In the current conditions of political tension, not all categories of Russians can go on a trip abroad. However, the deterioration of the international situation, along with the financial component, are not the only reasons preventing travel. Russians involved in work in law enforcement agencies also cannot afford to travel abroad. Travel abroad for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and their colleagues is not open today, since the first and second have special information.
The ban applies to representatives of a number of special departments (Ministry of Internal Affairs, FSB, MO, FSIN, SVR, EMERCOM, FSSP and others). It is fixed in Article 15 of the Federal Law No. 114 of 15.08.96. Service in these structures provides access to information that is strictly confidential, and their disclosure can cause serious damage to national interests.
Restrictions on freedom of movement are imposed not only on conscripts, but also on contract soldiers. The issue of the possibility of civilian personnel traveling abroad in the Russian Defense Ministry is decided on a purely individual basis. Heads of departments by local acts have the right to establish or remove a ban on visiting foreign countries.
The duration of the restrictions
Coming to the service in the department, his future representative signs the labor contract and the non-disclosure agreement for special information. The latter indicates the time period during which restrictive measures are in effect. Usually, the ban on the travel of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs abroad is lifted after 5 years from the date when the person last looked through secret papers.
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The issue is resolved taking into account the level of data confidentiality. If the information owned by the employee has the third level of secrecy, then the period of not traveling abroad can be reduced (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 870 of September 4, 1995). In some cases, at the initiative of the Interdepartmental Commission, it can be increased, but not more than 10 years. The decision taken can be appealed in court.
Reasons for the ban
Restriction of freedom of movement for representatives of law enforcement agencies is introduced due to two circumstances:
- access to information of extreme importance;
- prevention of a threat to personal safety.
Theoretically, in the first case, there is a possibility of disclosure of secret information, and in the second case, there is a risk of not returning from the country with which the United States has signed an extradition agreement.
List of countries
The list of places abroad where it is recommended/prohibited to stay for subordinates working in special institutions is determined by internal orders and instructions. Heads of departments regularly monitor the situation and decide on the need for foreign holidays for employees, taking into account the military-political, sanitary-epidemiological, and criminogenic situation in a particular territory.
Where entry is prohibited
In 2019, the list of foreign locations in which the presence of representatives of law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation is undesirable is quite extensive. Its main part is made up of countries that are under pressure from the United States in domestic and foreign affairs - France, Latvia, Finland, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Jamaica and others. The black list is represented by more than 150 states, which is associated with a regular increase in international tension.
Where allowed
The question of which countries military personnel can travel to does not lose relevance. There are much fewer foreign places available for recreation. This year, Russian soldiers and policemen can go to 13 countries, most of which are former Soviet republics (South Ossetia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, etc.).
You can visit relatives living in these states by spending a relatively small amount. Holidays in Vietnam, Tunisia, China and Cuba will cost a little more. The list of allowed countries for the military is similar to that provided for the police. Previously, the security forces were allowed to rest in India, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and the AOE.
Rules for military personnel
Agreeing with the terms of the contract by signing it, the soldier must remember that the document imposes on him certain obligations related to the inability to leave the Russian Federation. Moreover, in 99% of cases, a person liable for military service abroad is impossible a priori, despite the presence of a white list of countries. The fact of access to information of extreme importance in this case does not matter.
The soldier is provided in advance with the opportunity to familiarize himself with the non-disclosure agreement, which certifies the fact that the soldier has viewed confidential data. Moreover, the relatives of the contractor have the right to go abroad without restrictions. Departure of military personnel abroad in 2019 is carried out only if there are good reasons and with the permission of a higher commander.
For law enforcement officers
Formally, for representatives of special structures, the ban on tours abroad is not imperative. But for many years, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB have provided for the organization of a secrecy regime when traveling abroad, and no one has the right to violate it. There is an unwritten regulation that prohibits travel to certain countries without special need.
Moreover, even in the presence of the latter, one should strictly adhere to a certain procedure, ignoring which is fraught with adverse consequences for the law enforcement officer or agent. For example, they come if there is no report to travel abroad. Without the specified document, obtaining a visa is excluded. Moreover, the civil servant must additionally fill out applications for traveling abroad (see the sample below). Management makes decisions based on specific circumstances.
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Against the background of the fact that the list of foreign locations where police officers can go to rest is not voluminous, representatives of the legislature in 2019 came up with a new initiative. The deputies want to completely ban the highest and ordinary ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from traveling abroad.
