OF PASSPORTS AND VISAS

Expired foodstuff may cause food poisoning; an expired passport or visa may cost you a vacation or even turn you into a law-breaker. Mr. Lizogub, Head of the Russian Consulate in the Republic of Singapore, speaks about how to avoid such troubles.

Mr. Lizogub, what are your responsibilities as the Russian Consul in Singapore?

First of all, it is the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of Russian citizens and companies on the territory of Singapore, as well as those of the Russian Federation as a whole, within the limits of legislation of the city-state and the norms of international law. In cases where Russian citizens or companies fail to protect their rights on their own, Consulate officials can provide them with the necessary representation before the local judicial and other relevant authorities.

Additionally, the Consulate issues international passports to Russian citizens and, in case of loss, a return home certificate. We also act as a registrar of civil status for Russians in Singapore, documenting their marriages, births and deaths. The Consulate also acts as a notary, which legalises locally-issued official documents meant for submission to the territory of Russia, and assists with Russian naturalisation, too. The Consulate also issues Russian entry visas to foreigners.

All the services mentioned above are a non-exhaustive list of functions prescribed by the Consular Code. In Singapore, ships are being built for the Russian oil company LUKoil, and some Russian vessels are maintained here. All the documentation involved in the ships’ handling is also one of the Consul’s duties.

At times, a foreign ship needs a temporary permit to go to sea under the Russian flag. I will long remember a story about issuing such a permit to the Svitser-Korsakov tugboat, which was headed from to Saint Petersburg from to Sakhalin. The tugboat was meant to stop over in Singapore, where the initial flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines had to give way to the Russian one. However, in February 2008, the tugboat was captured by Somali pirates and was able to call at the port of Singapore only in April. Luckily, there were no victims among the crew members.

While in Singapore, what are the situations in which Russian citizens may find themselves in need of the Consul’s assistance?

In cases where the local judiciary authorities are involved, the timely engagement of the Consul might help to better understand the incident and minimize the possible consequences for the Russian citizens involved. Unfortunately, not all our countrymen behave themselves when in Singapore.

Take, for instance, a Russian seaman who, while celebrating the Old New Year[1] here, broke into the At-Sunrise Academy and caused some damage to the property, for no obvious reason. The police was called, and the rowdy man was tried and sentenced to three months in jail. He was then released after two months for good behaviour.

Another unpleasant incident happened when some Russian tourists shoplifted S$1,500 worth of sunglasses from a Changi store. The incident was resolved by payment of fine of S$2,000.

I would like to stress that all foreigners must observe the laws and customs of the country they visit. Should they happen to break the law, they will be punished in accordance with the local legislation, and the Consul may not be able to help at all. The best we can do for you is guarantee the protection of your rights and legitimate interests in the course of the investigation, trial and post-verdict. It is always up to Singapore’s authorities and law to make the final decision with regard to punitive measures.

It is interesting to note that a sentenced person is not usually denied an entry visa. However, such persons must disclose their conviction when filling up an application form for Singapore. Concealment of convictions may lead to very unpleasant consequences. By the way, all convicts in Singapore have not only their fingerprints taken, but also a blood sample for DNA records.

What should Russian tourists do if their travelling documents have been stolen or lost in Singapore?

You should go immediately to any of Singapore’s police stations where you will be issued a certificate on the loss of your Russian passport. This certificate is of great importance when you leave the country, as well as for applying for a new passport at the Russian Embassy, with which you must also get in touch as soon as possible (51 Nassim Road, tel: +65 6235 1834).

If a Russian tourist loses his or her passport in Singapore, he or she will be issued a return home certificate by the Consulate. In this case, the tourist must present another form of ID that could prove both his or her identity and Russian nationality, like a domestic Russian passport or driver’s license. Should there be no such relevant ID available, the tourist must bring two other Russian citizens who are able to testify to his or her identity and citizenship. Russians who live or work in Singapore may apply for a new passport if they lose their old one. However, the process of issuing a new passport is quite long and could take up to three months.

