What the Russian internal passport is
The internal passport, the "passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation", is the main identity document inside Russia. Unlike the document used for travel abroad (see our Russia international passport photo page), it is what you show to vote, open a bank account, sign a contract, use government services and travel within the country.
Russia internal passport photo size explained
The standard photo size is 35×45 mm, or 3.5×4.5 cm. The official rules allow a head of 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Offices (MFC) now often ask for a head close to 80 percent, so our template makes the head 78 percent and leaves a gap of 4.5 mm between the top edge and the hair instead of the usual 5 mm. This keeps your passport photo inside the official range. For printing, passport photos are prepared at 600 DPI, which keeps the face sharp.
Who needs new passport photos
A Russian citizen receives the first document at the age of 14, and needs new passport photos when the document is renewed, or replaced after loss or damage. A paper application includes the form, your birth certificate, the previous document if you have one, proof of residence and two recent passport photos of 3.5×4.5 cm.
You apply at the local office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), at an MFC, or online through the Gosuslugi portal. The official rules are available on ConsultantPlus and in Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Uploading the passport photo to Gosuslugi online
When you apply online, you upload a digital passport photo instead of handing in prints. Our file is a colour 35×45 mm passport photo with a white background, under 300 KB. The "Crop photo" window on Gosuslugi currently shows the line for the top of the head in the wrong place. Press the Save button under the photo right away and do not scale or crop it there.
If Gosuslugi shows an error such as "Attachment processing error", the problem is on the site, not in your passport photo. Log out, clear the cookies and history in your browser, then return and upload the photo again, or use another browser or device.
Photos for other Russian documents
Other documents in Russia have their own photo rules. If you are applying for something else, open the Russia citizenship photo or the Russia driving license photo for Gosuslugi page, and pick the right document before you make your photo.
Passport photo checklist
- Passport photo size: 35×45 mm (3.5×4.5 cm).
- Head at 70–80% of the photo height; our template uses 78%.
- Plain white background, no shadows or patterns.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
- Sharp colour photo with no filters; for paper, two passport photos printed at 600 DPI.
