Estonia: Information on the exact date that passports were initially issued, and on the date that former Soviet passports became invalid for entering and exiting Estonia
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | EST21714.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Estonia: Information on the exact date that passports were initially issued, and on the date that former Soviet passports became invalid for entering and exiting Estonia, 1 September 1995, EST21714.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abb888.html [accessed 23 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
There is no new information available on the exact date that Estonia began to issue its own passports. For related information, please consult Responses to Information Requests EST13893 of 22 April 1993, EST11455 of 14 August 1992, and EST9794 of 16 January 1992.
According to the ETA news agency attachment of 17 February 1995, internal Soviet passports continued at that time to be valid for traversing the Estonian-Russian border.
According to the BNS attachment of 30 December 1993, holders of Soviet external passports of other former Soviet republics who were residing in Estonia on the basis of residence permits or who arrived as settlers in Estonia before 1 July 1990 register their passports with the citizenship department; registered passports were to be valid until 12 July 1995 or until the termination of the residence permit.
In a telephone interview on 21 September 1995, the public relations director of the Joint Baltic American National Committee, a non-governmental organization in Rockville, Maryland that represents Baltic-American communities in the United States and provides information on the Baltics to the American Congress and Administration, provided the following information. The former Soviet passports were valid for entering and exiting Estonia until 18 July 1995.
For related information on Soviet passports, please consult Responses to Information Requests EST19099.E of 9 December 1994 and EST16462.E of 8 February 1994.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
BNS [Tallin, in English]. 30 December 1993. "Registration of Soviet Passports to Continue." (FBIS-SOV-94-001 3 Jan. 1994, p. 73)
ETA [Tallin, in English]. 17 February 1995. "Internal Soviet passports Still Valid for Estonian Border Crossings." (BBC Summary 23 Feb. 1995/NEXIS)
Joint Baltic American National Committee, Rockville, Md. 21 September 1995. Telephone interview with public relations director.
Attachments
BNS [Tallin, in English]. 30 December 1993. "Registration of Soviet Passports to Continue." (FBIS-SOV-94-001 3 Jan. 1994, p. 73)
ETA [Tallin, in English]. 17 February 1995. "Internal Soviet passports Still Valid for Estonian Border Crossings." (BBC Summary 23 Feb. 1995/NEXIS)
Other Sources Consulted
DIRB country file on Estonia.
Monitor [Washington]. Bi-Monthly.
Other oral sources.
