still possible to leave or enter the European Union via Estonia.  

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While most EU countries accept both Russian travel documents, Denmark and the Czech Republic have also moved to block recognition of non-biometric passports.