On April 30, the press service of the US diplomatic mission announced that the embassy in Moscow would reduce the volume of consular services from May 12. It will only continue to provide emergency services to US citizens and provide a very "limited number of immigrant visas" in situations of expiration, as well as life and death issues. The issuance of nonimmigrant visas for non-diplomatic travel will be discontinued.
The decision is due to the fact that on April 23, the Russian government announced its intention to prohibit the US diplomatic mission in Russia "from hiring foreign citizens in any capacity." In this regard, the consular staff is reduced by 75 percent.
The embassy in Moscow has no plans to provide standard notary services, consular birth reports abroad, or passport replacement services in the foreseeable future. Emergency requests from American citizens for a new passport will be processed on an individual basis.
The US Embassy also reminds American citizens who, due to the covid pandemic, were allowed to stay in Russia with an expired visa without issuing a new one, that by June 15 (the expiration date of the new rules) they need to leave the Russian Federation, or independently take up the paperwork required to to stay in the country legally.
