Estonia to stop recognizing non-biometric Russian diplomatic passports
Estonia will stop recognizing Russian-issued non-biometric diplomatic and service passports for EU border crossings and visa applications starting this September 1.
The decision follows an earlier move in March 2025, when Estonia stopped recognizing non-biometric Russian-issued civilian passports.
Russia issues both biometric and non-biometric passports, and according to the ministry, non-biometric passports lacking an embedded chip containing the holder's biometric data increases the risk of misuse.
It added that such passports also do not meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommendations for secure travel documents.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
