home Translator Are EMERCOM employees allowed to travel abroad? Video: civil servants should forget about traveling abroad

Are EMERCOM employees allowed to travel abroad? Video: civil servants should forget about traveling abroad

Not all Russians have the opportunity to visit other countries. The 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 enshrined at the legislative level, although some of them are advisory in nature.

The regulations for travel abroad by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other structures are shown in According to it, the following entities are limited in their right to travel outside the country:

persons who, on duty, have open access to materials of extreme importance or absolutely confidential information constituting a state secret;
persons mobilized for military or alternative service;
persons serving in institutions Federal service security;
persons to whom anti-Russian sanctions of foreign countries have been applied.

It is worth clarifying that there is a ban on travel abroad for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as a similar one that applies to 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 in the civilian government service, i.e., for example, the travel abroad of civilian personnel of the RF Ministry of Defense is also limited.

List of states

The emergence of the mentioned list is associated primarily with the need for the state to protect information related to sovereign secrets, and in addition, with the complication of relations in the modern political arena. Thus, 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 to entry.

Where is prohibited

The list of states that are strictly prohibited from visiting includes more than 150 countries around the world. In light of the constantly changing political situation, it is recommended to clarify the information on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Where allowed

Which countries can military personnel travel to is determined by the priority of their friendly attitude towards Russian Federation. Unfortunately, the list of permitted countries for military personnel, officials and government employees is not very extensive. An alternative to holidays abroad for these categories of people is the vast expanses of our homeland.

Civil servants were asked to forget about going abroad: Video

Rules for military personnel

The ban on military personnel traveling abroad in 2019 is regulated by the same rules, which means it concerns:

persons mobilized for military or alternative service;
persons serving under contract;
military personnel admitted to special (stamped) information.

The travel ban is documented, certified by the signature of the serviceman and is valid for 5-10 years from the time of the last study of confidential information. It is worth noting that the ban on a person liable for military service traveling abroad does not apply to his relatives.

If travel abroad is still necessary (for example, due to the illness/death of one of the relatives living in another country), the serviceman must obtain official approval from the commander in accordance with the regulations. To do this, you will need, firstly, to provide a report addressed to responsible person with a request to authorize a foreign trip and issue him a passport.

With the consent of the leadership, the serviceman is issued a certificate authorizing the receipt of a document to cross the border.

Secondly, submit an application and fill out a questionnaire for a foreign passport, attaching a certificate issued by the command to the documents. The length of the ban on traveling abroad after the end of service varies depending on the following circumstances:

if a serviceman was allowed access to classified materials during his service, then upon completion of his service the period of restriction is extended to another 5-10 years;
If a citizen served under a contract, then the period of the ban on traveling abroad is regulated by the contract.

Military personnel whose service period has ended, provided they do not have access to certified materials, are allowed to freely visit other countries.

For law enforcement officers

There is currently no strict ban on entry into other countries for law enforcement officers. 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, on the initiative of State Duma deputies, the Ministry of Internal Affairs advised its employees not to leave the country unless absolutely necessary. If, nevertheless, there is an urgent need to travel abroad, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs must also follow the above-described scheme. First of all, they are required to submit a report to travel abroad to the responsible officer and only after receiving official permission to prepare documents for traveling abroad.

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Can employees of the prosecutor's office travel abroad? Let us repeat that there is no law prohibiting employees of law enforcement agencies from traveling abroad (except for the ban for persons authorized to have access to top-secret information). However, in the spring of 2019, the State Duma submitted for consideration the issue of imposing a temporary ban on the travel abroad of police officers and persons in positions leadership positions at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If the new bill is agreed upon, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be forced to include a corresponding article in the contract.

In such conditions, the question of where police officers can go on vacation still 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 permitted.

Russian National Guard

Are employees of the Russian Guard allowed to travel abroad? Restrictions on visiting foreign countries for 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;
upon termination of service, the employee remains restricted from traveling for 5-10 years if during the period of service he was allowed access to confidential information;
For contract workers, the period of validity of the travel ban is regulated by the period stipulated by the terms of the contract.

