The range of the consular services to the Russian citizens provided by the Russian Embassy in South Ossetia was expanded since the beginning of August, 2012.
As reported IA "Res" by the head of the consular department of the Embassy of Russia in South Ossetia Tamerlan Zaseev, "now, when replacing the passport, the Russian citizens have a choice – to get an old common civil passport or a common civil passport of a new generation, known also as the biometric".
According to him, there are a number of differences between the so-called old and new patterns of foreign passports. In particular, a number of pages in the passport of a new generation have increased up to 46, its duration extended to 10 years.
"This allows putting on a document more visas of the foreign countries and eliminates the need to applying to the embassy for a new passport every five years. Besides, protection of the biometric passports from fakes has been increased, - said Zaseev.
He has added, these opportunities are provided by the inclusion of the electronic media chip, certified by digital signature. And all the personal data about the holder of the biometric passport are protected by a special digital signature and are encrypted.
"It will raise the credibility of the holder of the biometric passport on the part of the passport and visa service of the country, where the owner of the document arrives, - continued the official. - In countries where the border authorities use special equipment that reads the electronic information, holders of the biometric passports pass the border control quicker."
According to Zaseev, accepting the documents for passports started in early August of this year.
"At the beginning of this month we have set up the special equipment, and started to receive the documents. The standard period for preparation of both types of passports is three months "- he said.
Zaseev also added that since the beginning of accepting the documents for a new type of passports, 20 citizens had already applied to the consulate and the number of them had been increasing.
