Passport renewal in US

[apgk 0]

Wife's Russian international passport is expiring in Dec and we need to travel overseas in Dec. So sent in the renewal application to Russian consulate in San Francisco, couple of days back.

Called Consulate today morning and they state:

1. There is no way to get the new passport sooner then 3 months

(which mean we only get new passport end of Nov) - this going to screw us as need to buy tickets earlier for Dec travel.

2. Need to visit the consulate in person to pick up the new passport. This is ridiculous. We are in San Diego and have to travel to San Francisco just to pick up the passport. (By the way in the application package they ask for the $20 postage fee for returning the documents, which we had sent).

The above sounds absurd and consulate is saying there some new law into effect since Apr 09 which is causing the above.

Anyone else had any similar experience?

Any way to get around the above problems?

[akdiver 3]

2. Need to visit the consulate in person to pick up the new passport. This is ridiculous. We are in San Diego and have to travel to San Francisco just to pick up the passport. (By the way in the application package they ask for the $20 postage fee for returning the documents, which we had sent).

Smells like bullshit to me. There is no way that can be true. It's completely unreasonable, even for Russians. Hell, we live in Alaska. Like we're really going to fly down to the consulate in Seattle to pick up a passport.

Any way to get around the above problems?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24549

My wife's international passport expired in June, and on Saturday (6/29/2006) she sent it off to the Russian Consulate in Seattle to get it renewed. She also wanted to change her official registration to this consulate. We sent in the following via USPS priority mail:

propiska w/registration paper

international passport

various forms we filled out

original marriage certificate with apostille

money order for $150 (passport renewal)

money order for $50 (registration)

prepaid return envelope (priority mail)

Much to our amazement, she received a phone call on MONDAY (6/31/2006). They wanted to let her know that they will change her name in her international passport WITHOUT having to change the name in her internal passport (propiska) first. I say again, rather than merely putting an amendment in her international passport indicating she also goes by a different name, they will actually change the name in the passport! So, the embassy is sending back her papers. They want another $65 on top of what we already sent them, and some additional paperwork. Once we get her papers back in the mail, we will send them back with some additional things. The complete list of things we will send back will be:

propiska

international passport

various forms we filled out

original marriage certificate with apostille

translation into Russian of marriage certificate

notarized statement (in Russian) requesting passport name change

money order for $150 (passport renewal)

money order for $50 (registration)

money order for $65 (legalization + name change in passport)

prepaid return envelope (priority mail)

Now - get this - they also told her that they could process her request in about a month!! Yes, it's what they said! We'll see how it goes. If all goes well, I guess it will make up for charging an additional $65 to change the name in her passport when they are already issuing a new passport anyway.

So, if all goes as advertised, for $265, postage, and one month of time, my wife will have a newly minted passport complete with real name change, and a embassy registration for her propiska. It is unclear whether or not we will get a copy of the "legalized" marriage certificate (suitable for changing her name in her internal passport back in Russia I guess). It is also unclear whether or not we will get back the original marriage certiicate with apostille that we sent in (although I doubt it).

Results:

Well, my wife got her passport back, exactly one month later, as estimated by the consulate!! Not only on that, but they actually did everything exactly right and with no errors. I could not be more amazed.

So, what they did was issue her a new passport with her new, married name, as the name in the passport (as opposed to an amendment that says she is also known by a different name). In this passport they put some stamp to the effect of "she is now registered here at the consulate in Seattle". They did NOT make any stamps in her propiska - they have no authority to do so. The new passport is good for 5 years (this is the standard period of validity).

They also sent us back a "legalized" copy of the the marriage certificate we sent in. It's very nice, all ribboned together with stamps and seals and such. The entire package includes the original marriage certificate, the notarization, the apostille, and the legalization from the consulate. It's all permanently bound together, sealed and ribboned and so forth.

In short, the consulate did exactly what they were supposed to do, perfectly on time, and in a very reasonable period of time. The cost was a little high, but not enough to complain about. I highly recommend taking all of your "consulate needs" to the Seattle consulate, even if you have to be, ahem, "creative", about jurisdiction issues.

Application to you:

Truthfully, the consulate has no idea where you live - only what you tell them. As far as I can figure out, there is nothing to keep an interested person from acquiring "postal rights" to the jurisdiction of their choosing and filing accordingly. Get a PO Box, mail drop, or friends (all of which can forward to where you really are) and go to town. Once you have what you wanted (i.e. improved passport) from the more willing jurisdiction, then go ahead and change your registration or whatever to your real jurisdiction. Not that I recommend any of this of course. (:

Edited August 28, 2009 by akdiver

[Mike&Luda 0]

We were told exactly the same and are planning a trip to Seattle to renew my wife's Russian passport. Apparently you have to make a second trip too to take the new passport. So two big air fares! Russians were we live have been protesting this but no changes have been yet.

[Neonred 3,565]

Wife's Russian international passport is expiring in Dec and we need to travel overseas in Dec. So sent in the renewal application to Russian consulate in San Francisco, couple of days back.

Called Consulate today morning and they state:

1. There is no way to get the new passport sooner then 3 months

(which mean we only get new passport end of Nov) - this going to screw us as need to buy tickets earlier for Dec travel.

