class="bold">Last year in Russia the rules for writing proper names in Latin for foreign passports changed. Let us remember that they have already changed in 2010. At the same time, different branches of the FMS applied different rules, both international and Russian. The new transliteration in the international passport in 2019 complies with the international standard.
What are the differences
The changes affected the letters “Y” and “C”. A translation has appeared for the hard sign and the letter “E”.
| Cyrillic | Translit | Cyrillic | Translit | Cyrillic | Translit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A | TO | K | X | KH |
| B | B | L | L | C | T.S. |
| IN | V | M | M | H | CH |
| G | G | N | N | Sh | SH |
| D | D | ABOUT | O | SCH | SHCH |
| E | E | P | P | Kommersant | I.E. |
| Yo | E | R | R | Y | Y |
| AND | ZH | WITH | S | b | |
| Z | Z | T | T | E | E |
| AND | I | U | U | YU | IU |
| Y | I | F | F | I | I.A. |
What will your new name look like? Online transliteration for a foreign passport is available on many sites, but be careful: some of them are already outdated.
Translation rules
Transliteration of the name in the international passport is carried out automatically by a special program. Your task is to fill out the form correctly, and the task of the FMS specialists is to correctly enter the data in Cyrillic into the computer. Such rules for writing surnames in international passports have long been introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organization and are used in many countries around the world.
Will there be problems
Many people ask whether there will be problems if their last name is written differently on different papers. It is no secret that when there is a difference in at least one letter, it is necessary to prove, for example, family ties through the court.
In fact, it is not very critical if the spelling in the new passport is different from the old one. There should be no problems with bank cards either: the next time the card is reissued, they will simply change the spelling of your name.
According to the rules of many airlines, you can also fly with a new passport using a ticket that was purchased using an old document, even if your name looks a little different. 
How to keep your “old” name
When applying for a new foreign passport, write a free-form application in which you indicate what your last name (or first name) should look like and why. Address the application to the head of the FMS department. To be more convincing, refer to the FMS order No. 211 dated March 26, 2014 (clause 28.1.8). Please attach a sample and copies of documents with the old transliteration to the application: class="bold">
- passport of another country;
- resident card;
- birth certificate;
- Marriage certificate;
- old passport;
- educational documents;
- visa
All documents issued by foreign countries must be translated into Russian and legalized.
You cannot change the transliteration rules solely at your request.
If it is misspelled
What to do if you notice an error in your new passport? You need to immediately point it out to the migration service employees.
A passport printed with errors is considered invalid and cannot be used.
Make sure that there is actually an error in the passport, and not the new transcription rules that have been in effect since 2015. As a rule, an employee enters your data into a computer in Russian, and the translation is done automatically. Therefore, if you entered your data correctly in the form, the likelihood of an error is negligible.
According to the law, if a typo occurred due to the fault of the FMS, you must be issued a new passport in record time - in two hours. In this case, all you need is a photograph. There is no need to provide documents or pay the fee again.
Of course, such deadlines are only possible for replacing a paper passport. Incorrect transliteration in a new international passport will not be corrected so quickly by FMS employees; it may take much longer.
How to make a foreign passport. Methods for submitting documents to the FMS: Video
We all sooner or later come across the translation of a name into English. Names are an integral part of all languages of the world. Accuracy is important when translating a name, because just one wrong letter will result in a completely different name, and this is already a problem. Due to such an error in the embassy certificate, for example, you may be denied a visa.
Correct translation is extremely important when filling out international documents. And this is just one of many examples where a misspelling of a name can have serious consequences. Of course, you can make an approximate translation at the level of intuition, however, this is not for those who are reading this article.
Let's learn how to correctly translate surnames, first names and patronymics in order to avoid overlaps and confusion in the future, as well as protect ourselves from unpleasant situations.
Transliteration - Russian letters in English
There are names that have analogues in English. For example, the name Natalya in English may sound like Natalie. If translated according to the rules, the name should sound like Natalia. Stop, stop, the very beginning of mastering the topic, and already there are two variants of the sound of the name? Don't be scared, everything is not as difficult as it seems. Analogue names in English are best used in colloquial speech. For example, it will be much easier for your American friend to call you Natalie (sounds like Natalie) than Natalia (sounds like Natalia). If you need a competent written translation, it is best to refer to the transliteration for documentation purposes.
In the USA, a theory was developed for translating the Cyrillic alphabet into Latin - transliteration. It is very important to monitor the latest information, since transliteration options periodically change and are improved; be in trend and keep up with the times. Let's look at the most current transliteration option.
