France Stops Recognizing Russia’s Non-Biometric Passports

World

In recent years, France has remained one of the most popular destinations for Russian citizens seeking a Schengen visa. Even after the start of the war in Ukraine, France maintained one of the most liberal visa policies toward Russians among European Union countries. However, the situation is now changing: France is stopping the recognition of non-biometric foreign passports issued by Russia for a period of five years as valid travel documents.

France Stops Recognizing Russia’s Non-Biometric Passports
The first information about this appeared on the website of the VMS visa center, which handles Schengen visas in Russia. According to the official announcement, Russian travelers will still be able to enter France with a non-biometric passport for a short time, provided they obtain a visa before May 3. After that, this possibility will be canceled.

According to information published on the official website of the European Union Council, only non-biometric passports issued to children under the age of 15 are exempt from this rule. Thus, for adult Russian citizens, having a new biometric passport will now become a mandatory requirement for entering France.

It is noteworthy that the French Embassy in Russia has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. Likewise, it is still unclear by what deadline Russian citizens living in France must renew their non-biometric passports.

This decision reflects not only France’s position but also that of several other European countries, as earlier, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Denmark had already ceased recognizing Russia’s non-biometric passports.

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