If an employee did not work with classified information during his military service, then the travel ban ends 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 service apparatus have the right to obtain approval from their manager for a visit to another country only on the basis of one of the following reasons:

need for specialized treatment;
illness/death of a relative living in another country;
settlement of inheritance issues;
settlement of proceedings for confiscation of property registered abroad;
visit to relatives living in another country.

The request to travel is submitted 3 months before the planned event, unless there are any urgent factors. The application is accompanied by acts, certificates, etc. justifying the need to cross the border. Based on the results of reviewing the documents, management must make a decision.

Customs officers

Just like other government departments, the Federal Customs Service received a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in advisory form suggesting that department employees should refrain from traveling to other countries. But locally, in structural divisions, this kind of recommendation is accepted more like 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 increase social security, ensure comfortable working conditions and service for personnel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia” dated 06/07/2018 consolidates the prescribed recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on limiting the rights of employees of this government body to travel abroad. The list of countries allowed for EMERCOM employees to travel to is limited to those that are exclusively friendly towards Russia.

The procedure for obtaining permission to leave the Russian Federation

A certain procedure has been established to authorize travel abroad for all military personnel, persons with access to classified information, as well as employees of the other departments discussed above.

An employee planning to travel abroad must submit a report (application) to the head of the Federal Security Service of Russia, where it is necessary to indicate: the country planned to visit; purpose of the trip; departure date; source of funds for the trip; what kind of transport are you planning to use; travel agency details; information about the person who sent the invitation.
The manager who accepted the application certifies it and puts notes on the time and level of awareness of the applicant regarding information constituting a state secret. Sends documents to the HR department.
Employees of the personnel department and operational management put a note on the application about the presence/absence of reasons for restricting the right to travel.
Exit permission is issued or denied.

One of the reasons for refusal to travel abroad is the presence of debt to the tax and utility services, as well as unpaid fines and other debt obligations. ? This can be done in several ways.

You can check the presence of debts on taxes and fees on the website of the Federal tax service.
You can check whether there is a debt issued for execution by a court decision on the website of the bailiffs (FSSP).
Debts for unpaid fines are checked on the government services portal.
It is easy to check whether you owe a bank by contacting a credit history bureau.

After payment of the existing debt, information in the databases of government departments will only be reflected within 1-3 weeks, so do not postpone this until last moment. You should prepare for the trip in advance, for this it is important to know.

Valid passport.
Visa, because visa-free entry for citizens of the Russian Federation is not allowed to all countries.
Insurance policy.
Round trip tickets.
A travel voucher if a person is traveling on a pre-purchased package.

Despite the fact that the list of documents for leaving the country is not that long, it should be kept in mind that additional requirements may apply to visiting certain countries. Consequently, the list of required papers can be expanded.

Due to the difficult geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine that developed in 2014, many Russian residents currently have restrictions on traveling abroad. First of all, this affected officials with free access to state secrets, classified information and FSB employees. In addition, ordinary employees of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as their close relatives, were also subject to these “sanctions.” However, these strict measures do not mean that Russian police officers will no longer be able to visit exotic countries during their well-deserved vacation. There is a list of permitted countries for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2019, which the above-mentioned persons and members of their families can use without jeopardizing their safety and personal peace.

After reports appeared in the media about raising the issue of a ban on foreign leave for civil service employees, Russians became worried: are all police officers now restricted from traveling?

Three years ago, the order of the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia was rather advisory in nature, but now the scope of the ban threatens to become more widespread and serious. The order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation was approved by the heads of many departments, sometimes with a radical approach, prohibiting travel altogether. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, regardless of clearance levels, were prohibited from traveling abroad, insisting on holidays within the country, thereby supporting domestic tourism.

If the bill restricting the travel of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs abroad is adopted, the “sanctions” will affect almost the entire staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which includes police officers, employees of the migration department, the State Drug Control Service and investigators. The specified professions, due to the duty of their activities, are admitted or can be admitted at any time to secret and classified information, which has three degrees of access.