A - A
B - B
B - V
G - G
D - D
E - E
Yo - E
F - ZH
Z - Z
I - I
J - I
K - K
L - L
M - M
N - N
O-O
P - P
R - R
C - S
T - T
U - U
F - F
X - KH
C - TS
CH - CH
SH - SH
Ш - SHCH
Kommersant - IE
Y - Y
b - lowered
E - E
Yu - IU
I am IA
Using this hint, you can easily translate your first and last name correctly. Of course, there are many online name transliteration services, however, we cannot be 100% sure that they work according to current transliteration rules. In order to make a translation yourself or check the accuracy of an online transliteration service, let’s look at the most difficult letters to translate with examples:
Russian letter B denoted as V. Nothing complicated, however, you can doubt and think that B can be interpreted as W. Doubts aside, the only correct option is V. Valentine - Valentin.
- The letter G is rendered as G. Everything is simple here, there should be no doubt. Georgiy - Georgii.
- The letters E, E, E are transmitted like an English letter E. Previously, these letters could be written in different ways, however, this is the translation option that has now been adopted, which greatly simplifies our life. Semyonov - Semenov.
- The letter U is rendered as U. Here you can get confused and think about the letter Y. In order not to get confused, it’s better to just remember. Ulyana - Uliana.
- Letters Ж, Х, Ц, Ш, Ш, Ш, perhaps one of the most difficult to translate, are transmitted accordingly as ZH, KH, TS, CH, SH, SHCH. The only way not to get confused when translating these letters is to look in a cheat sheet or memorize them. Zhanna - Zhanna.Khatuna - Khatuna.
- Letter b goes down. It’s simple, omit the soft sign and forget about it. Tatiana - Tatiana.
- The letter Ъ has recently been designated, like IE. Previously, the solid sign was omitted, but recently it has been denoted by this combination of letters. Letter Y transmitted as Y. Remember this and don't get confused. Ryzhuk -Ryzhuk.
- The letters Yu and I are rendered as IU and IA respectively. Previously, these letters were transmitted as YU and YA, but this is already an outdated version. Focus on a new way of interpretation. Julia - Iuliia.
Translation of first name, last name and patronymic into English
Let's imagine that we have translated the name correctly, however, we need to dictate it letter by letter so that we can be heard 100% correctly without a single mistake. There is a generally accepted technique for transmitting letters during a telephone conversation in English with high accuracy. We've probably all said or heard this famous "with a dollar" or "with a dot" at some point. Let's finally move away from this and transfer the letters correctly:
A - Alfa
B - Bravo
C-Charlie
D - Delta
E-Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H-Hotel
I - India
J-Juliet
K-Kilo
L - Lima
M-Mike
N - November
O-Oscar
P-Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S-Sierra
T-Tango
U-Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-ray
Y-Yankee
Z-Zulu
We have already learned how to translate first and last names, and we can even pronounce them correctly if necessary. However, what to do with the middle name? Many people abroad don’t have it at all. Is it worth translating the middle name or should we just omit it? In some cases, it will indeed be possible to do without it, but when filling out international documents you cannot avoid this. In this case, there should be no errors. There are three ways to translate a middle name:
- Since foreigners most often do not have a patronymic, our patronymic can be translated as “Sergei’s daughter.” Eg, Maria Sergeevna - Maria the daughter of Sergei. This method of translation is best used in communication to make it easier for a foreigner to understand what you want to convey to him. But when filling out documentation, you should not rely on this method.
- You can write your middle name as a middle name. It’s a rather strange way of translating a patronymic, because it completely changes the meaning of the patronymic. We advise you not to use it either when filling out documentation or when communicating.
- Our favorite transliteration is the most acceptable and correct way to translate patronymic names. For example, translation for name Sergey Sergeevich it will look like this - Sergei Sergeevich. Agree, it’s convenient and not at all difficult. Transliteration can be used both in everyday life when communicating and when filling out documents.
To summarize, we can say that the most accurate way to translate a patronymic, and indeed the entire full name, is transliteration. You can use the first method in communication if your foreign friend does not quite understand what Sergeevna means. It is better not to use the second method at all.
We examined the most common and competent translations of last name, first name and patronymic. Translating names is much easier to do than it seems; the main thing in this matter is a responsible approach. Don't forget to stay tuned for updates to the rules and follow the translation structure. If you are already studying with an English teacher, you can ask him to review the topic of translating names with you in class in order to become an ace in this area. If you haven’t started studying yet and are in doubt, stop putting it off until tomorrow. Improve, develop and never stop!
