Soviet passport

Soviet Union passport
Cover page of a 1974 Soviet Union passport.
TypePassport
Issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR
PurposeIdentification
EligibilitySoviet Union citizenship

The Soviet passport was an identity document issued pursuant to the laws of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for citizens of the USSR. For the general purposes of identity certification, Soviet passports contained such data as name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, ethnicity, and citizenship, as well as a photo of the passport holder. At different stages of development of the Soviet passport system, they could also contain information on place of work, social status (marriage, children), and other supporting information needed for those agencies and organizations to which the Soviet citizens used to appeal.