Does anyone have any information about what will be required for the new Russian biometric passports starting in Jan 2008? Is it just fingerprinting or more?

My husband went to Belgorod yesterday (we live in Ukraine) to inquire about it at the OVIR, but they weren't sure what is going to be required.

Surprise, surprise! Russians at a govt. office not being sure of Russian govt. regulations!!!

Sounds a lot like the U.S.

Why did we ever have a Cold War?

Maybe it was winter? ;-)

You and your fiance might find these articles interesting.

- http://www.vmdaily.ru/article.php?aid=45781
- http://www.biometrics.ru/document.asp?grou...61&sSID=3.7

It would appear that fingerprinting is the only new part of the biomentrics system (a recent requirement from the EU), but other data seems to be comprised of digital versions of what's already printed on the passport. It also makes the images used digital scans rather than laminated photographs. The idea is to make passports more difficult to forge (which, looking at Ira's passport that she got a few months ago, would be super easy), which I think is a very good thing.

Good luck!

Z