Germany, Romania no longer accept non-biometric Russian passports

Germany and Romania have officially stopped recognizing Russian passports without biometric data from January 1, 2026, European Commission (EC) documents confirm.

Poland is set to follow suit from April 1, 2026. According to the EC’s official list of third-country passports accepted for entry into the European Union, Berlin and Bucharest will no longer accept so-called “old-style” Russian passports.

Warsaw’s decision, to take effect in April, marks the next phase in a broader EU approach towards travel documents issued by Russia.

The change affects Russian citizens holding passports valid for five years that lack biometric information. Other EU countries, including Denmark, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic states, have already imposed similar restrictions.

Kirill Budaev, Senior Adviser and head of the consular department at the Russian Embassy in Spain, previously indicated on December 7, 2025 that Spain was likely to introduce entry and residence limitations for Russian citizens holding these older passports.

By Aghakazim Guliyev