Passport: passport authentication of the Russian Federation

In order to verify the authenticity of the main document proving the identity of a citizen, it may be necessary in a number of cases: household transactions, issuing a consumer loan, resolving the issue of trusting a business partner, etc. In this article we will tell you about several effective ways to verify the authenticity of a passport. For greater reliability, we recommend applying them all comprehensively.

Method number 1: online service on the FMS website

The easiest and most affordable method for verifying the authenticity of a Russian passport is to contact the official website of the Federal Migration Service. Everything is transparent here: the legislation does not protect anonymized (currently invalid) passport data of a citizen by an act on the protection of personal data, which is why they are open to everyone in a free form.

The passport authentication instruction on the FMS service is simple:

1. Go to the "Services" section.
2. Select the link "Check on the list of invalid passports".
3. On the page that opens, you just need to enter the series and number of the required passport and confirm that you are not a bot by entering captcha.
4. In conclusion - click on "Send request".
5. After a short wait, information about the validity of the document appears on the screen of your device.

Method number 2: a list on the FMS website

An alternative authentication of the passport of the Russian Federation on the FMS service is to find on the resource a list of invalid identity documents and find the information you need from it. Representatives of the service claim that the data in this list is updated daily. However, this is not a reason to trust him completely and ignore other methods of verification.

Method number 3: third-party online passport verification services

By the way, today there are many third-party Internet services that offer passport authentication. Note that they are all connected with an official source - the FMS resource, from where they replenish all databases. Updating the latter sometimes happens not as regularly as in the original source, which is why the issue of trust in such services is controversial.

Method number 4: appeal to the FMS

You can apply for authentication of your passport at the FMS, at the service department in your city. In order to obtain the required data, you need to submit a written statement to the employee. You will find his sample both directly in the organization and on the website of the Russian Migration Service.

The statement should indicate the following:

• The full name of the branch where you are sending your request.
• The applicant’s contact details: full name, address, phone, etc. Note that the owner of the document being checked a priori cannot be an applicant in this case.
• The main body of the application, written in free form: your request for information on the validity or invalidity of such and such a passport (series and number).
• Date and signature.

A significant drawback of the method - a request-application for authentication of a passport in the FMS of Russia will be considered within the standard monthly period. During this time, the database of invalid documents will have time to change more than a dozen times. Therefore, this method also does not give a one hundred percent guarantee that the passport is valid.

Method number 5: self-examination

Passport authentication can also be carried out independently:

• If the document has a print "To be exchanged" - the passport is 100% invalid.
• All sheets of the passport are characteristic paper of the State Sign.
• On each page - a watermark "RF".
• The sizes of all pages are the same, not one protrudes beyond the edges.
• All sheets show the same series and number.
• Verification in the ultraviolet: on all pages of the document, the wavy text “FMS of Russia” is displayed in UV rays. If the passport was issued before 2006, then the following inscription will be: "Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia." Be careful: in the first case, the text on the main page must go to the citizen’s photo, but for the old model this condition is not necessary.
• On the third page of the passport in the same ultraviolet the text is displayed in capital letters: "PASSPORT" and "RUSSIA". And also the coat of arms of the Russian Federation.

• All information in the document is typewritten letters. An exception is information on permanent registration and data on previously issued passports. This information can also be entered manually.
• A pattern appears on the passports of all the samples around the citizen’s photo in the ultraviolet.
• All pages of the document are stitched with thread, which also glows in UV rays. Another feature of it is that the firmware is visible on each page, which allows you to see the fact that some pages were later inserted.
• In a genuine passport, all pages are made in the same key.
• The paint used to enter data in the passport has a special composition that does not allow it to fade or grease. Therefore, if you notice fuzzy or faded entries in the document, this is a reason to doubt its authenticity.

Method number 6: for the entered data

Passport authentication can also be done by its content:

• Until 2006, all passports were issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, after - by the FMS.
• The passport number must correspond to the region where the citizen received the document.
• Often it will be useful to pay attention to the age of a citizen - at least just ask his date and year of birth.
• Pages about registration, marriage, children will not help in the establishment of authenticity.
• It will be worthwhile to pay attention to the last U-turn, which contains information about already issued passports. If the cipher of a previously issued document is of a new template, then we can assume that the document was lost and is currently wanted.

Service Issues

Many users note that the FMS online service does not always provide the correct information about the validity of a passport. Here are the two most common errors:

• The passport issued on the birthday, the resource marks as invalid. This applies to documents that were received upon reaching 14, 20, 45 years. The error is explained simply: the validity period begins on the day following the day of birth. It turns out that getting a passport on your birthday is to get it in advance. But if you changed your passport due to loss, change of surname, etc., and the day it was issued was your birthday, such an error will not appear in the system.
• Erroneous information about the invalidity of this passport. This state of affairs can seriously harm the owner of the document, because the FMS online service is used by police, bank employees, and ticket offices. There is only one way out - to write a complaint about the resource with a description of the error and an indication of your passport details. This document should be taken to the local FMS office and wait 30 days to resolve the problem or explain it. Another way is to send the application by registered letter to the FMS address. The answer in this case will also have to come to your inbox in writing.

About checking other passports

We examined the authentication of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. However, many are interested in whether it is possible to check the validity of passports of, say, guests from neighboring republics on the FMS website? The answer, of course, will be negative: the service is available only for Russian documents.

The solution is to apply to similar state resources of the country whose passport you are going to check. It must be remembered that these documents in many states have similar means of protection against counterfeiting - UV light, laminated seals, watermarks, etc. But citizens of several countries already have electronic passports, which are impossible to counterfeit in our time.

Note that using the FMS online service it is also possible to check the passport of a Russian citizen for validity. But so far only the old model. As for the documents of the new variation, their verification is possible only with direct appeal to the FMS.

We have examined several effective ways to verify the authenticity of a Russian passport. One of the most common - using the online service FMS. The resource also allows you to check the validity of your passport, entry permits, work patents, etc. But let us draw your attention to the fact that for the most confidence it is better to use not one but several methods in a row for verification.