From April 1, Russians Can Check Into Hotels Using Digital Passports via the Gosuslugi App

Russia introduces digital passport check-ins for hotels via Gosuslugi app

A government decree authorizing the change was adopted on November 27, 2025, and took effect on April 1.

Under the new rules, minors can also check into hotels through Gosuslugi. If a child is traveling alone, they must additionally provide parental consent for the stay, according to the document.

The option is only available at hotels that have chosen to adopt this format and are technically prepared for it, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Economic Development told RIA Novosti. Hotels may independently select their check-in method—whether through biometric verification, the app, a messenger service, or a traditional paper passport. The latter remains a universal option and will always be accepted, the ministry emphasized.

In autumn 2025, the GosDoki app—part of the Gosuslugi platform—introduced a feature allowing users to generate a QR code that, in some cases, can be presented in place of a physical passport. Currently, the QR code can be used instead of a passport to verify age when purchasing alcohol or tobacco, as well as for visiting museums, cinemas, checking into hotels, and accessing services at banks and multifunctional public service centers (MFCs), among other uses.