Documents from Russian archives

To request documents from Russian archives (birth, marriage, death, divorce certificates)  it is required to:

1.  Fill out completely in Russian two copies of application forms (click to download) for each document;

2. Enclose money order of $45 (issued for to the Russian Consulate in SF) as consular  processing fee for each requested document;

3. Enclose copy of applicant's valid Passport;.

4. If you request documents not for your name but for your minor child, wife or husband, please, don't forget to enclose document proving your relationship (copy of birth, marriage certificate etc.); 

4. Submit set of these documents to the Consulate in person or send it by registered mail (don't forget to notarize all your signatures) with your cover letter.

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Criminal Background Check  from Russian Ministry of Interior (information about the Criminal recordsin Russia)

In order to request Criminal Background Check from Russia applicant has to:

1. Fill out application form in Russian (click to download);

2. Enclose a money order of $45 (issued for to the Russian Consulate in SF) as  consular fee for processing;

3. Enclose copy of applicant's valid Passport;

4. Submit set of these documents to the Consulate in person or send it by registered mail (don't forget to notarize all your signatures) with your cover letter;

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Regular time of processing for all type of documents

from 3 to 6 months

Don't forget that if you send application by mail you have to pick it up after processing in person only

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Consulate can't process request for the following documents: military identifications, labor books, driver’s licenses, inquiries of family status, evaluations, and personal cases from Russian institutions. We do not process requests for documents if they are not in the inquirer’s name or not valid at the present time. (For example, you cannot request a birth certificate of a person who is deceased or a marriage certificate of someone who is divorced).

To request duplicates of documents from educational institutions we recommend that you address your inquiries directly to those institutions. If it is an inquiry regarding military educational institution, those questions can be answered by the Office of the Military Attaché at the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC.

If the petitioner makes a request directly at the Russian archives, the Consulate General will collect the above-mentioned fee from the petitioner upon receiving the requested documents.

You will be notified about the result of your request examination.

The consulate will not refund any fees acquired even if the documents or requested information are not found.

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In case of death of a Russian citizen.

In case of death of a Russian citizen, the Consulate General of the Russian Federation seals the casket (the urn) for transportation of the remains to Russia.

The following documents should be presented to the Consulate General:

The documents mentioned in points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 must carry > Apostilles. The translation of the documents into Russian must be attached.

• The death Certificate;
• The sanitary Certificate confirming that death did not result from any communicable decease and no unusual occurrence of decease is evident in the State;
• The Certificate of absence in the casket (urn) of extraneous objects;
• Local authorities permission for shipment of the deceased from USA to Russia;
• The Certificate of cremation (in case of cremation);
• Application in Russian (click to download. A special program called "Adobe Acrobat Reader" is needed to open the file.);
• Passport of the deceased;
• There is no consular fee if the casket (urn) is sealed in the Consulate. But it is required to pay transport expenses and hotel accommodation if a consular representative seals a casket (urn) out of San Francisco.

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International legalization of U.S. documents for presenting abroad including Russian Federation

In accordance with the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, in which both the Russian Federation and the United States of America are participants, documents legalized by an Apostille of a participant country are exempted from any validation (i.e., from verification of the authenticity of the signatures, the authority of the persons signing, and the authenticity of the seals and stamps) by the consular establishments of other participant countries. Documents with Apostille do not require any further legalization.

The Apostille is a special stamp or attached document established by the Hague Convention, placed in documents by a competent authority of the country in which the document was issued. In the USA, the Apostille is placed by a Secretary of State where the document was issued.

The Secretary of State contact information and fees information are available at:
www.travel.state.gov/law (State Authentication Authorities Section).

The following documents are considered as official documents in accordance with the Hague Convention (documents for public use), and can be Apostilled:
-Documents issued by organizations or officials associated; with courts or state tribunals, including documents issued by a public prosecutor, court secretary, or bailiff;
-Documents of administrative (executive) authorities;
-Documents certified by a notary public;
-Official validating endorsements, placed on documents signed by individuals acting in a personal capacity, such as official certificates of the registration of a document or of its existence on the date indicated, as well as official and notarial verifications of signatures.

The Hague Convention does not cover the following documents:
-Documents issued by officials of diplomatic missions or consular establishments;
-Documents of administrative authorities that have direct bearing on commercial transactions or customs operations;
-IDs.

Please be advised that according to the standard practice, Russian official organizations may not accept foreign legalized (Apostilled)  documents if they are not certified by the consular offices of the Russian Federation  in the countries where the documents originated. This certification means confirming genuine of Apostille.

It happens due to the difference of execution of Apostille in other countries including Russia (seal) and the United States (certificate).
That's why it is highly advised that the US Apostilled documents intended for use in Russia has to be certified at the consular offices of the Russian Federation.

If you want your Apostilled document to be accepted in the Russian Federation you have to translate it into Russian and certify translation in the Russian Consulate.

In order to do it applicant may submit to the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco in person or by mail following documents:

1. Original legalized (Apostilled) document (no copy please);

2. Cover letter

3. Completely filled prepaid  FedEx envelope with FedEx account number (no credit or debit card account) or money order for $20 as a payment for returning your documents.

If applicant prefers to pick up his documents in person the above mentioned is not required;

4. Money order for $50 issued for the Russian Consulate in San Francisco as a payment for Apostille certification.

5. Money order for $40 issued for the Russian Consulate in San Francisco as a payment for translation certification.

Processing time - 5 working days.

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