Russian wife visiting Russia with our daughter

[Gage 2]

I imagine someone has been through this before, so I'm hoping to get some guidance on our situation. My wife is Russian, and holds a valid U.S. Green Card. This summer our oldest daughter (who will be 4) will be traveling to Russia for the first time with my wife to visit family. She was born in the U.S. so will be traveling with a U.S. passport. My primary question concerns whether our daughter needs a Russia tourist visa in her U.S. passport. My wife states the Russian Consulate told her that it's not necessary since we had our daughter's name and photo put in my wife's Russian passport when she was about a year old. She says this establishes our daughter also holds Russian citizenship, and thus she won't need a tourist visa to enter Russia.

The entire thing sounds a little shakey to me. I can't find any evidence of this sort of allowance on the Russian Consulate website. I'm thinking our daughter wouldn't be allowed in without a tourist visa or a Russian passport. Anyone else have experience on this?

[Enigma11561 336]

Roy, see my reply at RWD.

[vbtwo 54]

As far as I know, children of Russian citizens are also Russian citizens. If she had the daughter put into her passport, then the daughter does not need the US passport at all (or any passport at least going to Russia, she would need it to come back to the US). The wife will enter on her Russian passport and it will have the daughter in there, so the daughter can also enter.

[SMR 368]

When your wife had your daughter put in her passport, I'm assuming that she also went through the process to register your daughter as a Russian Citizen. That's the only way I am aware that a child could be written into the parent's passport. If that is the case, then it is indeed possible for your daughter to travel with your wife using your wife's passport. You should also have a birth certificate for your daughter with an attachment that states that she is a Russian Citizen. You wouldn't necessarily need the birth certificate for travel, but it should exist. It's also possible to get an individual international Russian passport for your daughter if you want it. This is nice in the case that your wife and daughter aren't going to travel together, but is unnecessary if they are going to be together.

A couple things should be taken into consideration. First, your daughter should leave the US and re-enter the US using her US passport. However, to leave and enter Russia she will just use your wife's passport with your daughter written in. Second, in order for her to travel internationally, she will need a letter from you stating that you are okay with it. This is often enforced in Russia when she would try to leave. If she doesn't have this permission from you, she wouldn't be able to leave Russia with your daughter. This doesn't really make much sense when you consider that you are American in America, but they don't know that. They just assume you are a Russian in Russia and the wife is trying to steal your kid.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I imagine someone has been through this before, so I'm hoping to get some guidance on our situation. My wife is Russian, and holds a valid U.S. Green Card. This summer our oldest daughter (who will be 4) will be traveling to Russia for the first time with my wife to visit family. She was born in the U.S. so will be traveling with a U.S. passport. My primary question concerns whether our daughter needs a Russia tourist visa in her U.S. passport. My wife states the Russian Consulate told her that it's not necessary since we had our daughter's name and photo put in my wife's Russian passport when she was about a year old. She says this establishes our daughter also holds Russian citizenship, and thus she won't need a tourist visa to enter Russia.

The entire thing sounds a little shakey to me. I can't find any evidence of this sort of allowance on the Russian Consulate website. I'm thinking our daughter wouldn't be allowed in without a tourist visa or a Russian passport. Anyone else have experience on this?

Your daughter is a dual citizen. Nothing shaky about it. She does not need a visa to visit a country she is a citizen of. Upon entering Russia your wife can present BOTH the child's US passport and her passport listing the child. When she returns she needs to present the child's passport for entry into the US. Dual citizens MUST present their US passport when entering the US.

Russia, and Ukraine, do not issue international passports to children. They are listed in a parent's passport. You cannot be listed in a passport without demonstrating citizenship, as the child of a Russian citizen she is a Russian citizen regardless where she is born (The USA has the same rule)

SMR's advice is spot on.

[slim 1,525]

Don't tell your wife... but she was right.

[SMR 368]

Your daughter is a dual citizen. Nothing shaky about it. She does not need a visa to visit a country she is a citizen of. Upon entering Russia your wife can present BOTH the child's US passport and her passport listing the child. When she returns she needs to present the child's passport for entry into the US. Dual citizens MUST present their US passport when entering the US.

Russia, and Ukraine, do not issue international passports to children. They are listed in a parent's passport. You cannot be listed in a passport without demonstrating citizenship, as the child of a Russian citizen she is a Russian citizen regardless where she is born (The USA has the same rule)

SMR's advice is spot on.

I don't know about Ukraine, but Russia does in fact issue international passports to children if you want one. My son has a Russian international passport (he is 3). Basically, you can chose to have a separate passport issue for the child or you can have the child written into the parent's passport. The separate passport has the advantage of individual travel. The child in the parent's passport is cheaper in terms of issuing and renewing the passport.

[vbtwo 54]

I don't know about Ukraine, but Russia does in fact issue international passports to children if you want one. My son has a Russian international passport (he is 3). Basically, you can chose to have a separate passport issue for the child or you can have the child written into the parent's passport. The separate passport has the advantage of individual travel. The child in the parent's passport is cheaper in terms of issuing and renewing the passport.

Ukraine does too. You have to apply to get a separate passport for the child and list a reason as to why you want the child to have a separate passport (traveling without the parent is a valid reason).

Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship though, so if you have a child and he's a US citizen, then he won't be a Ukrainian citizen. I don't know if you can just add the child to the parent's passport anyways and forget to mention the US citizenship. You don't need a visa to go to Ukraine though.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I don't know about Ukraine, but Russia does in fact issue international passports to children if you want one. My son has a Russian international passport (he is 3). Basically, you can chose to have a separate passport issue for the child or you can have the child written into the parent's passport. The separate passport has the advantage of individual travel. The child in the parent's passport is cheaper in terms of issuing and renewing the passport.

Ukraine issues internal passports to children yes. International passports NO. I was not clear about that. For children age 14-18 they can get a "travel, document" that looks exactly like a passport and can be used for international travel but it is not a "zagranpassport"

Ukraine requires the permission of BOTH parents to issue this travel document for children under age 16 OR a letter from one of the parents allowing the other to agree to it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ukraine does too. You have to apply to get a separate passport for the child and list a reason as to why you want the child to have a separate passport (traveling without the parent is a valid reason).

Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship though, so if you have a child and he's a US citizen, then he won't be a Ukrainian citizen. I don't know if you can just add the child to the parent's passport anyways and forget to mention the US citizenship. You don't need a visa to go to Ukraine though.

Ukraine issues a travel document for children under 18. we did this with Pasha as being listed in Alla's passport meant he always needed to travel with her. That became an issue as he got older.

Ukraine does not allow dual citizenship but currently does not enforce the law to any degree. And you do not need a visa, true.

Pasha is a US citizen now and has a US passport. Just bear in mind that he also has a Ukraine birth certiuficate and Ukraine internal passport and Ukraine draft deferrment...so who will not issue him a Ukraine passport?

A Ukrainian can also enter Russia with just an internal passport (for now anyway)

[james&olya 1,121]

I don't know about Ukraine, but Russia does in fact issue international passports to children if you want one. My son has a Russian international passport (he is 3). Basically, you can chose to have a separate passport issue for the child or you can have the child written into the parent's passport. The separate passport has the advantage of individual travel. The child in the parent's passport is cheaper in terms of issuing and renewing the passport.

My experience is the same. Olya's two children both arrived here with their international russian passports. Lera was only 2 at the time. Soon they will all have their blue American passports but I am sure that they will someday be glad to have that red memento from their past.