Since mid-June, Muscovites have been unable to apply for a foreign passport on the mos.ru website without State Messenger Max, the Moscow Times reported on June 27, citing several Muscovites.
According to them, you can fill out an application for a foreign passport only in the chatbot “Documents” in “Max”. Without this, Muscovites say, it is impossible to make an appointment at the MFC.
The mos.ru support service reports that at Max you can fill out an application for a 10-year biometric passport, and at the reception of the MFC you just need to show the barcode to automatically fill out the application.
At the same time, as the publication notes, you cannot register without a questionnaire in Max, including obtaining a five-year passport without biometric data (the so-called old passport).
According to Muscovites, you can fill out an application for a foreign passport on the state services portal, but there are no free slots for submitting an application to the MFC or the police.
Residents of Russia in 2026 faced difficulties in obtaining biometric passports. Russians often complained that there were no free places in Gosuslugi to submit an application, and that they had to wait several months for a complete document.
Russian authorities constantly impose Max on citizens, who is positioned as a national messenger. Meanwhile, the use of Telegram and WhatsApp has been restricted in Russia. At the same time, Max has been repeatedly criticized for safety issues.