Why you might not be allowed to travel abroad
Sometimes a great trip can end before it even begins. And all because of travel restrictions abroad. We'll tell you in detail who might be banned, how long it lasts, and how to get rid of it. Let's go!
How passengers are checked upon departure
Border guards, controlling border crossings, have access to closed databases where all information about debtors is stored. If you have a debt, it doesn't mean you are banned from traveling. The existence of a debt must be confirmed by a court, and travel restricted by bailiffs.
Who can be subject to restrictions
Of course, the ban applies only to certain travelers. Below is a list of those whose travel is definitely restricted.
Citizens with access to state secrets
They are prohibited from traveling abroad for five years from the date of their last access to classified information. Sometimes, due to special secrecy, the term can be extended to ten years. The basis for the ban is Article 24 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On State Secrets".
Mobilized and conscripted for military service
The Border Service may not allow to travel abroad, citing Part 2, Article 21 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization in the Russian Federation".
Suspects, accused, or convicted of crimes
If you are suspected of a crime, the court has the right to prohibit you from traveling abroad. These conditions also apply to those on probation.
FSB employees
The Federal Security Service restricts its employees from traveling abroad — this is only possible in exceptional cases with special permission.
Those who provided false information in their documents
When applying for a foreign passport, you are required to provide accurate information about your place of residence, full name, presence of children, and military service data.
By providing false information, you restrict your departure for up to a month, even to countries where a foreign passport is not required. These include, for example, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Belarus.
Minors
Children under 18 are unlikely to be able to travel abroad without parental or guardian permission. Also, a father or mother has the right to set a ban period or restrict travel to any country.
Bankrupts
A condition for being declared bankrupt is a debt of 500,000 rubles or more that has not been paid for more than three months. However, without a court order, debts will be considered invalid.
Debtors
One of the most common categories of citizens who may have their travel restricted.
Debtors include people who delay payment of alimony, taxes, compensation for moral or health damage amounting to 10,000 rubles or more.
The general requirement for other debts that complicate travel: they must amount to 30,000 rubles or more, and you have not paid them for more than three months. For example, a court recognized and transferred to the FSSP that you have utility debts of 20,000 rubles and a traffic police fine of 17,000 rubles. These debts are summed up, and bailiffs impose a travel ban. If they are not repaid within six months (the standard restriction period), the ban can be extended for another six months.
Important nuance: do not confuse having a loan with debt to the bank. The main thing, as we have already said, is that you regularly make payments. Then you will be allowed to travel even with several loans.
Foreigners
Sometimes a court may impose a ban on leaving Russia on foreigners and stateless persons. This is done at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, tax authorities, bailiffs, or customs in the following cases:
– the person is suspected of committing a crime. The ban may be lifted after a decision is made on the case or the verdict comes into force;
– a court decision has been issued against a foreigner for a crime committed on the territory of the Russian Federation. The restriction ceases to apply after the sentence is served or upon release. Exception: those released on parole, if they have no debts to the victims;
– the person evades tax payments and fulfillment of obligations imposed by the court;
– the person has been brought to administrative responsibility. For example, for non-payment of alimony or traffic police fines. The ban will only be lifted when the debt to the authorities is repaid.
Is it possible to travel with unpaid debts
Those who have planned a vacation but have debts are unlikely to be allowed to travel abroad. (Therefore, we immediately tell you where to relax by the sea in Russia.) Only emergency cases become exceptions for travel. These include a threat to life, a serious illness of a relative, or the funeral of a relative in another country.
How to check if there is a travel ban
We hope that you didn't recognize yourself in any of the points above and will be able to depart peacefully. For those who want to be 100% sure, we tell you how to find out if travel abroad is permitted.
- Taxpayer's personal account https://lkfl2.nalog.ru/lkfl
It only shows tax debts; you won't find information about a travel ban here. However, if you find that you have tax debts, it's better to pay them in advance.
- FSSP Account https://fssprus.ru/iss/Ip
The official bailiff service allows you to track all your debts.
- Gosuslugi https://www.gosuslugi.ru/
You just need to type "Entry restrictions"; "Presence of restrictions" into the search form. The resource can check court/tax debts, car fines.
- Official application with a written request
It is necessary to send a written request to the tax authorities and the bailiff service to check your debts. Some migration issues can be resolved through the Ministry of Internal Affairs. For example, travel restrictions for children and adults. The answer usually comes within 30 days. However, even without debts, border guards may not let you through if you are still listed in the database as a non-traveler.
We do not recommend using other services to protect you from fraudsters. We certainly don't want fake banking services calling you and asking for the three digits on the back of your card.
What to do if you are not allowed on a flight due to debts
The very first advice is to check for debts in advance. If you are already at the airport, the best solution is not to argue with border guards. You will only waste time and nerves.
Decided to settle your debts right at the airport? Unfortunately, this is unlikely to help you board the plane. Bailiffs will need to receive the funds, lift the restrictions, and transfer the updated information to the database. How much time this will take is unclear. The period varies from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks.
Request a written notification of refusal to travel. If the debt appeared by mistake and the court establishes this, you will be obliged to receive compensation. We advise you to immediately contact the FSSP to record the existence of the restriction and clarify the situation.
The best solution is to try to get a refund for the ticket before the plane takes off.
How long does a travel ban last and how to lift it
The term of the ban on traveling abroad is six months. As for lifting it, we'll answer with a proverb: "Pay your debts and sleep peacefully." Soon it will even be difficult to enter Belarus with debts, as Russia plans to create a common FSSP debtor database there. About what you need to enter Belarus, we already wrote in the blog earlier.
There's really no other way. You can pay off debts to bailiffs, tax authorities, or banks on Gosuslugi, as well as on the website of the FSSP. Unfortunately, if you need to resolve the issue immediately, it's impossible. Funds can be credited within a couple of minutes or several days.
We wish you always have the opportunity to travel!