Since the bill banning employees of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs from traveling abroad was not adopted (withdrawn), there is no strict ban on visiting foreign countries. However, for employees with access to classified documents of the first and second forms, the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs remains relevant. An exception is for a valid reason: an emergency need for treatment abroad and the death or serious illness of a close relative living in another country.

Classified as "Top Secret"

The reason for the travel ban lies in the desire to protect Russian police officers from potential provocations by foreign intelligence services, as well as in order to preserve state secrets that may be known to an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The higher the clearance, the more difficult it is to travel abroad.

According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law “On State Secrets,” the right of a Russian citizen to leave the country may be limited if the citizen has or had access to information of “special importance” or “top secret information.” This restriction is valid for no more than 5 years from the date of last acquaintance with classified information, with the possibility of extending the ban to 10 years.

The first form of clearance is received only by high-ranking department heads, for example, such as heads of departments and heads of operational departments of the prison department. The second form of admission is received by managers and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who are engaged in operational investigative work. The second form of clearance is also available to operational employees of the penitentiary system. The third form of access can be granted to any employee who has access to documents marked “for official use.”

In migration departments, only superiors have access to classified information regional departments, deputy heads of the department, as well as individual employees working with classified documents, including classified statistics.

Countries prohibited for visiting

Employees with first and second degree clearance are strictly prohibited from traveling abroad. Persons with a third degree of clearance or who do not have it, but who still work in departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are not recommended to visit EU countries and those that are bound by contractual agreements with the United States.

List of foreign countries that are not worth visiting: Bulgaria, Great Britain, Egypt, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, Czech Republic, Japan, as well as island states: Seychelles; Bahamas; Marshall Islands and Micronesia.

List of allowed countries

In the fall of 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia issued the so-called Order 360, which published a list of countries that are not prohibited for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to visit. These are countries such as Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, South Ossetia; Brazil, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, UAE, Oman, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, South Africa.

Procedure for obtaining permission

The law restricting the movement of Russian police officers has not yet been adopted, however, many employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs still face problems in obtaining permission to travel. There is the following procedure that will help you avoid problems with the management before or after your trip.

Submitting a report.
Request permission to travel from the headquarters of your unit, with a detailed indication of the route in the country to which you plan to travel.
Waiting for management's decision.
Obtaining a foreign passport at OdiRe, if it was submitted there.
Trip report.
Returning the passport back to the appropriate department.

IN modern conditions Due to political tensions, 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 security forces ah, also can’t afford a tour 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, Ministry of Defense, FSIN, SVR, Ministry of Emergency Situations, FSSP and others). It is recorded in Article 15 of Federal Law No. 114 of 08/15/96. Service in these structures provides access to information that is strictly confidential, and its disclosure could cause serious damage to national interests.

Restrictions on freedom of movement are imposed not only on conscripts, but also on contract military personnel. The issue of the possibility of civilian personnel traveling abroad in the RF Ministry of Defense is resolved purely in individually. Heads of departments local acts has the right to establish or lift a ban on visiting foreign countries.

Duration of restrictions

When joining the department, its future representative signs the employment contract and the non-disclosure agreement of special information. The latter indicates the time period during which restrictive measures are in effect. Usually, The ban on employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs traveling abroad is lifted after 5 years from the date when the person last viewed secret papers.

Reasons for the ban

Restrictions on freedom of movement for representatives of law enforcement agencies are introduced due to two circumstances:

access to information of extreme importance;
preventing threats to personal safety.

Theoretically, in the first case, there is a possibility of disclosure of secret information, and in the second, there is a risk of not returning from the country with which the United States has signed an extradition agreement.

List of countries

List of foreign places where it is recommended/prohibited for subordinates working in special institutions, is determined by internal orders and regulations. Department heads regularly monitor the situation and make decisions on the need for foreign holidays for employees, taking into account the military-political, sanitary-epidemiological, and crime situation in a particular territory.

Where entry is prohibited

In 2019, the list of foreign locations in which the presence of representatives of Russian law enforcement agencies is undesirable is quite extensive. Its main part consists of countries experiencing US pressure in domestic and foreign affairs - France, Latvia, Finland, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Jamaica and others. The blacklist 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 remains relevant. There are an order of magnitude fewer places available for holiday abroad. This year, Russian soldiers and police can go to 13 countries, most of them are former Soviet republics (South Ossetia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, etc.).

