Validity of a criminal record certificate: the last day it is accepted
Russian law sets no expiry date for a criminal record certificate. The period shown is the one consulates and employers typically accept: three months from the date of issue. Some countries and organisations ask for six months or, on the contrary, one month: check the requirement of the receiving institution.
Why the period is counted to the day you submit it abroad
A certificate showing whether or not you have a criminal record is issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs with no expiry date. The limit is set by whoever receives it: a consulate, an employer, an immigration service. They count the months from the date of issue to the day the document reaches them, not to the day of the apostille. The apostille and legalisation take from one to six weeks and delivery adds a few more days, so order the certificate so that it is no more than two months old when you submit it abroad.
If the certificate is needed for several countries, or if submission is delayed, it is safer to order a new one: the state fee for an apostille on the certificate is the same either way, as at the date of the check, while a second trip to the consulate costs more.
The certificate end to end: order, apostille, courier
We order the certificate and its apostille so that it is still fresh when you submit it in the destination country. The state fee is shown as a separate line.