South Ossetian passport
{{Short description|Passports issued to South Ossetia nationals}}
{{Infobox Identity document
| document_name = South Ossetian passport
| image = South Ossetian passport cover.jpg
| image_caption =
| date_first_issued =
| using_jurisdiction = {{flag|South Ossetia}}
| valid_jurisdictions =
| document_type = Passport
| purpose = Identification
| eligibility = South Ossetian citizenship
| expiration =
}}
South Ossetian passports are issued to inhabitants of South Ossetia (a disputed territory in the South Caucasus) for the purpose of international travel and for the purpose of legal identification within South Ossetia. They were first issued on August 15, 2006.{{Cite web |url=http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=13314 |title=Tskhinvali Begins Issuing South Ossetian Passports, civil.ge 15.08.2006. |access-date=2010-08-05 |archive-date=2016-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913121129/http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=13314 |url-status=live }} Since South Ossetia is only recognised by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria, many South Ossetians also have Russian passports, which are more practical for international travel.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}
History
The first proposals to introduce a national passport were voiced back in the 1990s, but at that time the country's leadership did not attach much importance to this, so the passport was introduced only on 16 August 2006. The first person to receive a passport as a citizen of South Ossetia was its president, Eduard Kokoity. Before this and currently, residents of South Ossetia used Russian and Soviet passports. Some South Ossetian citizens of Georgian nationality also preferred to receive South Ossetian passports. Among other famous people, the passport was received by the chief state sanitary doctor of Russia Gennady Onishchenko,{{Cite web |date=2014-05-02 |title=Онищенко получил паспорт гражданина Южной Осетии » Политика » Короткие новости » Новости » RB.ru |url=http://www.rb.ru/article/onishhenko-poluchil-pasport-grajdanina-yujnoy-osetii/5904207.html |access-date=2024-09-15 |archive-date=2014-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502185432/http://www.rb.ru/article/onishhenko-poluchil-pasport-grajdanina-yujnoy-osetii/5904207.html |url-status=bot: unknown }} as well as a number of famous Russian politicians, journalists and cultural and artistic figures.
On February 1, 2010, an agreement on a visa-free regime was signed between Russia and South Ossetia, which officially regulates the validity of South Ossetian passports on the territory of the Russian Federation.{{Cite web |date=2010-02-01 |title=Между Россией и Южной Осетией подписывается соглашение о безвизовом режиме |url=https://cominf.org/node/1166482313 |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Государственное информационное агентство "Рес" |language=ru}} The visa-free regime came into force on March 4, 2010.{{Cite web |date=2010-03-05 |title=Первый канал. Официальный сайт. С 4 марта граждане Южной Осетии и России смогут пересекать границу по внутренним паспортам |url=http://www.1tv.ru/news/social/162142 |access-date=2024-09-15 |archive-date=2010-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305235142/http://www.1tv.ru/news/social/162142 |url-status=bot: unknown }}
On August 1, 2014, applications began to be accepted for a passport of a citizen of the Republic of South Ossetia, identifying the identity of a citizen of the Republic of South Ossetia outside the Republic (foreign passport).{{Cite web |title=МИД Южной Осетии начинает выдачу загранпаспортов |url=https://osinform.ru/46102-mid-yuzhnoy-osetii-nachinaet-vydachu-zagranpasportov.html |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=АЛАНИЯинформ |language=ru}}
Dual citizenship
In South Ossetia, multiple citizenship is selectively allowed - in particular, by 2019, 95% of the population of South Ossetia had dual citizenship (Russian and South Ossetian).{{Cite web |date=2019-08-06 |title=Президент Южной Осетии: 95% наших граждан имеют паспорта РФ |url=https://cominf.org/node/1166524407 |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Государственное информационное агентство "Рес" |language=ru |archive-date=2023-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825002412/https://cominf.org/node/1166524407 |url-status=live }} At the same time, it was reported that Georgian citizenship was illegal as a second one.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-28 |title=«Мы — бренд, связанный с войной». Южная Осетия после войны с Грузией: беженцы, бедность, жизнь этнических грузин и надежда на Россию |url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/08/07/77413-my-brend-svyazannyy-s-voynoy |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Новая газета |language=ru |archive-date=2023-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604212455/https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/08/07/77413-my-brend-svyazannyy-s-voynoy |url-status=live }}
At the same time, the EU will not recognize Russian passports issued in South Ossetia since 2022.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-11 |title=В ЕС решили не признавать российские паспорта, выданные в новых субъектах - РИА Новости, 21.12.2022 |url=https://ria.ru/20221221/pasporta-1840221593.html |access-date=2024-09-15 |archive-date=2023-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611025251/https://ria.ru/20221221/pasporta-1840221593.html |url-status=bot: unknown }} According to a report by the international non-governmental organization "Crisis Group", as of 2010, only those South Ossetians who have an internal Russian passport with registration can receive free medical care in Russia.{{Cite web |date=2010-02-28 |title=Бремя независимости. Южная Осетия после российского признания. Цифры и факты. Доклад Crisis group |url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2010/06/16/2939-bremya-nezavisimosti |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Новая газета |language=ru |archive-date=2023-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114062532/https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2010/06/16/2939-bremya-nezavisimosti |url-status=live }}