How the process works
The baby’s documents are obtained step by step, in a set order:
- Birth certificate — local, issued by the maternity hospital or civil registry of the country. The basis for everything else.
- Citizenship — in birthright countries, citizenship is issued on the basis of a birth certificate (in some countries it is registered automatically).
- The child’s first passport — country of birth; with it, the baby is already a citizen of the world.
- Apostille and notarised translation — so the documents are valid in other countries.
- Local numbers — for example SSN in the USA, CPF in Brazil, DNI in Argentina.
How long this takes
Benchmark — 2–4 weeks for the main package (birth certificate, citizenship, passport), plus time for apostilles and translations. That is why the travel plan always includes a few weeks after the birth: it makes sense to fly home once your child’s documents are in hand.
Is renouncing Russian citizenship required?
No. Russia permits dual citizenship: the child remains a Russian citizen (through the parents) and simultaneously acquires citizenship of the country of birth. Parents are required to notify the authorities of the child’s second citizenship in the prescribed manner — this is a formality, not a renunciation.
Common mistakes
Leaving before apostille processing is complete means arranging powers of attorney and handling everything remotely later — slower and more expensive. Missing the window for notarised translations for Russia. We handle the full document package on the ground, without you waiting in queues, and hand you a complete set valid both in the country of birth and in Russia.