---
title: "Biometrics at the Border: Nearly 70,000 Foreigners Denied Entry to Russia"
description: "The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that since the start of the biometric identification experiment for foreigners at the border, entry into the country has been denied to nearly 70,000 people, while 14 million citizens have submitted their data."
date: 2026-08-22T15:01:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/biometric-control-at-russia-border
tags: [biometrics, russia-border, migration, border-control, mvd-russia]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Biometrics at the Border: Nearly 70,000 Foreigners Denied Entry to Russia

![An officer in blue gloves guides a foreigner's finger onto a biometric fingerprint scanner during border control in Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/22/biometricheskii-kontrol-na-granitse-rossii/biometricheskii-kontrol-na-granitse-rossii-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Since the start of the experiment, entry into Russia has been denied to nearly 70,000 foreign citizens following biometric verification.
- A total of 14 million people have submitted biometric data during border control.
- The practice has been in effect since December 1, 2024, and was expanded in June 2026 to 11 additional border checkpoints in the regions.

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has released preliminary results of the experiment on collecting biometric data of foreign citizens upon entry into the country. According to the ministry, since the practice was launched, a total of 14 million people have submitted their biometric data during border control, and entry into Russia was denied to nearly 70,000 foreign citizens. The experiment has been in effect since December 1, 2024, and is gradually covering more border checkpoints, shifting the identification of foreigners at the border to a digital format.

### How the Identification System Works

Upon entry into the country, foreigners are identified by two main biometric parameters. The data is collected directly at border control points and then verified in a unified electronic system. According to the press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, such a system “helps not only to collect biometric data but also to identify individuals who, after being banned from entry, left the country, changed their personal data, and attempted to re-enter Russia.” Thus, biometric control serves as a tool not only for record-keeping but also for countering the circumvention of previously issued entry bans.

### Phased Expansion of Coverage

In the first stage of the experiment, the system was connected to Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports in Moscow, as well as the Mashkavovo road border checkpoint in Orenburg Oblast. From May 1, 2025, Vnukovo airport was added to the list. A significant step in expanding coverage took place in June 2026: the system was installed at another 11 border checkpoints in Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Yekaterinburg, as well as in Altai Krai and Irkutsk, Kurgan, Novosibirsk, Saratov, Orenburg, and Omsk oblasts.

### What This Means in Practice

The phased introduction of biometric control means that the process of identifying foreigners at Russia’s borders is being progressively shifted to a digital format, and the geographic scope of the system’s application is expanding beyond the capital’s airports to regional aviation and road border checkpoints. For travelers, this means that upon entry into certain regions they will need to undergo a biometric data capture procedure, while for individuals with previously issued entry bans, the risk of being detected when attempting to cross the border again increases significantly.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Biometric control tightened at Russia’s borders: 70,000 people denied entry – Zamin.uz, 21.08.2026](https://zamin.uz/ru/mir/218854-na-granitsakh-rossii-usilen-biometricheskiy-kontrol-70-tysyacham-chelovek-otkazali-vo-vezde.html) - Подтверждает цифры 70 тыс. отказов и 14 млн сдавших данные, хронологию с 1 декабря 2024 г.
- [Control by fingerprints and photos: how biometrics at the border helped keep 70,000 people out of Russia ...](https://argumenti.ru/opinion/kontrol-po-otpechatkam-i-foto-kak-biometriya-na-granice-pomogla-ne-pustit-v-1006845) - Совпадает по ключевым цифрам и механизму двух параметров биометрии.
- [Biometrics “denied” 70,000 foreigners the right to enter Russia](https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6a8714e19a7947880d653933) - Подтверждает итог эксперимента и источник данных — МВД России.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many foreigners were denied entry following biometric control?
**A:** According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, since the start of the experiment, entry has been denied to nearly 70,000 foreign citizens, while a total of 14 million people have submitted biometric data.

### Q: When and where did the experiment begin?
**A:** The practice has been applied since December 1, 2024; in the first stage, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports in Moscow and the Mashkavovo road checkpoint in Orenburg Oblast were connected to the system, later adding Vnukovo and 11 regional border checkpoints.

### Q: By what parameters are foreigners identified?
**A:** Identification is conducted by two main biometric parameters; the data is collected at border control points and verified in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ electronic system.