Holders of non-biometric foreign passports of Russia are no longer recognised in Estonia, the latter’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced through a statement.
In line with the new changes that became effective on March 31, 2025, Russians with non-biometric passports are not eligible for entry into the territory of Estonia. Moreover, this group is also no longer allowed to apply for an Estonian Schengen visa, Schengen.News reports.
The non-recognition of a non-biometric foreign passport means that, as of today, it will not be possible to cross the Estonian land, air or water borders or apply for a visa to Estonia. The non-recognition applies to all holders of a non-biometric foreign passport, regardless of age.
However, the Ministry emphasised that there will be an exemption for those with a residence permit. Holders of residence permits from Estonia and other EU countries who use a non-biometric Russian foreign passport will be able to apply for a biometric passport until September 30, 2025.
During this transitional period, those affected with an EU residence permit will be permitted entry even with a non-biometric passport.
Russian Non-Biometric Passports Are Not in Line With ICAO Recommendations, Ministry Says
The announcement to stop recognising non-biometric passports issued by Russia was announced last month through a statement issued by Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The same notes that Russia issues both biometric and non-biometric passports. According to the Ministry, the non-biometric passports issued by Russia are not in line with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) therefore they pose several security risks.
In addition, the non-biometric foreign passport of Russia does not consist of electronic data carriers, which makes it ineligible to compare the personal data of the passport holder with the data on the microchip.
According to the statement of Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian passports, including biometric passports, issued in non-recognised regions are not considered valid as travel documents by Schengen Zone countries.
Similar Steps Taken by Czechia & Denmark
Czechia announced that as of July 3, 2024, it would no longer recognise non-biometric passports issued by Russia.
It means that Russians without biometric passports are ineligible to enter Czechia as well, in addition to Estonia.
Announcing the new measure, Czechia’s Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavsky said that the move was needed to avoid potential Russian sabotage.
Security is a priority for our government. We won’t wait for another act of sabotage. Anyone wanting to stay in our country must prove they are the person they claim to be.
He said that for Russians, a non-biometric passport, as used by the Vrbětice murderers, will no longer suffice. A similar decision was also taken by Denmark.