If the draft law is agreed upon, then the restriction on freedom of movement will be reflected in the labor agreement signed upon admission to the service. Many are interested in whether employees of the prosecutor's office can travel abroad? They also become aware of secret information within the framework of their official powers, therefore the ban on visiting certain states is provided for by order of the Prosecutor General dated January 24, 2014 No. 201.
Internal troops are the main component of this structure. Are National Guard employees allowed to travel abroad? Contract soldiers may also have information that is not subject to disclosure. The specified circumstance imposes a ban on them, but the final decision is made by the leadership (order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation of August 21, 2019 No. 360).
FSB
Specialists of this structure are not allowed to leave Russia until the expiration of the labor contract (FSB order No. 179 of 04/17/12). Moreover, the management can send an employee abroad for no more than 15 days. Can FSB officers travel abroad for a longer period? Only in exceptional cases - for rehabilitation, resolving issues related to the registration of an inheritance, caring for relatives experiencing serious health problems. Moreover, under standard conditions, it is necessary to follow a certain procedure - to submit a petition to the authorities 3 months before the planned border crossing.
Customs workers
Representatives of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation are also subject to restrictions related to access to information of particular importance. The Russian Foreign Ministry, in connection with the growing international tension and the threat of terrorist attacks, recommended that customs representatives refuse to tour to some foreign countries. And now the specialists of this department adhere to this proposal.
For employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
Those involved in the prevention of accidents and liquidation of emergency situations also belong to the number of travel restrictions. The list of countries allowed for travel by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations is not as impressive as that of the military and police. When resolving the issue, the degree of political tension in a particular region and the nuances of a personal nature are taken into account as a matter of priority.
The order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations on traveling abroad in 2019 No. 244 was issued on the basis of the recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the inappropriateness of tourist voyages. The document obliges unit commanders to take the most balanced approach to the problem of the relevance of the departure of employees on foreign tours.
In 2020, the public continues to actively discuss the sanctions that Russia and Western countries impose against each other. One of the "sanctions" - a ban on traveling abroad, introduced back in 2014 on ordinary Russians who are employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is also relevant in 2020.
Element of the uniform of an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Reports that soon employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be banned from traveling abroad began to appear several years ago. The nature of the messages was very different. Sometimes absolutely fantastic information slipped on social networks.
According to some sources, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs received letters and telegrams drawn up by specialists from higher authorities. It was said that from now on to everyone without exception. Initially, there was no official order.
The trigger was A. Khinshtein's appeal to V. Kolokoltsev. In his appeal, the official asked V. Kolokoltsev to give explanations regarding the existing "sanctions".
Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Kolokoltsev V.A.
Prohibition confirmation
The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was able to give an official answer only when the situation became somewhat clearer. The travel ban was confirmed. According to the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, police officers are civil servants. This imposes certain obligations on them. Including some restrictions become relevant.
At that time, according to the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the order as such did not exist. Instead of an order at the turn, an order was issued for the ministry. This order said that from now on, the police do not have the opportunity to visit foreign resorts.
No one took away vacations from employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Police officers are invited to rest within the CIS, and even better in the Crimea or in the Krasnodar Territory. The categorical ban on visiting some foreign countries applies only to FSB officers, as well as persons working with classified information. In total there are three categories of the degree of secrecy.
The first category includes data of special importance, access to which only the authorities have. The second category includes data of "medium importance", which can be accessed even by an ordinary employee. The third category includes “ordinary” classified information, which investigators are also allowed to work with.
On December 16, 2019, Federal Law No. 433 entered into force. It officially states that former FSB officers cannot travel abroad for 5 years after leaving the service. The document can be read on the official Internet portal of the state legal information of the Russian Federation:.
The main reasons for the ban
According to the order, there is no strict ban on visiting foreign countries. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are simply not recommended to travel to those in 2020.
The order indicates the following reasons for the recommendation to refrain from visiting certain countries:
- Protection of state secrets (according to the order, those employees who have access to classified information must refuse to visit foreign countries).
- Security (Russians traveling abroad are often victims of US intelligence agencies for far-fetched reasons).
The corresponding order is relevant for employees of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, military personnel, the Federal Drug Control Service, the Russian Guard and some civilians. The Russians, who have concluded an agreement with the Ministry of Defense, must obey the order.
