Lost Documents: Procedure for Foreign Nationals in Russia

Losing documents is a serious situation. This is especially important because documents confirm your identity and the legality of your stay in the country. You must act calmly and quickly. A loss includes the loss of a passport, migration card, visa, temporary residence permit, permanent residence permit, or work patent. In such a situation, you must take immediate steps to restore them.

Filing a Police Report

The first step after losing documents is to contact the police.

You must immediately apply to the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia with a statement about the loss of documents.

The statement must include:

your personal details;
details of the lost documents;
the circumstances of the loss.

A police officer will accept the statement and issue a certificate confirming that the incident report has been registered. This document confirms the fact of your application. Without such a certificate, restoring your documents will be difficult.

Contacting Your Consulate or Embassy

The second step after losing documents is to contact the consulate or embassy of your country (if necessary).

If your national passport has been lost, you must contact the diplomatic mission or consular office of your country on the territory of the Russian Federation. They will help you understand the next steps and advise you on how to obtain temporary documents to return home or continue your stay in Russia.

Restoring Migration Documents for Foreign Nationals in the Russian Federation

After obtaining an identity document, the citizen must contact the migration affairs division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Depending on the residence status, the following is issued:

Lost document	Result
Migration card	Duplicate migration card
Visa	Restored visa
Temporary residence permit	Duplicate permit
Permanent residence permit	Duplicate document
Work patent	Reissued patent

The application is submitted in person. You must have your police certificate and identity document with you.

The application must be submitted without delay. Violation of the established residence regime in the Russian Federation may result in administrative liability. If documents are not restored in time, the foreign national may be held liable in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Restoring a Migration Card

Deadline: 3 working days from the moment of loss. Where to apply: the migration affairs division (UVM MVD) at the place of registration.

Required documents:

passport of the foreign national (original and copies of all completed pages);
notification slip or police certificate of loss;
fingerprint card (if the citizen has already undergone fingerprinting);
statement of loss (in free form, indicating personal details, date and grounds of entry, and circumstances of the loss);
documents confirming the citizen’s good standing (valid work patent, tax payment receipts, employment contract, entry tickets, rental agreement, etc.).

UVM staff may request additional documents if there are inaccuracies in the data or if some permits have expired.

Restoring a Visa

Deadline: no more than 20 working days from the date of application. Where to apply: the migration affairs division.

Required documents:

visa application form of the established format with a photograph (filled in legibly by hand or using technical means, without abbreviations, signed personally by the foreign national);
identity document and copies of all completed pages of the passport;
copy of the current visa (if available and issued on a visa insert form);
receipt of state duty payment (provided at the applicant’s initiative);
tear-off portion of the arrival notification of the foreign national at the place of stay, and a copy thereof;
migration card and a copy thereof (provided at the applicant’s initiative).

Restoring a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP)

Deadline: 7 days. Where to apply:

the territorial body of the UVM GU MVD of Russia at the permitted place of temporary residence — if the document was lost within the constituent entity of the Russian Federation where residence is permitted;
the body at the foreign national’s current location — if the document was lost outside those limits.

Required documents:

statement of loss of the identity document (in free form);
two photographs sized 35×45 mm (black-and-white or colour, with a clear full-face image without headwear; for citizens who permanently wear glasses — with glasses without tinted lenses);
new identity document (if obtained to replace the lost one);
notarially certified translation of documents into Russian — if the documents are in a foreign language.

Restoring a Permanent Residence Permit (PRP)

Deadline: 7 working days from the date of application. Where to apply:

the migration affairs division at the place of issuance of the PRP or at the place of residence — if the PRP was lost within the constituent entity of the Russian Federation;
the migration affairs division at the place of stay — if the PRP was lost outside the constituent entity of the Russian Federation where it was issued or where the citizen has a place of residence (stay).

Required documents:

application for issuance of a duplicate PRP in two copies (available at the GUVM MVD office, can be printed in advance or filled in by hand or on a computer);
foreign passport (original) with a notarially certified translation of all pages, including blank ones (the passport must be valid for at least 2–4 or 6 months from the date of application);
2 or 4 matte photographs sized 35×45 mm (colour or black-and-white, without retouching; if children were included in the PRP — two photographs per child);
notification slip from the police (in case of theft);
damaged document (in case of damage);
documents confirming changes in personal data (birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, etc.);
tear-off portions of the annual residence notification forms (if available);
notarially certified translation of documents into Russian (if in a foreign language);
consular legalisation of documents (for citizens of certain countries).

GUVM MVD staff may request additional documents.

Restoring a Work Patent

Deadline: 3 working days. Where to apply: the territorial department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Required documents:

application for issuance of a duplicate of the lost patent;
foreign passport;
migration card with the entry purpose “work”;
receipts for advance payments on the patent.

Useful Tips

Foreign nationals staying in Russia should follow several basic rules to ensure their own safety and a comfortable stay in the country.

First of all, take care of the digital safety of your documents: make electronic copies of all important papers in advance and save them to your phone’s memory. This will allow you to quickly provide the necessary information even if the originals are lost.

Be sure to save the contact details of your country’s consulate or embassy — this information may prove critically important in a difficult situation when official support at the state level is required.

It will also be useful to write down the phone numbers of the nearest police stations in advance. Emergency situations are unpredictable, and having up-to-date contact details for law enforcement at hand will help you get assistance quickly or navigate a difficult situation.

Under Russian law, a foreign national is required to carry documents at all times confirming their identity and the legality of their stay in the country. The absence of such documents may cause difficulties when interacting with supervisory authorities.

If police officers are checking documents and you have previously reported an incident, present the certificate of registration of that report (if you have it). This can significantly speed up the resolution of the situation and help avoid unnecessary delays.

Conclusion

If you lose your documents, act without delay — this will help you avoid fines and other negative consequences.

Steps to take:

Contact the police and obtain a certificate.
Contact your country’s consulate or embassy.
Restore your migration documents (it is better to do this in person rather than through the Gosuslugi portal).

Source