We hope that this article helped you put everything into perspective and translating Russian names and surnames into English is no longer a problem for you. With the right approach, there is nothing difficult in English. English is fun, interactive, educational and always relevant!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Sooner or later, everyone has to learn how Russian names are written in English transliteration. As a rule, the occasion is pleasant: registration of a foreign passport and/or other documents in which Russian surnames are written in English. But before the treasured document is in your hands, you will have to find out how to spell the surname in English. And it’s better to do it yourself, so as not to be surprised at the “ingenuity” of the passport office employees.
However, all employees accepting applications for international passports in 2017 are guided by a serious document: the Order of the Federal Migration Service “On approval of the Administrative Regulations for the provision by the Federal Migration Service of public services for registration and issuance of passports.” And transliteration is carried out according to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization, so there should be no errors.
Rules for transliteration from Russian to English
To get to the essence of any problem, you need to simplify it as much as possible. So to speak, decompose it into elementary particles. This means that the transliteration of English words must begin with the corresponding letters. And here is the first catch: not only the sound, but also the number of letters in the Russian and English alphabet is different (33 and 26 letters, respectively). That is, in order to write Russian words (in this case, names) in English letters, you will have to use suitable combinations.
You don’t have to pick them up by ear or come up with them yourself. Everything has already been thought up and approved. The result is in the transliteration table of the Russian alphabet:
b - goes down |
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b - lowered |
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You can safely use this transliteration from Russian to English, it is approved by the US State Department. And British officials will not be against such a transfer. It is accompanied by several comments:
The letter E of the Russian alphabet is transliterated into the Latin alphabet as YE if it is at the beginning of a word, after the vowels and signs Ъ and ь. In all other cases - as E. For example, Evgeniy = Yevgeniy, Anatolyevich = Anatolyevich, Sergeevich = Sergeyevich.
The letter Ё is transliterated as YE if it appears at the beginning of a word, after vowels and the signs Ъ and ь. In all other cases - as E. For example, Yolkin=Yelkin, Planernaya=Planernaya.
The letters Y and Y are transliterated as Y in both cases. For example, Bystryy=Bystryy.
The letter C is transliterated as TS. In the same way as the letter combination TS. For example, Tsarev = Tsarev.
The combination of Russian letters KS is transliterated as KS, and not as X.
The letter Ш is rendered in writing as SH, and Ш – as SHCH. Examples: Shalyapin = Shalyapin, Shchitov = Shchitov.
Transliteration into English of Russian names
Translation of a surname into English from Russian occurs according to these rules. Now you can check them before writing your last name in Latin, or independently check the correctness of the information in your passport. But the name is a little easier. There is a ready-made table of correspondence between Russian names and English names. Just find yours:
Russian/English female names:
Agnes/Agniya – Agnes (Agnes)
Alice - Alice
Anastasia – Anastacia
Antonina – Antonia
Valentina – Valentine
Valeria – Valery
Barbara – Barbara
Dasha - Dolly Dolly (Dorothy)
Eve - Eve
Eugenia – Eugenie
Catherine – Catherine, Catherine (Catherine)
Elena – Helen
Joanne, Jean
Zoe - Zoe
Irina – Irene
Caroline - Caroline
Laura – Laura, Lauren (Laura, Lauren)
Maria – Mary (Mary)
Natalya – Natalie
Polina – Polina (Paulina)
Rita – Margaret
Sofia – Sophie
Suzanne – Susan (Susan)
Julia – Julia (Julia).
Russian/English male names:
Alexander – Eligzande (Alexander)
Anatoly – Anatole
Andrey – Andrew (Andrew)
Vasily – Basil
Benjamin – Benjamin
Vincent – Vincent
Gabriel – Gabriel (Gabriel)
George - George
Daniel - Daniel
Eugene – Eugene
Ephraim – Geoffrey
Ivan – John, Ivan (John)
Ilya – Elias
Joseph, Osip – Joseph (Joseph)
Heraclius – Hercules (Heracl)
Charles – Charles
Claudius – Claude
Leo – Leo
Matvey – Matthew (Matthew)
Michael – Michael (Michael)
Nicholas – Nicholas
Pavel – Paul
Peter - Pete (Peter)
Sergey – Serge
Stepan – Stephen, Stephen (Steven, Stephen)
Fedor – Theodore
Jacob - Jacob.