"Top Secret"
The order was taken literally by the leadership of law enforcement agencies: they began to take away the passports from the policemen. The ban on visiting “foreigners” hit the residents of Kaliningrad and the Far East the hardest. Today, as an alternative, they are invited to visit China or.
Getting permission
It is important to understand that a ban on traveling abroad is not a sentence. If it becomes necessary to visit a foreign state, each employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has the opportunity to obtain the appropriate permit.
The procedure for issuing a permit today looks like this:
In the application, the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs undertakes to describe his route in as much detail as possible. It is also necessary to indicate for what purpose he wants to make an overseas rendezvous. The final decision is at the discretion of the chief.
It is important to take into account the fact that the authorities can consider the applicant's question both positively and negatively.
It is the duty of the superiors to inform the employee of the decision taken. Confirmation that the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs got acquainted with the decision of the authorities is his personal signature.
Permission to issue a foreign passport is also issued according to the established model. If an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is faced with the need for a long stay abroad, the final decision on his issue is made only after agreement with the higher authorities.
The application process takes 2-3 hours and does not involve any specific bureaucratic formalities. The decision is made within 3-5 business days.
At the end of the rendezvous, the policeman undertakes to draw up a written report on the trip and submit it to his superiors. After the trip, the passport is again handed over to the personnel department.
Where can you go
According to the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation V. Kolokoltsev, signed in December 2017, the ban on traveling abroad applies to absolutely all employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including those who carry out their activities in territorial and regional departments.
The situation in the world today cannot be called stable. Therefore, the list of taboo countries has expanded significantly. If earlier Brazil, Dominican Republic, India, Morocco, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, UAE, Montenegro were open for the military, then in 2020 a veto was imposed on holidays in these fears. Today, there are more than 200 states on the banned list. But somewhere you can still go on a well-deserved rest.
The list of foreign countries in which the security forces can rest in 2020 looks like this:
- Azerbaijan,
- Abkhazia,
- Armenia,
- Belarus,
- Vietnam,
- Kazakhstan,
- Kyrgyzstan,
- China,
- Cuba,
- Thailand,
- Tajikistan,
- Turkmenistan,
- Türkiye,
- Uzbekistan,
- South Ossetia.
According to Russian tour operators, a full-fledged beach holiday is possible in Vietnam, China, Thailand, Turkey and Cuba. Although many ordinary employees will not be able to afford holidays in these countries. It will be possible to soak up the sun and golden sand on a budget in Abkhazia.
National Guard employees are allowed to visit the Maldives.
Russian police officers will be welcome in the CIS countries. Lovers of the sea, sun and tart wine can visit the same Abkhazia or Ossetia. Connoisseurs of historical sights are welcome in Armenia and Uzbekistan. From European countries you can visit Belarus. Do not forget about the native Crimea.
Departure to the "forbidden" states in 2020 is allowed by the police only in exceptional cases. The definition of "exceptional case" refers to the need for urgent treatment or the death of a close relative living abroad.
Not all Russians have the opportunity to visit other countries. Travel abroad of civil servants, military personnel and employees of various law enforcement agencies is limited by the legislation of our country. Some of these prohibitions are fixed at the legislative level, although some of them are advisory in nature.
To whom the exit is closed
The regulations for the travel abroad of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other structures are displayed in According to it, the right to travel outside the country is limited to the following entities:
- persons who, on duty, use open access to materials of extreme importance or absolutely confidential information constituting a national secret;
- persons mobilized for military or alternative service;
- persons serving in the institutions of the Federal Security Service;
- persons subject to anti-Russian sanctions of foreign countries.
It is worth explaining that there is a ban on the travel of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs abroad, as well as a similar ban on employees of the Ministry of Defense, the FSB, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Penitentiary Service, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In addition, it is also applicable to the staff of officials registered for civil government service, i.e., for example, the travel of civilian personnel of the RF Ministry of Defense abroad is also limited.
List of states
The emergence of the mentioned list is primarily due to the need of the state to protect information related to sovereign secrets, and in addition to the complication of relations in the modern political arena. Thus, directly the countries that have concluded extradition treaties with the United States of America, and the powers that are members of the North Atlantic Alliance, are subject to the most severe restrictions. But those who are friendly towards Russia are open for entry.
Where prohibited
There are more than 150 countries of the world in the list of states to which a categorical ban applies. In the light of the constantly changing political situation, it is recommended to check the information on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Where allowed
Which countries military personnel can travel to is determined by the priority of their friendly attitude towards the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, the list of allowed countries for military personnel, officials and government employees is not very extensive. An alternative to a holiday abroad for these categories of people is the vast expanses of our country.