You can visit relatives living in these countries by spending a relatively small amount. Holidays in Vietnam, Tunisia, China and Cuba will cost a little more. The list of permitted countries for military personnel is similar to that provided for police officers. Previously, security forces were allowed to vacation in India, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates.

Rules for military personnel

When agreeing to 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, travel abroad by a person liable for military service 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 given the opportunity to review in advance a non-disclosure agreement, which certifies that the soldier has reviewed confidential data. Moreover, relatives of a contract soldier have the right to go abroad without restrictions. The departure of military personnel abroad in 2019 is carried out only with valid reasons and with the permission of a higher commander.

For law enforcement officers

Formally, for representatives of special structures the ban on traveling 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 unspoken rule that prohibits traveling to certain countries unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, even in the presence of the latter, one must strictly adhere to a certain procedure, ignoring which is fraught with adverse consequences for the law enforcement officer or agent. For example, they occur if there is no report for traveling abroad. Without this document, it is impossible to obtain a visa. Moreover, the civil servant must additionally fill out applications to travel abroad (see sample below). Management makes decisions based on specific circumstances.

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Given that the list of foreign locations where police officers can go on vacation is not extensive, representatives of the legislative branch came up with a new initiative in 2019. Deputies want to completely prohibit senior and ordinary officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from going on trips abroad.

If the draft law is agreed upon, the restriction on freedom of movement will be reflected in the employment agreement signed upon hiring. Many people are interested in whether prosecutors 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 of January 24, 2014 No. 201.

Internal troops are the main component of this structure. Are employees of the Russian Guard allowed to travel abroad? Contract soldiers may also have information that is not subject to disclosure. This circumstance imposes a ban on them, but the final decision is made by the management (Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation dated August 21, 2019 No. 360).

FSB

Specialists of this structure are not allowed to leave Russia until the employment contract expires (FSB order No. 179 of April 17, 2012). Moreover, management can send an employee abroad for no more than 15 days. Can FSB officers travel abroad for a longer period of time? Only in exceptional cases - for rehabilitation, resolving issues related to inheritance, caring for relatives experiencing serious problems with health. Moreover, under standard conditions it is necessary to follow a certain procedure - submit a petition to the authorities 3 months before the planned border crossing.

Customs officers

Representatives of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation are also subject to restrictions related to access to information of special importance. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, due to growing international tensions and the threat of terrorist attacks, recommended that customs representatives refuse tours to some foreign countries. And at present, the specialists of this department adhere to this proposal.

To employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations

Those involved in the prevention of accidents and liquidation of emergency situations are also among those restricted from traveling. The list of countries allowed for employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to travel is not as impressive as that of the military and police. When resolving an issue, the degree of political tension in a particular region and personal nuances are taken into account as a priority.

Order No. 244 of the Ministry of Emergency Situations on traveling abroad in 2019 was issued on the basis of recommendations from 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 employees departing on foreign tours.

Until 2014, the Government of the Russian Federation was only discussing the issue of limiting the travel abroad of law enforcement officers, but today there is already a decree imposing a ban on the departure of police officers and civil servants from the country. Currently, such restrictions are becoming especially relevant due to the imposition of sanctions by the West against Russia. Traveling abroad for police officers in 2019 becomes possible only when choosing foreign countries from the list of permitted ones, which is constantly changing due to the unstable political situation in the world.

The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, has approved a list of countries where employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are allowed to travel in 2019. The list lists 13 states that are considered safe for police officers. Among them: Vietnam, Cuba, China, Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and South Ossetia. According to the approved list, civil servants can also go on vacation. I would like to recall the fact that Russian police officers were prohibited from going on vacation in the spring of 2014 due to the international political situation.

