How to write an appeal
A header with the addressee and your details, the facts in order, one clear request, a list of enclosures, a signature and a date — what makes a letter that can actually be reviewed.
a letter that gets an answer: a guide to written appeals
A letter that gets an answer
A written appeal is an ordinary working tool: you use it to report a problem, ask for something to be done or challenge someone else’s decision. The letters that get faster and more substantive replies are the ones where it is clear right away who is writing, what it is about and what the author is asking for. Here you will find calm explanations of how to write such an appeal, how long its review takes under the law, and what to do if the answer is late or unsatisfactory.
A good appeal can be summed up in one sentence: what happened and what you are asking to be done. Everything else in the letter supports that sentence.
Where to start
Reply deadlines
When an appeal is registered, how many days are allowed for review, when the deadline can be extended and which date to count from.
If there is no answer
How to follow up with a second letter, where to challenge silence or a brush-off reply, and why a complaint must not go to the person you are complaining about.
A claim to a company
How a demand to a store or contractor differs from an appeal to a public body, and why it is also worth putting in writing and keeping a copy.
Guide sections
- Basics
Types of appeals — proposal, application, complaint, request and a claim to a company — and the details the law requires a written appeal to include.
- Guides
Step-by-step guides: write an appeal, send it with proof of delivery, challenge an unsatisfactory reply and draft a claim to a company.
- Documents
Which papers to keep after sending, how to check the receipt stamp and registration number, and what deadlines the law sets.
- Examples
Sample situations: no reply for over a month, a brush-off instead of an answer, forwarding to another body, a silent store, adding to a letter.
- What’s new
What has been added to the guide and how to check the current version of the law yourself. The article catalog is here too.
- Glossary
The vocabulary of written appeals: appeal, complaint, claim, registration, competence, forwarding, extension, receipt stamp.
- FAQ
Short answers on how to write an appeal, when it will be registered and reviewed, and what to do if something goes wrong.
One appeal in five steps
Find out who decides the issue
Before writing, find out which body or organization is responsible for your particular problem. The descriptions of functions on official websites usually help. A mistake will not ruin the letter — it will be forwarded to the competent body — but forwarding takes time.
State the point and one or two requests
Describe what happened and when, without judgments and without retelling the whole backstory. At the end, say what you expect: to check, to fix, to explain. A couple of clear requests work better than a long list.
Enclose copies, not originals
If you refer to documents, photos or earlier replies, enclose copies and list them at the end of the letter. Keep the originals: you will still need them, and getting them back can be difficult.
Send it with proof of delivery
A receipt stamp on your own copy, a registered letter with return receipt, or an electronic form on an official website that sends a confirmation will all work. What matters is that you keep proof of delivery.
Write down the registration date and number
A written appeal is registered within three days of receipt. Find out the registration number and date and write them down: the reply deadline runs from that date, and the number makes follow-up inquiries easier.
The essentials in brief
Are you an administration or a public authority?
No. Admkarasuk is an independent guide. We are not a public authority, an institution or a law firm, and we are not connected with the former website that used to run on this domain.
Can I send an appeal through you?
No. We do not accept appeals, applications, complaints or documents and do not forward them anywhere. Your letter should go directly to the body or organization that handles your issue.
How long should I wait for a reply?
Under Russian law, an appeal is reviewed within 30 days of registration. In exceptional cases the deadline may be extended by no more than 30 days, with the author notified (Art. 12 of Federal Law No. 59-FZ). In other countries, rules and deadlines for appeals to public bodies are different — check your local law.
What happens if the letter went to the wrong place?
If the issue is outside the body’s competence, the appeal is sent within seven days of registration to a body that can resolve it, and the author is notified (Art. 8(3)). The reply will then arrive later, so it is better to identify the right addressee in advance.
About the project
A different website used to run on this domain, and later its place was taken by unrelated spam pages. Nothing remains of those earlier pages: their content has not been preserved and is not reproduced here. This guide has no connection with them; the name simply came to us along with the domain.
Admkarasuk explains the general procedure for written appeals and is based on Russian Federal Law No. 59-FZ. We do not publish contacts or suggest specific addressees. Official websites of public authorities are easiest to find through the national public services portal (Gosuslugi) or your region’s official portal, which list current names and ways to get in touch.
Related sections
- Basics
Types of appeals — proposal, application, complaint, request and a claim to a company — and the details the law requires a written appeal to include.
- Guides
Step-by-step guides: write an appeal, send it with proof of delivery, challenge an unsatisfactory reply and draft a claim to a company.
- Documents
Which papers to keep after sending, how to check the receipt stamp and registration number, and what deadlines the law sets.
Sources
- Federal Law No. 59-FZ of 2 May 2006 “On the Procedure for Considering Appeals of Citizens of the Russian Federation” (Russia) — Arts. 7, 8, 11, 12
- Official Internet Portal of Legal Information (Russia) — texts of laws
This guide summarizes the general rules of Russian Federal Law No. 59-FZ “On the Procedure for Considering Appeals of Citizens of the Russian Federation” as of the date the material was prepared. Laws change, so before an important step, check the wording against the current version on the official legal information portal.