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Rules for military personnel
The ban on the departure of military personnel abroad in 2019 is governed by the same, which means that it applies to:
- persons mobilized for military or alternative service;
- persons serving under the contract;
- military personnel admitted to special (stamped) information.
The travel ban is documented, certified by the signature of a serviceman and is valid for 5-10 years from the date of the last study of confidential information. It is worth noting that the ban on travel abroad of a person liable for military service does not extend to his relatives.
If travel abroad is still necessary (for example, illness / death of one of the relatives living in another country), the soldier must obtain the official approval of the commander in accordance with the regulations. To do this, you will need, firstly, to provide a report addressed to the responsible person with a request to authorize a trip abroad and issue him a passport.
With the consent of the leadership, the serviceman is issued a certificate authorizing the receipt of a document for crossing the border.
Secondly, submit an application and fill out a questionnaire for a passport, attach a certificate issued by the command to the documents. The term of the prohibition to travel abroad at the end of the service varies depending on the following circumstances:
- if a serviceman during the period of service was admitted to classified materials, then at the end of the service, the restriction period is extended to another 5-10 years;
- if a citizen served under a contract, then the term of the ban on traveling abroad is regulated by the contract.
Military personnel whose period of service has ended, provided they do not have access to stamped materials, are allowed to freely travel to other countries.
For law enforcement officers
There is currently no strict ban on entry into other countries for employees of law enforcement agencies. However, the organization of a secrecy regime when traveling abroad imposes similar restrictions on security officials who have access to classified information.
However, back in 2015, at the initiative of the deputies of the State Duma, the Ministry of Internal Affairs advised its employees not to leave the country without an exceptional need. If, nevertheless, there is an urgent need to travel abroad, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should also follow the above scheme. First of all, they are obliged to submit a report for traveling abroad to the responsible officer, and only after receiving official permission to prepare documents for a trip abroad.
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Can prosecutors travel abroad? We repeat that there is no law prohibiting employees of law enforcement agencies from traveling abroad (except for a ban for persons admitted to information of high secrecy). However, in the spring of 2019, the State Duma submitted for consideration the issue of imposing a temporary ban on travel abroad for police officers and persons holding senior positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If the new bill is approved, the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be forced to include the relevant article in the contract.
In such conditions, the question of where police officers can go to rest remains open for many. For the most part, it is customary to adhere to the recommendations given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to limit the number of countries to which travel is allowed.
National Guard
Are National Guard employees allowed to travel abroad? Restrictions on visiting foreign countries in relation to employees of the structure are identical to the requirements for military personnel in this matter:
- travel to other countries is prohibited during the entire period of service;
- at the end of the service, the employee remains restricted to travel abroad for 5-10 years, if during the period of service he was allowed to access confidential information;
- for contractors, the period of validity of the travel ban is regulated by the period stipulated by the terms of the contract.
If an employee during his military service did not work with classified information, then travel restrictions end simultaneously with his term of service.
Can FSB officers travel abroad? Employees of this department are also subject to a number of travel restrictions until the termination of the contract period. Employees of the office of the service are entitled to receive the approval of the head to visit another country only on the basis of one of the following reasons:
- the need for specialized treatment;
- illness/death of one of the relatives living in another country;
- settlement of inheritance issues;
- settlement of proceedings for the confiscation of property registered abroad;
- visiting relatives living in another country.
A request to leave is submitted 3 months before the planned event, if there are no urgent factors. The application is accompanied by acts justifying the need to cross the border, certificates, etc. Based on the results of consideration of the documents, the management must make a decision.
For customs officers
As well as other government departments, the Federal Customs Service received a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in the form of a recommendation proposing to refrain from leaving department employees to other countries. But on the ground, in structural subdivisions, such recommendations are accepted rather as an order for execution.
For employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations on traveling abroad in 2018 No. 244 “On additional measures to improve social security, ensure comfortable working conditions and service for personnel of the EMERCOM of Russia” dated 06/07/2018 fixes the prescribed recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on restricting the rights of employees of this state administration body to go abroad. The list of countries allowed for travel by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations is limited to exclusively friendly towards Russia.
The procedure for obtaining permission to leave the Russian Federation
To authorize travel abroad for all military personnel, persons with access to classified information, as well as employees of the other departments discussed above, a certain procedure has been established.
