3.1 million Russian citizens barred from leaving Russia over unpaid debts

• Travel ban can be imposes when a person’s debt exceeds 30,000 rubles ($406)
• Child-support debtors barred from leaving the country when their debt surpasses 10,000 rubles ($135)
• A total of 3.8 million Russian citizens faced travel bans at the beginning of the year

According to Russia’s Federal Bailiffs Service, over three million citizens of the Russian Federation have been banned from leaving the country due to their delinquent debts.

Federal Bailiffs Service says that travel bans are usually imposed on those who have child-support, loan and utility debts. Over 120 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) were collected from such debtors last year.

Current data shows that between January and March 2021, bailiffs issued over 3.1 million rulings barring debtors from leaving Russia. As many as 225,000 of these rulings concern overdue child-support payments. More than nine billion rubles ($122 million) were collected from debtors in three months. A total of 3.8 million people faced travel bans at the beginning of the year.

In Russia, bailiffs have the authority to impose travel bans when a person’s debt exceeds 30,000 rubles ($406). Those dodging child-support payments may be barred from leaving the country as soon as their debt surpasses 10,000 rubles ($135).