I’ll tell you one more story. A Russian woman had her purse stolen in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. She lived and worked in Singapore, and her domestic Russian passport was in Singapore, in her flat. Knowing that, the Russian Embassy sent a request to Singapore’s immigration authority, who let the Russian woman back into Singapore, where we issued her a new travel passport in due manner.

What recommendations do you have for ussians visiting Singapore?

Singapore’s authorities do not require tourists to have medical insurance, but for your own peace of mind, I’d advise you to buy one before you come here. Singapore’s healthcare system is impeccable and, compared to other countries, is not too expensive. However, if something rather serious happens to you here, the treatment may cost you an arm and a leg. If you were hospitalised in Singapore, upon discharge you should ask your doctor to write you a certificate to prove that you are fit to fly back home. If you fail to do so, there is a doctor on duty at Changi airport who will examine you before the flight and issue the certificate, if he deems you fit. But, in this case, be prepared to part with S$160, so it’s better to remember about the certificate in the first place.

Also, please remember that many countries, including Singapore, reject entry to individuals whose passports are valid for less than six months. Countries offering visa on arrival may expect you to have a whole blank page in your passport to stick their visa on. In the absence of a blank passport page, you will be denied entry to the country.

I highly recommend my fellow countrymen to go through the immigration regulations of the country they mean to visit by searching online or going to the country’s rep office in Russia, before setting off on a trip. Under Russian law, the validity of your passport cannot be extended, nor may any extra pages be inserted into the existing passport. If your trip falls through, you will have no one to blame but yourself.

What advice would you give Singaporeans planning a rip to Russia?

Please have a close look at visa requirements on our Embassy’s website. I personally would be happy to answer your questions by email (consul@russia.org.sg). Please also read the “Useful Information on Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation” on page 19.

Migration Registration of oreign Citizens in the Russian Federation

Useful Information from the Federal Migration Service (FMS)

Since January 2007, registration of foreign citizens at their place of sojourn in Russia has been annulled and migration registration has been introduced instead. The procedure involves informing a relevant territorial FMS office of a foreigner’s arrival in Russia within three working days. Be informed that migration registration is carried out by the Host Party, thus the foreign guest is spared wasting time and effort. The Host Party submits copies of the foreign guest’s passport and migration card (to be filled up before clearing customs on the Russian side) to the FMS. The originals must never be submitted and should remain in the possession of the foreign guest at all times.

Who may act as the Host Party:

– citizens of the Russian Federation;

– foreign citizens who are permanent residents in the Russian Federation; or

– legal persons, their subsidiaries or representative offices where the foreign citizen actually resides or works.

In most cases, the Host Party is the hotel where a oreigner is staying.

Please be aware that the time of sojourn of a foreign citizen in the Russian Federation is determined by the period of validity of his or her visa. For visa extensions, please apply to the FMS before the visa’s expiration date.

Violation of migration registration regulations may lead to the administrative responsibility of a foreign citizen with a fine between RUR2,000 and RUR5,000 (S$94 to S$235); in some cases, the foreigner may also be expelled from the territory of the Russian Federation. The culprit may thereafter be banned from entry into Russia for a period of up to five years.

Please make photocopies of your passport, migration card and the detachable portion of the Notification. In the event of the loss of the originals, these photocopies would help to confirm your observance of migration registration regulations. Find more information at:

www.fms.gov.ru/useful/migrate/

[1] Although Soviet Russia officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918, the Russian Orthodox Church continued using the Julian calendar. The New Year thus became a holiday celebrated by both calendars, with the Old New Year falling on 13 January.

Visa Submission & Collection Hours:

10:00–12:00 (Monday through Friday)
Closed on weekends
and Russian public holidays:

1–5 January – New Year holidays

7 January – Orthodox Christmas

23 February – Day of Motherland's Defender

8 March – International Women's Day

1 May – Day of Spring and Labour

9 May – Victory Day

12 June – Day of Russia

4 November– Day of National Unity

31 December– New Year Eve

The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Singapore

51 Nassim Road, Singapore 258439
Tel. +65 6235 1834
Fax +65 6733 4780
mail@russia.org.sg