- An employee planning to travel abroad must submit a report (application) addressed to the head of the Federal Security Service of Russia, where it is mandatory to indicate: the country planned for visiting; purpose of the trip; departure date; source of funds for the trip; what kind of transport is planned for the trip; details of the travel agency; information about the person who sent the invitation.
- The head who accepted the application certifies it and marks the time and level of the applicant's awareness of information constituting a state secret. Sends documents to the HR department.
- Employees of the personnel department and operational management on the application put a mark on the presence / absence of reasons for restricting the right to leave.
- Permission to leave is issued or denied.
One of the reasons for refusal to travel abroad is the presence of debts to the tax and public utilities, as well as unpaid fines and other debt obligations. ? This can be done in several ways.
- You can check the existence of debts on taxes and fees on the website of the Federal Tax Service.
- You can check whether there is a debt put up for execution by a court decision on the website of the bailiffs (FSSP).
- The public services portal checks debts for unpaid fines.
- It is easy to check the presence of debt to the bank by contacting the credit bureau.
After the payment of the existing debt, the information in the databases of government departments will be reflected only within 1-3 weeks, so do not put it off until the last moment. You should prepare in advance for the trip, for this it is important to know.
- Valid passport.
- Visa, because visa-free entry for citizens of the Russian Federation is not allowed in all countries.
- Insurance policy.
- Round trip tickets.
- Travel voucher if the person is traveling on a pre-purchased tour.
Although the list of documents for leaving the country is not that long, it should be borne in mind that additional requirements may apply to visiting certain countries. Therefore, the list of required papers can be expanded.
According to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, since 2014, police officers and military personnel cannot travel outside the country. Previously, it was recommended to limit the rest of these citizens abroad, but fines and other sanctions for violation were not imposed.
What is the situation today?
The travel ban naturally caused a backlash in society. However, even such harsh measures may be tightened further. This opinion is shared by experts in the field of politics and legislation for 2020. The reason for these actions was Russia's complicated relationship with European states and the United States. International conflicts may lead to the introduction of new restrictions on the travel abroad of employees of law enforcement agencies who have access to classified information. And since the political situation in the world remains unstable, it is not known when the employees of these structures will receive permission to travel abroad.
Now the police and the military are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, which characterizes the travel of the security forces around the world as highly undesirable.
So, you are not entitled to leave the country:
- police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- employees of the FMS;
- members of the armed forces;
- FSKN of Russia.
The total number of these categories of citizens is at least 4 million.
This problem has escalated most of all in the Kaliningrad region and the Far Eastern regions. Previously, residents of these settlements often traveled abroad, as other countries are closer to them than to the rest of Russia.
Are there any changes for the better?
The list of states prohibited from leaving includes members of the UN, the European Union, the USA, South America and Australia. Travel to alternative destinations is permitted. For example, security forces can freely rest in the Maldives, Tunisia and Vietnam. The list of countries allowed for employees to leave in 2020 (according to the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 360) also includes:
- India;
- Cambodia;
- Israel;
- Morocco;
- Indonesia;
- Myanmar;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Macedonia;
- Croatia;
- Palestine;
- Puerto Rico.
Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Armed Forces can also go on vacation to the warm states of the CIS, for example, Georgia, Ossetia and Abkhazia. Those who are passionate about history and architecture will be interested in Armenia and Uzbekistan, and lovers of a more European way of life will be interested in Latvia, Belarus and Moldova. The list of powers that are taboo and those where employees of law enforcement agencies can travel changes over time, as the situation in the international arena is not stable.
Which countries are still free to travel to, but not recommended? These include African states. There is always a difficult political situation.
To go on a trip abroad, a soldier must submit a report and obtain the approval of his superiors. However, not everywhere the leadership of the units is loyal. In one region, permission is easy to obtain, in another, several conditions must be met, and in a third, it is impossible at all. The order of the Ministry of Defense, which formally is still a recommendation, is interpreted differently in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Is it possible to travel to a "forbidden" country? Only under special circumstances. These include a serious illness or death of a relative living abroad.
A trip to a taboo country
It is still possible to go to some states despite the ban on staying there.
To this end, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Armed Forces must receive approval from the leadership in time, it can be issued only in exceptional cases.
If a close person of a military or police officer needs urgent treatment or has died, the security official will be released to the country of his location. But the facts must be confirmed by relevant certificates. They are accompanied by a notice. Sometimes consent is obtained only after consideration of the report by the higher authorities.