Reasons for imposing a ban on police officers traveling abroad

The Ministry of Defense directive does not contain a categorical ban on employees internal organs to leave Russia, but rather narrows the list of foreign countries where you are allowed to travel. The Foreign Office also warned that the safety of police officers in some countries may be at risk. The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other law enforcement agencies accepted the warning as an order and removed the employees. The main reasons for introducing a ban on holidays abroad are considered to be:

Attempts to protect law enforcement officers from provocations that are possible on the territory of countries that have entered into an extradition agreement with the United States of America.
Protection of state secrets. In this case, the ban on leaving the country applies only to those who have access to classified information. Permission to travel abroad is issued upon individual request, and the authorized person of the department is guided by the degree of secrecy of the documents with which the employee was familiarized.
Ensuring the safety of police officers themselves. It's about about countries in whose territory Russian legislation does not apply.

Is there a law restricting travel outside Russia for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs?

The bill prohibiting employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation from traveling abroad was withdrawn (was not adopted), but at the level of recommendations it is proposed to refrain from traveling abroad. That is, strictly this moment No. Establishing restrictions on travel outside of Russia is the prerogative of the leadership of territorial divisions of law enforcement agencies: in some places there were no changes regarding the holidays of police officers abroad, but in others the recommendations of the Ministry of Defense were accepted as an order. Regarding employees who have access to secret information high degrees secrecy, the ban applies to them on the basis of the current Federal Law of July 21, 1993 No. 5485-1 “On State Secrets”. The issue of issuing permission to travel abroad is considered on an individual basis and only if there are compelling reasons for temporarily lifting the ban on crossing Russian borders. A similar procedure for restricting exit from Russia applies to civilians who have entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, providing for the imposition of a temporary ban on exit. The latest proposal from State Duma deputies to consider a bill on imposing a temporary ban on travel abroad for police officers and representatives of “certain positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs” was received in March 2017. One of the points of the document is to study the issue of excluding from the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs holders of residence permits and other documents that are the basis for residence in the territory of foreign states. After a preliminary study of the proposal, the government ordered the development of a list of positions that would be subject to the ban on leaving Russia. No conceptual grounds were found for rejecting the bill.
If the law is passed, labor contract employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be supplemented with a corresponding article, which implies the imposition of a temporary restriction on the commission by employees of law enforcement agencies.

What are the established levels of data secrecy?

Information that is not subject to disclosure by law enforcement officers who have been cleared to state secrets is conventionally divided into three levels:

Information classified as “Secret” is available to law enforcement officials and is intended for official use.
Information classified as “Top Secret” can be obtained by employees engaged in operational investigative work and by operational employees of the penal system.
Data classified as “Of Special Importance” is provided exclusively to heads of departments and department heads.

The right to travel outside the country is limited if a law enforcement officer had access to information classified as “Top Secret” and “Of Special Importance.” He may be considered prohibited from traveling abroad for no more than 5 years or for a shorter period if this is stipulated in employment contract or contract.

The ban can be extended by decision of the interdepartmental commission for up to 10 years.

Which countries are police officers allowed to travel to?

In the event that a police officer did not have access to state secrets, the ban on him traveling abroad will be advisory in nature. There are certain situations in which a recommendation can be equated to an order, and vice versa - sometimes an exception can be made in relation to a law enforcement officer. The most stringent restrictions apply to NATO countries and foreign countries that have entered into an extradition treaty with the United States. The easiest way to travel abroad is if the purpose of the trip is to visit a country friendly to Russia.
A complete list of countries that police officers are not recommended to visit has not yet been published. However, there is a list of foreign countries where prosecutors cannot travel - it is contained in the order of the Prosecutor General’s Office dated April 24, 2014 No. 201 “On restricting travel abroad for prosecutors of bodies and institutions of the prosecutor’s office of the Russian Federation”: in total there are 166 such countries. There is reason to believe that the list “ prohibited” states for police officers will be similar. There are only 32 countries where police officers are allowed to travel abroad. Their list can be found in the appendix to the order of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation dated August 21, 2015 No. 360 “List of foreign countries to which employees of the Main Directorate and subordinate units can travel on tourist trips taking into account the current international situation.”

What documents are required to obtain permission to travel abroad?

