MAY 2015 Australian Embassy Moscow CONSULAR & PASSPORT SERVICES UPDATE APOSTILLES AND APPOINTMENTS FROM 1 AUG 2015 Appointments for Consular and Passport Services • From 1 August 2015, clients seeking non-emergency consular or passport services will be required to schedule an appointment prior to presenting to the Australian Embassy in Moscow. This change will assist us in continuing to provide clients with an efficient and effective service, in face of the increased processing burdens required to interview passport applicants in person ; and following the expansion of our notarial service to include apostilles . • Clients presenting without an appointment confirmation will be allocated an appointment on subsequent days unless it is for an emergency consular situation. • To schedule an appointment, please contact the embassy’s switchboard on +7 495 956 6070 or by email to [email protected] . • Appointments will be available between 10am and 12pm and 2pm and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Please check the Embassy’s website for when we are closed due to a public holiday: www.russia.embassy.gov.au . Apostilles • From 1 August 2015, the Australian Embassy in Moscow will be able to legalise Australian public documents through the affixing of an apostille. As a general rule, countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents require an apostille on documents that qualify as Australian public documents. These countries include Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and others. This service was previously only provided through our offices in Australia. For additional information about legalising documents, check our smartraveller page: www.smartraveller.gov.au/services/legalising-documents.html Requirement to Lodge Passport Application in Person • From 1 July 2015, the Australian Government strengthened the requirements for passport applications lodged overseas by making it mandatory for all applicants to lodge completed applications in person at the nearest Australian mission or consulate. • Interviews for passport applications can be arranged at the Australian Embassy in Moscow, at the Australian Consulates in St Petersburg and Vladivostok and at the Canadian Embassy in Astana. Please contact the respective office to arrange for an interview. • For additional information, please review the webpage of the Australian Passport Office (www.passports.gov.au ) or contact the Australian Embassy’s Passport Office at [email protected] or on +7 495 956 6070. .