Having traveled to a taboo country, the employee must immediately hand over the passport and submit a report to the management.
Laws
The document, which has an ambiguous interpretation depending on the locality, has a legal basis and is based on regulations, which indicate employees of the following structures:
- FSIN;
- armed forces;
- people who have access to information of particular importance: state secrets, classified information.
The territorial restriction is usually set for a maximum of 5 years. The countdown starts from the date when the intelligence officer learned about the ban, but only if the data has already lost its secrecy. Otherwise, the period of non-departure increases, and the Russian will not be able to go abroad.
In order to comply with the condition, the passports of the police and military are in the FMS, which makes it even more difficult for employees of these services to travel abroad.
Reasons for restrictions
The ban on visiting other countries for employees of law enforcement agencies did not arise from scratch. There are two problems due to which the authorities are trying not to let these citizens go to other countries:
- the presence of state secrets;
- insecurity for the Russians themselves.
The letter, which is advisory in nature, explains that it is necessary to ban foreign travel in order to avoid disclosure of information if the security official is aware of state or official secrets. The situation is quite serious, but the last word remains with the management of the employee and is connected with his form of access to classified documents. At the same time, it is difficult for a policeman who has the right to work with “special” papers to prove that in fact he does not touch them.
Secrecy in power structures is divided into 3 main groups:
- 1 form of admission. This is particularly important data. They are available only to officials and heads of departments.
- 2 category. Information classified as "Top Secret". It can be received by ordinary operational workers.
- 3 form of admission. Secret information used for official purposes.
The authorities observe the principle of the protection of Russian citizens, therefore they attach importance to the safety of employees of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is relevant due to the fact that residents of the Russian Federation may have trouble in countries that have signed an extradition agreement with the United States. After all, being within the borders of these states, the Russians are forced to obey their laws. Therefore, the recommendation actually became an order, and foreign passports were taken away from the security forces. The travel ban has, above all, a moral basis. It appeared with the aim of protecting the life and health of citizens of the Russian Federation.
In a number of countries (there are 120 of them) it is not safe for the military to stay, since the US special services operate there.
The restriction on travel abroad also applies to family members of Russian security forces - parents, children and spouses.
Documents for departure
According to the law, today there is only a warning about possible liability for crossing the border. Various departments and regional authorities agree to the departure of employees depending on their professional merits, the form of access to classified information and the destination of the trip.
Consider the stages of paperwork for this purpose:
- Submission of a report by military personnel or an application - by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the head of their unit.
- Management independently decides on consent or refusal. The applicant receives a notification, which he signs and puts a number. This paper looks like a certificate approved by the department. There is a sample of the restriction as well as the exit permit.
- If the head of the institution agrees, the employee comes to the personnel department with a signed notice, and then temporarily takes the passport that was in storage. The identity card will be returned to the citizen only upon presentation of the specified certificate. If he has never issued a passport, he will need to do this on the basis of the same permission attached to a set of other documents.
Important: as a rule, the certificate indicates the length of stay of the security officer abroad (the maximum period is 2 weeks).
If an employee of the authorities is going to spend more than 15 days in another country, his superiors cannot give consent to this on their own, without consulting with top management.
Basic Rules
When employed, the police and military must hand over their passports to the FMS or the personnel department within 5 days.
The security forces do not have the opportunity to go abroad during the holidays only at their own request. The trip is subject to state secrets law, regulations and office instructions.
Citizens who have received permission to leave from their superiors must immediately surrender their foreign passports upon arrival in the Russian Federation. Even if the trip was only for tourist purposes, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Russian Armed Forces must report to the leadership.
High officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in 2020 may need to not only submit a report, but also write an application addressed to the Minister of Defense. At the moment, this is just an assumption, but such conversations are already underway.
So, the recommendation to ban travel to other states for members of the police and armed forces has in practice become a real restriction. The reason for this is the protection of secret information and the security of the Russian security forces.
Will the ban be lifted?
Information periodically appears in the media that the restriction on holidays abroad for employees of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation will soon be lifted. Not so long ago there were rumors that it would be possible to visit 30 "forbidden" states.
There is unofficial information that a document on lifting the ban for some countries is indeed being prepared. But according to the official representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it should be carefully checked. Such data cannot be distributed among ordinary employees bypassing the management.
