Russian visa registration

[TwoBitBandit]

Who has a lot of experience with the visa registration requirements in Russia?

Last time I was in Russia, I was dutiful and kept my registration up to date.

But I am thinking about visiting multiple cities on a future trip.  I understand that you're supposed to get registered in each city.  If you don't, what can happen to you?  If you try to leave the country and have have registration stamps but they don't cover your entire period in Russia, what will they do?

[Mick]

... in response to Russian visa registration, posted by TwoBitBandit on Jun 9, 2004

My wife regularly buys a copy of "Argumenty i fakty" - recently I saw there a short article related to your question. Although I myself do not have an experience with Russian requirements (my wife is from Ukraine), I was told by some Russian that this information is fairly accurate:
(I wil try to translate as precisely as I can)

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Question: I and my husband plan to visit St Peterburg and Moscow in summer. All warn us: "If you do not register, you will be deported". And how to register, nobody knows. Please explain, how it's done.
Elena and Daniel Morrow, California

(AiF): During visa application you are required to advise which cities you want to visit in Russia - no more than five. Upon arrival in Russia you are required to register. If you stay with your relatives, they will register you at the police department (passport section).It will take several days. During that time you will be issued with a document confirming your pasport are currently being registered. It's easier to stay in a hotel - there they will do the registration very quickly. It's enough to book a room in a hotel for one night. If you gor your visa with a help of a tour agency, then ask them before your trip if they can also do the registartion for you - many agincies do that for an extra fee. When you arrive to another Russian city, you are also required to register. The easiest way - again in a hotel. This is an official information from Passport-visa Department MVD in Russia. Of course, some foreigners brake these rules. Therefore they are forced to pay a fine on departure from Russia. Some problems may also arise when a non-registered foreigner is approached by a police officer for documents check. He would not be deported, of course, but fined.
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Hope this may help.

Cheers

Mick

[BubbaGump]

... in response to Re: Russian visa registration, posted by Mick on Jun 9, 2004

When the police stop you for a document check, what document are they checking for?

[Mick]

... in response to Hey Mick, posted by BubbaGump on Jun 11, 2004

Well after they identify you as a foreigner I reckon the only thing they are after is your registration in your passport. Mind you - never happened to me in Ukraine that had similar (= registration) rules about 3 years ago. But I did register then.

Mick

[Bobby Orr]

... in response to Russian visa registration, posted by TwoBitBandit on Jun 9, 2004

I learned the hard way in Sochi that if you are not registered for the entire time there the police may try to extort money / severely hassle you at the least when you try to leave.  The thing that saved me in my conversations with the police is that I had every receipt from the Journalist Hotel I happened to be staying at and I was registered initially but not the whole way through my trip ie an oversight during the visa registration process - they just stamped the day I arrived.  It was my fault for not checking that my visa was registered for my whole stay there.  Other times and other places I have been I register my visa within three days of where I arrive at.  I would not take chances with it if I were you.

[Davej]

... in response to I would just register, especially after ..., posted by Bobby Orr on Jun 9, 2004

-Other times and other places I have been I register my visa within three days of where I arrive at. I would not take chances with it if I were you.

--Where do you physically Register your Visa Bobby Orr? THanks in advance

-Dave

[Davej]

... in response to I would just register, especially after ..., posted by Bobby Orr on Jun 9, 2004

Is this 'registration' method also known as a invite?  I am currently working on getting my invite to the Country.  Set me straight if these are two totally different things.  Thanks,
-Dave

[Bobby Orr]

... in response to Re: I would just register, especially af..., posted by Davej on Jun 9, 2004

Once you are there you have to register your visa.

[Davej]

... in response to Totally different, posted by Bobby Orr on Jun 9, 2004

Where do you physically register it?  At airport?

[Apk1]

... in response to Re: Totally different, posted by Davej on Jun 14, 2004

It all depends on which type of visa...

1. tourist visa is registered at the hotel you have asked for an invitation, they will stamp this for no charge if you stay with them.

2. A private visa which allows you to stay in a flat will require a background check, similar to a FBI check and must be applied by the person you are staying with. This visa is the stamped by the OVR (police) in that district.

3. A business visa also requires an invitation, and is stamped by the travel agency that sent the invite.

Do not do what I did, show up with an invite arraigned by my travel agent in California....and not bring along the paperwork that indicated the address and phone number of the corresponding agency in Moscow to stamp my passport.
 Since I was staying with my lady (now wife)I had to bribe a hotel ($70 usd) to book a room for them to register me.....and then I later noticed that they only
only gave me a one day stamp!  After a few phone calls back to my travel agent back home did I track down the appropriate agency to stamp my passport correctly for the duration of my 3 week stay.

[Davej]

... in response to Re: Re: Totally different, posted by Apk1 on Jun 14, 2004

I'm assuming this is for Russian, not Ukraine?

[Apk1]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Totally different, posted by Davej on Jun 15, 2004

Da....Russian