Legal regulation of electronic passports in the Russian Federation

Abstract

The object of the study of this article is the social relations arising from the issuance and use of newly introduced electronic passports in the passport system of the Russian Federation; the subject of the study are the rules of law governing the introduction and circulation of electronic passports. The purpose of the study is to analyze modern legal acts regulating the passport system of the Russian Federation and to develop measures to improve the passport system for the effective introduction of electronic passports. Based on the purpose of the study, the article analyzes the international experience of the introduction and use of machine-readable and electronic passports, as well as the foreign experience of the CIS countries in the use of biometric passports. The normative legal acts regulating the passport system in the Russian Federation are investigated, as well as gaps in the legislative framework that prevent the effective implementation of the electronic passport system in Russia are identified. The methodological basis of the research is the dialectical method of scientific cognition of phenomena and facts of objective reality in their dynamics and development, as well as general and private scientific research methods. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that attempts to introduce electronic passports into the current Russian passport system have been made since 2013. Pilot projects were proposed to create and implement universal electronic cards, but the projects were closed due to a number of problems. Currently, by Presidential Decree No. 695 of September 18, 2023, the process of introducing electronic digital passports has been resumed, however, for the successful and effective introduction of electronic passports, the modern passport system requires modernization, including in the field of law regulation. The article draws attention to the problems of using electronic passports in relation to the passport system of the Russian Federation. At the same time, based on the purpose of the study, the author analyzes the main regulatory and social problems that arise when introducing electronic passports into life and also suggests a number of measures that contribute to effective electronic passport document management.