Unaccompanied minor flying from the USA to Russia

Unaccompanied minor flying from the USA to Russia - American dollars on national flag

My daughter, 15, may need to fly to Moscow, Russia from California, unaccompanied. What paperwork will she need to do this? Will she be allowed to? She speaks fluent Russian and English so that she will have no problem with communication. Also, may you please put down the sources of this information, I would like to look into it more. If you need more details please ask. Thank You.



Best Answer

It depends on which nationality she is and I will assume she is a U.S. Citizen and her purpose of travel is "tourism", since that was not specified in your question.

First of all, U.S. travelers to Russia will need a valid passport and a Russian visa inside their passport. The major difference for getting the visa, for minors, is that they need to fill out some extra paperwork and additional documents.

According to the travisa website:

a photocopy of the child's birth certificate and the parents' passport information page and an original signed letter from at least one parent must be included authorizing the Russian Consulate to issue the Russian visa and explaining who the minor will be traveling with to Russia.

My advice is that you call the Russian Visa processing company (ILS) in San Francisco. You will have to submit your visa documents and passport to them anyways, but please contact them to verify that your daughter can travel alone as a minor into Russia.

I tried calling the San Francisco office to clarify but it seems that their number does not work. So, I called the Washington DC office and they told me that it's perfectly fine for unaccompanied U.S. minors to fly to Russia, as long as the extra papers are filled out with the visa application. Please contact them at your earliest convenience.

San Francisco Russian Visa Center (ILS) contact information:

  • Call-center: +1 202-827-0880
  • Telephone: +1 415-860-0852
  • E-mail: info-san-francisco@ils-usa.com
  • Working hours: Monday-Friday: 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. (Passports pick up: 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m.)
  • Technical break: 1 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.

Washington D.C. Russian Visa Center (ILS) contact information:

  • Call-center: +1 202-827-0880
  • Telephone: +1 202-827-0895
  • Fax: +1 202-827-0896
  • E-mail: info-washington@ils-usa.com
  • Working hours: Monday-Friday: 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. (Passports pick up: 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m)
  • Technical break: 1.00 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.



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Can unaccompanied minors fly internationally?

Passengers 12 years old and above may travel alone on domestic flights without the use of the unaccompanied minor program. Unaccompanied minors are not permitted on international flights. Fees must be paid by a parent or responsible adult upon check-in.

What airlines can unaccompanied minors fly?

  • jetBlue. Unaccompanied minors between 5 and 14 years can travel to most national and international destinations on nonstop flights only. ...
  • KLM. ...
  • Ryanair. ...
  • Southwest. ...
  • Spirit Airlines. ...
  • Transavia. ...
  • United Airlines. ...
  • Virgin Atlantic.


What does a 15 year old need to fly alone internationally?

Child age at the time of unaccompanied travel Children ages 15-17 are permitted to travel as a standard passenger, Go to footer note, provided they can present a valid ID to security personnel. If parents or guardians prefer, they can also travel as an unaccompanied minor.

Can a 13 year old fly alone internationally?

Anyone under the age of 17 who is flying alone on an international flight may be required to produce a signed letter of consent from a parent or responsible adult.



FLYING ALONE INTERNATIONALLY FOR THE 1ST TIME (as a minor)




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