Children under 14 allowed to enter Abkhazia and South Ossetia with a birth certificate

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that, pursuant to a decision by the President of the Russian Federation, the Border Service of the FSB of Russia has resumed allowing children who are citizens of the Russian Federation under the age of 14 to cross the Russian border with Abkhazia and South Ossetia using birth certificates bearing a mark confirming their Russian citizenship. 

At the same time, this procedure for crossing the Russian state border with these countries is temporary and will remain in effect until the end of 2027.

On April 2, 2026, Russian President V. Putin made a special decision to maintain, for Abkhazia in 2026-2027, the option for children under 14 to enter from Russia using a birth certificate. This was announced at the plenary session of the “Abkhazia - Investments in the Future” forum by Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.

❗️Please note that, to cross the Russian-Abkhaz border, it is MANDATORY to HAVE A STAMP CONFIRMING RUSSIAN CITIZENSHIP on the reverse side of the child's birth certificate. Children will not be allowed to cross the border without a citizenship stamp.

Tour operators had repeatedly warned that requiring children under 14 to have an international passport to travel to Abkhazia would severely affect this destination. It has always been particularly popular with families with children.
Market participants believe that restoring the option for children under 14 to enter using a birth certificate is the best solution to the issue.
However, industry representatives point out that the same changes for Belarus have inexplicably not been adopted, even though the new rules have likewise made it more difficult for Russian tourists with children to enter the country.

➡️Amendments to the law “On the Procedure for Leaving the Russian Federation and Entering the Russian Federation” came into force on January 20, 2026, prohibiting children from leaving Russia without an international passport. The ban also applied to trips to Abkhazia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and South Ossetia.