In many divisions of law enforcement agencies, foreign passports were confiscated from employees. When hired, new police officers submit this document to the personnel department or the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 5 days after starting work. The procedure for obtaining permission to enter a country from the list of permitted states does not seem difficult. But to achieve the opportunity to travel abroad to one of the prohibited foreign countries, police officers must go through a cumbersome process of obtaining permission. For this you will need:

It is no secret that foreign travel for representatives of law enforcement agencies has been prohibited since April 2014. At the same time, although the leadership of the departments concerned claims that this ban is purely advisory in nature, ordinary employees still prefer to adhere to the regulation so as not to lose their jobs. So, we propose to figure out which countries police officers can travel to, and which countries it is better to refrain from traveling to.

Who is subject to sanctions?

According to statistics, today almost 4 million security forces are subject to the ban in the Russian Federation. These include:

employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
migration authorities;
employees of anti-drug departments;
executive service employees;
military.

FSB employees;
persons who have access to state secrets are subject to a restriction for 5 years with the right to further extension for another similar period;
military personnel.

Please note that this sanction is specified in the employment contract, and the employee’s foreign passport is kept in the department’s personnel department.

Why is there a ban?

The ban on travel abroad for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has good reasons. The heads of the security forces themselves give two reasons.
Protection of state secrets

Based on this argument, all those employees who, one way or another, possess some kind of secret information are prohibited. In this case, the degree of awareness of state secrets is also taken into account. If it is not too high, then the decision to lift the ban can be made on an individual basis. After all, it does not always happen that a police officer’s right to work with certain documents means that he came across them during his service. In addition, all documents of this order are divided into several categories:

So, the most stringent measures apply to those who have information from the first two groups.

In addition, before the trip, you need to check whether you have a travel ban; we recommend the high-quality service nevylet.rf, which will help you find out information about the presence of debt on loans, fines, alimony, housing and communal services, etc., as well as assess the likelihood of a travel ban abroad.

The safety of the employees themselves.

This reason, in searching for an answer to the question of whether police officers are allowed to travel abroad, is no less important than the previous one. This is due to the fact that the ban is imposed mainly on those states that have signed an extradition treaty with the United States of America.

This suggests that staying in these countries is not safe for security forces, since they will not be under the protection of Russian law.

List of prohibited destinations

The total number of states that Russian security forces cannot visit reaches 120 names. Most of of which are located in Europe or are members of the UN. So, here are the main countries prohibited for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to travel:
Europe: Liechtenstein, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Greece, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, France, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland;

Both Americas: Argentina, Bahamas, Venezuela, Brazil, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay;

Asia: Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand.

In addition, this also includes some countries on the African continent - Gambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, as well as a number of states in the Australian basin - Australia, New Zealand and others.
Where can you go to relax?

Based on such a variety of prohibited routes, the pressing question remains: what does the list of countries that police officers are allowed to travel to look like? Unfortunately, it is not as numerous as the previous list, but still leaves room for travel:
CIS countries: Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, South Ossetia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Azerbaijan;

Asia: China, Laos, Palestine, Yemen;

Europe: Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Vatican City;

Africa: Cote d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Chad, Uganda;

American continents: Chile, some Caribbean countries, Aruba, Bonaire.

By the way, an exception from the list of prohibited countries can be made only if a police officer has sick relatives on their territory, but again, provided that he does not have access to classified information.

Procedure for obtaining permission to leave

As it turns out, finding out which countries military personnel and police officers can travel to is not enough. You also need to know how to do this. First of all, you should get permission from your superiors.
The procedure looks something like this:
The military writes a report, the civilians write a statement.

In this document you must indicate the country to which you intend to travel.

Submit a report to your command.

Wait for the request to be reviewed.

If the outcome of the case is positive, present this permit to the HR department for the issuance of a foreign passport.

Upon completion of the trip, the travel document must be returned to the HR department, and a report on the foreign trip must be submitted to your immediate superiors.
To the leaders of all specified services To obtain permission, you will need to obtain the consent of the minister.

Ban on traveling abroad for security forces: video