If you are lucky enough to have a rarer name that is not on these lists, then transliteration from Russian to English remains a universal solution.
Transliteration from Russian to English is indeed not an easy task. Especially if you are writing an application for a foreign passport, that is, a lot depends on translating your surname into English. But now we hope that you are armed with useful information, know how to spell a surname in English, will never confuse transliteration with transcription, and will always be able to correctly say your name to foreigners.
There is nothing more natural than starting to learn English by writing your own name in letters of the Latin alphabet.
Writing Russian names in English often causes difficulties, largely because there are no uniform rules in this regard. However, a set of general principles can still be defined.
- Read further in our article about the special transliteration rules currently used when issuing foreign passports.
General rules for transliterating names
The first thing to remember is first and last names are not translated, especially when it comes to documents and business correspondence. You should not select English-language analogues and call Elena Helen, and Mikhail Michael. Instead, the name should be transliterated, that is, write in Latin. In this case, you can use the following correspondence system:
| A | A | Andrey (Andrey) | ABOUT | ABOUT | Olga (Olga) |
| B | B | Boris (Boris) | P | P | Pavel (Pavel) |
| IN | V | Valery (Valery) | R | R | Roman |
| G | G | Gleb (Gleb) | WITH | S | Sergey (Sergey) |
| D | D | Dmitry (Dmitry) | T | T | Tatyana (Tatyana) |
| E | Ye/E | Yelena, Elena (Elena) | U | U | Ulyana (Ulyana) |
| Yo | Yo/E | Pyotr, Petr (Peter) | F | F | Philip (Philip) |
| AND | Zh | Zhanna (Zhanna) | X | Kh | Khariton (Khariton) |
| Z | Z | Zinaida (Zinaida) | C | Ts | Tsarev (Tsarev) |
| AND | I | Irina (Irina) | H | Ch | Chaykin (Chaykin) |
| Y | Y | Timofe y(Timofe th) | Sh | Sh | Sharov (Sharov) |
| K | K | Konstantin (Konstantin) | SCH | Shch | Shchepkin (Shchepkin) |
| L | L | Larisa (Larissa) | Y | Y | M y skin (M s skin) |
| M | M | Margarita (Margarita) | E | E | Eldar (Eldar) |
| N | N | Nikolay (Nikolai) | YU | Yu | Yury (Yuri) |
| I | Ya | Yaroslav (Yaroslav) |
Special rules for transliterating names
Apart from the more obvious rules of transliteration, there are cases where it is not entirely clear how a given name should be written. Let's look at these options.
Letters b And Kommersant are not transmitted in transliteration. Using an apostrophe (") in their place is also not recommended:
- Daria - Darya
- Igor — Igor
- Olga - Olga
Letters Y And Y transmitted by letter Y:
- Bystrov
- Sadyrova
- Mayorov
If the last name ends with "th", remains in transliteration "-y":
- White
Since the letter H sometimes unreadable in English, to convey Russian sound "X" combination is used KH:
- Akhmatova
- Rakhmaninov
Russian combination KS better to convey in letters KS, but not X:
- Ksenia — Ksenia
- Alexander - Alexander
If the letter E denotes one sound (as in the name Vera), it is represented by a Latin letter E—Vera. If it denotes two sounds (after a soft sign), it is transmitted by the combination YE— Astafyev.
But: If E stands at the beginning of the name, both options are possible: the name Elena can be written as Elena or Yelena.
Letter E usually written the same way as E, but if you want to emphasize the pronunciation of the name, then you should use the letter combination YO— Fyodor, Pyotr.
Letter Ш can be written in the form SCH, but in German this combination will be read as "sh". In order to avoid confusion, it is recommended to use a seemingly unpronounceable combination of letters SHCH.
Ending "-and I" can be transliterated as -IA or -IYA. However, to avoid unnecessary bulkiness, Y usually don't write:
- Maria - Maria
- Valeria - Valeria
Important note: transliteration when issuing international passports
Transliteration rules for issuing foreign passports often change. At the moment, as of 2015, the following transliteration rules apply (we present the differences from the main table):
- Previously, when issuing foreign passports, the rules of GOST R 52535.1-2006, introduced in 2010, were used.
If you want the previous spelling of your first and last name to be retained when receiving a new passport, you can write a corresponding application to the issuing authority, duly justifying your desire. The basis for such an application is the presence of documents with a different spelling of your first and last name: passports, diplomas, residence permits, visas, as well as other registration and banking documents, including bank cards.