No one predicts when exactly they will allow free border crossing with other countries. Many police and military officials, communicating on forums on the Internet, write that such an opportunity will present itself only after the stabilization of the political situation in the world.
Interior Ministry employees were allowed to travel abroad in 2019 to 13 countries. The corresponding order was signed by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev more than a year ago.
Official document
Decree of the Minister of Internal Affairs of December 26, 2017 "On the organization of trips of employees of the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation, civil servants, employees of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia outside the Russian Federation during their vacation"
What countries are on the allowed list?
In total, there are 13 countries in the list that were selected by the Ministry of Internal Affairs based on the following factors:
- military-political situation;
- criminogenic situation;
- sanitary and epidemiological situation;
- military and political situation.
Police officers are allowed to travel abroad in 2018 to the following countries:
- Uzbekistan;
- South Ossetia;
- Armenia;
- China;
- Cuba;
- Tajikistan;
- Abkhazia;
- Azerbaijan;
- Turkmenistan;
- Belarus;
- Vietnam;
- Kazakhstan;
- Kyrgyzstan.
ATOR commented on the choice of countries where employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were allowed to go on vacation in 2019. According to experts in the tourism business, a beach holiday from the listed list is possible only in Cuba, China, Vietnam and Abkhazia. At the same time, rest in the first three countries is unlikely to be affordable for an ordinary police officer, since vouchers to such distant countries are sold at a price of 100,000 rubles.
In other countries, excursion and sanatorium vacations are a priority, and some countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Ossetia and Tajikistan) are not represented at all in the Russian tourist market. Most likely, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were allowed to travel abroad in 2019 to these countries so that they could visit relatives who have been living there since Soviet times.
Tour operators were surprised by the inclusion of such a state as Turkmenistan in the list of countries for the recreation of police officers in 2019. Tours to this country are not carried out due to the strict visa regime. Most likely, as in the case of the previous "quartet", Turkmenistan is "open" for visiting local relatives. According to statistics, about 5% of the population of this country are Russians.
Permission to travel abroad for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
This order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not give the unconditional right to police officers to travel to these countries on vacation. The text of the order contains a clause stating that this list must be followed when considering reports on traveling abroad during the holidays of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including civil servants. That is, the final decision will still be up to the authorities, who in each case will decide whether it is possible for police officers to go abroad in 2018, but the latest news from the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be encouraging.
In previous years, there were many cases in judicial practice when the court confirmed the legality of the dismissal of a police officer for unauthorized travel abroad without obtaining the appropriate permission from the higher authorities. For example, Appellate ruling No. 33-4937/2015 dated November 03, 2015, in which the Judicial Collegium for Civil Cases of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug Court overturned the decision of the lower court and recognized the dismissal of the investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for unauthorized travel abroad as justified.
The board concluded that the police officer ignored the job descriptions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, according to which it is necessary to report to the authorities about the intention to leave the Russian Federation. This is stated in the following departmental documents:
- order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated September 12, 2013 No. 705 dsp "On certain issues of departures of police officers, federal state civil servants and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system";
- order of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Gerasimov S.A dated April 18, 2014 No. 188 and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the district dated April 19, 2014 No. 1051 “On restrictions on traveling abroad”.
Since the plaintiff, being a police officer, did not receive the necessary permission, the dismissal from the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was recognized by the court as lawful.
Who else is banned from traveling abroad in 2019?
Police officers are not the only ones who need to coordinate the right to travel abroad of the Russian Federation. In accordance with Art. 24 of the Federal Law N 5485-1 “On State Secrets”, when obtaining access to state secrets (to “especially important” and “top secret” information), an employee may be restricted from traveling abroad during the entire time he works with such information. This restriction can be extended by decision of the Interdepartmental Commission for 5 and 10 years after the end of work with state secrets.
Employees of the Federal Security Service (FSB) are restricted from traveling abroad by Order No. 179 of April 17, 2012. You can leave with the permission of your superiors and if there are good reasons, which include:
- visiting close relatives;
- severe health condition of close relatives;
- the need for treatment abroad;
- visiting the graves of close relatives;
- property inheritance;
- alienation of property.
In all cases, the presence of a valid reason for traveling abroad must be documented.
Other grounds for restrictions on travel abroad for citizens of the Russian Federation, which concern not only employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, are listed in Art. 15 FZ N 114-FZ "On the procedure for exit from the Russian Federation and entry into the Russian Federation".