2. Need to visit the consulate in person to pick up the new passport. This is ridiculous. We are in San Diego and have to travel to San Francisco just to pick up the passport. (By the way in the application package they ask for the $20 postage fee for returning the documents, which we had sent).

The above sounds absurd and consulate is saying there some new law into effect since Apr 09 which is causing the above.

Anyone else had any similar experience?

Any way to get around the above problems?

That doesn't sound too bad. My wife renewed hers last year using the Embassy in DC and it took 6 months. They did, however, mail it back to us.

I am not sure, but perhaps you can buy your air tickets without having her passport. When we have bought tickets they didn't ask for passport numbers. Could be a risk if you don't get the passport back in time.

[apgk 0]

That doesn't sound too bad. My wife renewed hers last year using the Embassy in DC and it took 6 months. They did, however, mail it back to us.

I am not sure, but perhaps you can buy your air tickets without having her passport. When we have bought tickets they didn't ask for passport numbers. Could be a risk if you don't get the passport back in time.

Yes, I will try to buy tickets - may be will use her old passport number (her visas are on old passport, so will have to carry old passport during travel also).

But why did it take 6 months for your wife?

did you have the consulate registration done for your wife when she came here?

[akdiver 3]

You don't need a passport to buy plane tickets - at least not in the U.S.

[Old Dominion 26]

It is taking many countries several months to issue visas possibly due to the new security data encoded when they are sealed. It's not just a matter of having them printed somewhere here in the US.

[Happy_life 0]

OK...Guys....please....help...

So...I want to renew my intern.passport thru a consulate in Houston. Can i apply docs being still registered in Russia? or do i need first to apply docs to take me off that registration and only then apply docs to renew my passport? Im confused what to do... I appreciate any feedback.

[Neonred 3,565]

OK...Guys....please....help...

So...I want to renew my intern.passport thru a consulate in Houston. Can i apply docs being still registered in Russia? or do i need first to apply docs to take me off that registration and only then apply docs to renew my passport? Im confused what to do... I appreciate any feedback.

My wife was registered in Russia when she sent in her passport for renewal. I think the embassy called and asked about changing her registration but she told them she did not want to change. She is still registered at our apartment in Russia.

[akdiver 3]

My understanding is that the internal passport has to be changed through agencies internal to Russia and cannot be done by Russia's overseas institutions in the US.

[chili74 0]

Happy_life: I assume you want to renew your international passport (заграничный), not the internal one (внутренний). The internal one must be done in Russia.

So, for your international passport, you can get a new one through your local Russia consulate (in Houston). You can still be registered in Russia and you don't have to be on the consulate's registry (на консульском учете). My husband got his new international passport via the consulate in SF and he is not on the consulate's registry.

[navillus 0]

Wife's Russian international passport is expiring in Dec and we need to travel overseas in Dec. So sent in the renewal application to Russian consulate in San Francisco, couple of days back.

Called Consulate today morning and they state:

1. There is no way to get the new passport sooner then 3 months

(which mean we only get new passport end of Nov) - this going to screw us as need to buy tickets earlier for Dec travel.

2. Need to visit the consulate in person to pick up the new passport. This is ridiculous. We are in San Diego and have to travel to San Francisco just to pick up the passport. (By the way in the application package they ask for the $20 postage fee for returning the documents, which we had sent).

The above sounds absurd and consulate is saying there some new law into effect since Apr 09 which is causing the above.

Anyone else had any similar experience?

Any way to get around the above problems?

My wife has the same issue. She was told that she had to appear in person at the NYC Russian embassy to both submit her application and then to go back again to pick it up when it's ready (perhaps 6 months). You stated you mailed your's in! That would save at least one 400 mile trip!

[Don E 0]

My wife is currently in Russia. One of the things she wants to do while there is change her internal passport. She seemed confident that she had everything she would need and didn't ask me to even go over with her what she might need. Well, she has a certified copy of our marriage certificate. But, the passport office tells her that they must have a certified copy with an apostille. They also told her they would accept a green card in lieu of the marriage certificate with apostille. Unfortunately, she doesn't have her GC with her (arrived in the mail yesterday), and she just has the I-551 stamp in her passport. I can get another certified copy of the marriage certificate with an apostille on Tuesday morning and get it sent right out. But, unless I were to use a delivery service like UPS, DHL, or FedEx (damn expensive for a letter), I'm not sure that she'll get it with enough time to get the new passport. Has anyone else had any experience with this? I suggested that she keep trying to get them to accept the certified marriage certificate (without apostille). Can anyone see other possibilities that I'm not seeing? Thanks in advance.

[chili74 0]

Look forward to hearing how it plays out, Don.

[akdiver 3]

But, the passport office tells her that they must have a certified copy with an apostille.

Hate to say this - but that's relatively common knowledge - needing the apostille. FWIW, when we "ordered" our marriage certificate, we ordered 5 copies, with apostille - just for reasons such as this. Came in real handy when my wife went to get her Russian passport (international) changed over to her married name and renewed.

I suggested that she keep trying to get them to accept the certified marriage certificate (without apostille).

Not going to happen. Especially in Russia - they're in love with seals.