Your child has left for another city — to study, visit relatives, or compete in a tournament. Then suddenly you need their passport details: for a contract, health insurance, transport tickets, or a new international passport application. The obvious move is to contact the local MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) office.
Save yourself the trip: the MVD will not give parents a child’s passport data.
Why the MVD Refuses
This is not bureaucratic obstruction — it is the law. Under Federal Law No. 152-FZ on Personal Data, passport details are classified as personal data and may only be disclosed with the data subject’s consent or in cases explicitly provided for by law. Internal MVD regulations reflect this: the Ministry does not provide citizens’ passport details to third parties, including close relatives.
If your child has turned 18, the position is even more clear-cut. They are legally an adult. Without their personal presence or a notarially certified power of attorney, you are not entitled to receive anything on their behalf.
Three Legal Ways to Get the Details Quickly
1. The Gosuslugi Online Portal
The fastest option. Log in and go to Documents → Family and Children. If your child is a minor and their profile is linked to yours, their passport, SNILS (pension fund number), and birth certificate details are displayed automatically — including the full series and number.
If your child is not yet registered on the portal, or their documents have not been added, this can be done through the minor’s profile management section of your account.
2. A Registration Extract from an MFC Office
As the child’s legal representative, you have the right to request a certificate of registered residence (выписка из домовой книги) at the address where the child is registered. The extract lists the identifying document details of all persons registered at the property — including passport series and number.
The certificate is issued through any MFC (Multifunctional Centre) or via the Gosuslugi portal. Processing time is typically one to three business days. No state fee is charged.
3. A Request Through a Notary
If you need the passport details for a specific legally significant transaction — a property sale, a power of attorney, or an inheritance matter — a notary may request the information directly from the MVD database as part of the notarial act. You do not need to gather documents yourself.
This is a paid option, but the most authoritative one: the details will be officially confirmed and will not raise questions from the other party to a transaction.
If Your Child Has Turned 18
The only path is to contact them directly: they can photograph their passport and send it to you, or execute a notarially certified power of attorney authorising specific actions on their behalf. There is no lawful way around this — and rightly so. In the eyes of the law, an adult child is entirely in charge of their own personal data.
Summary
Do not waste time queuing at an MVD office. The right approach depends on your situation:
- Child under 18 → check Gosuslugi first; if that is not possible, go to an MFC
- Details needed for a notarial act → go straight to a notary
- Child is 18 or over → only through them directly, or under their power of attorney
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I obtain my child’s passport data through a court order? Courts request documents within the framework of a specific case, not on a party’s direct application. If you need the passport details in connection with litigation, file a motion with the court to request the documents — that is the proper legal mechanism.
What if my child lost their passport in another city? That is a separate procedure: the child (or their legal representative together with them) files a loss report at the local MVD office at their current location. A temporary identity document is issued while the new passport is being processed.
Are international passport details available in the Gosuslugi account? Yes — for biometric international passports, the details are displayed in the documents section of the profile. Older non-biometric international passports may not appear automatically and their details may need to be entered manually.
Can a grandparent or other relative request the child’s passport data? No. Without a notarially certified power of attorney from the parents or other legal representatives, any third person — including close family members — has no legal standing to make such a request. Russian law recognises only parents, adoptive parents, and guardians as legal representatives. If a parent has been stripped of parental rights, they also lose their status as legal representative and cannot request the child’s data.
If you need archival documents from Russia for an adopted child living abroad — including documents with an apostille — see: Russian Documents for an Adopted Child with Apostille.
Need help with document preparation or legal representation on behalf of your child in Russia? Submit a request — we will review your situation and advise on the right steps.