Guidance

Parental child abduction: Russia

Updated 14 May 2026

Disclaimer

The information contained in this note is intended for your general guidance only, it is not a substitute for obtaining your own legal advice. While all due care has been taken in compiling this information, accuracy cannot be guaranteed and the applicable law and procedures may occasionally change. For these reasons neither His Majesty’s Government nor any member of the British Embassy Consular staff can accept liability for any costs, damages or expenses which might be incurred.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK Government Departments and public authorities.

Parental child abduction

See the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office information for parents if you have concerns about your child(ren) being abducted or retained overseas without your consent.

Parental child abduction may be considered a criminal offence in Russia if a parent removes a child from the other parent or guardian without their consent.

The UK recognised the accession of Russia to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction in 2016. The 1980 Hague Convention provides a legal mechanism to return children to the country where they normally live, if they have been abducted or retained by one parent without the other parent’s consent. The courts in the country where the child usually lives will then decide on children’s residence and their contact with parents.

If you think that the 1980 Hague Convention applies to your situation, you can open a case through the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) in the UK, a government department that administers the Convention.

In the UK, if your child has been abducted overseas, you may be entitled to legal aid.

If you live abroad, contact the Central Authority in the country where you live.

The contact details for the Russia Central Authority are:

The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation
Department for Children Rights’ Protection State Policy
51, Lyusinovskaya Street
Moscow
Russia
115093
Tel: +7 (495) 587-01-10, ext.: 3450
E-mail: d07@edu.gov.ru; c.auth_ru@edu.gov.ru

Persons to contact:

Larissa P. Falkovskaya Director of the Department for the State Policy on Child Right Protection E-mail: d07@edu.gov.ru Tel: +7 (495) 587-01-10, ext.3450 Languages: Russian

Vladimir A. Proskurin
Lead Adviser of the Division for Normative and Legal Regulation in the Sphere of Children Rights’ Protection Department for Children Rights’ Protection State Policy
E-mail: proskurin-va@edu.gov.ru
Tel.: +7 (495) 587-01-10, ext.: 3462
Languages: Russian, English

If you have concerns about your child(ren) being abducted or retained overseas without your consent, you can contact the Russian Central Authority directly.

Parental child abduction cases in Russia may be difficult to resolve, even though there is an agreed international system in place to return children from Russia to the UK and from the UK to Russia. Court orders for returning children are not effectively enforced in Russia.

For more information on how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can help and what the FCDO cannot do, read our information for parents.

Mediation

Mediation is not a part of the legal process in Russia, but it may help parents reach an amicable agreement about their child(ren)’s future without taking the matter to court. A neutral party, or mediator, can assist parents to make  a mutually acceptable decision on custody and contact with their children.

There are state-funded and non-profit organisations providing mediation services in case of parental disputes in Russia, including

Centre for Protecting Rights and Interests of Children (only in Russian)
Tel: +7 (499) 444-08-06, ext. 10011
Email: mediacia@fcprc.ru

There are also regional organisations across Russia (only in Russian). Check with the service provider of your choice if mediation is available in the English language.

Reunite is the leading UK charity specialising in international parental child abduction. They offer practical impartial advice and mediation and provide a support network to the parents who had their child(ren) abducted.

Read more information about Reunite and their services or call 0116 2556 234.

Custody issues

Under Russian law, both parents have joint custody, unless a domestic court decides otherwise. The Russian Family Code and the Russian Civil Code govern child custody issues.

If separated spouses are unable to resolve their dispute about their child, the matter will come to court.  The court will make an order about the child’s residence, custody and/or parental contact. The parent who has custody of the child must abide by any respective court judgment and cannot prevent the other parent’s right of access to the child.

The parent without custody is normally entitled to maintaining contact with the child. If they have neglected or abused their child, their parental rights may  be temporarily restricted or permanently removed by a local  court.

In Russian culture, the mother is often seen as better placed to care for a child.  This may influence a court’s decision on custody issues in favour of the mother.

The situation is different in the predominantly Muslim region of the North Caucasus. Although Russian legislation applies throughout the region, traditional pre-Muslim local laws (adats) often influence court’s decisions on custody issues and their enforcement. In this tradition, a disputed child always remains with their father or the father’s family.

Judgements of the UK courts are not normally recognized and enforced in Russia as there is no bilateral agreement on mutual recognition of court judgements between Russia and the UK.

For detailed information and advice on how the law may apply in your circumstances request an independent legal advice from a qualified English-speaking lawyer.

Travel

Under Russian law, a dual British-Russian national child can leave Russia with either parent without the other parent’s formal consent for them to travel. The child can also travel with any other guardian, a family member or not, if there is written consent by either parent for the child to travel with that person.

A parent can place a ban on their child’s travel abroad through the Russian migration authorities or a Russian diplomatic mission. This will prevent the child from leaving Russia completely or travelling to specified countries with the other parent or a guardian.

The travel ban can cover all international travel for an indefinite time or travel to specified countries for a set period. Travel bans are enforced by Russian border control throughout all entry/exit points. The Russian national parent who placed the ban can still leave Russia with the child or travel with the child to the destinations specified in the ban.

A child under 18 years old can leave Russia unaccompanied with a written consent from one of the parents or legal guardians, unless there is a travel ban imposed by a parent or a legal guardian.

Dual UK-Russian nationality is not recognised in Russia. Russian authorities will treat a child holding both UK and Russian passports as a Russian national.

To be able to leave Russia

• a child who is a dual UK-Russian national needs a valid Russian travel passport

• a British only child needs a valid Russian visa in their UK passport.

Extradition treaty

There is no extradition treaty in force between the UK and Russia, although in 2006 a memorandum on cooperation was signed between HM Crown Prosecution Service and the General Prosecution Service of Russia. The number of extradition requests carried out between the two countries is low.