Way to Russia Talk Lounge

munroe25 · Frequent Guest Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Posts: 24

Hey what's up guys, I am applying for a tourist visa and on the FAQ it says that you have to apply 90 days before your visa start date. I plan to go within a month though... is that a problem? I remember in February, I applied for a tourist visa and got it a week before I went to Russia.

stanj · Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:37 pm Post subject:

It might be confusing but they are saying you need to apply WITHIN 90 days of your visit.

A general note about visa and visa support(invitations) It does seem that Immigration and Consulates are at war again and immigration is cracking down on improper or bogus invitations that actually earn income for consulates. In the US the consulates insist you use a visa service to apply if you do not apply in person. The consulates grant just about any visa if there is an invitation but Immigration is looking into the fake invitations which are sold by visa services. You will be fine if you got your invitation directly from your sponsor IN Russia, not a 3rd party visa service. Your hotel or tour operator will send a valid invitation so you do not need to tempt fate by getting one from a visa service that is not valid. Many small hotels and tour operators are not authorized to sponsor/host foreign guests. Make sure your invitation names the hotel or tour operator that you are actually have host you, in the city you actually visit. The host is in Russian on one of the parts of the two part Visa support document.
In the past immigration overlooked those discrepincies but they are enforcing the laws more now.
Registration is easier than ever, just let your hotel do it as part of the check in process. It should be free, it is to them.
Have a great visit.

munroe25 · Frequent Guest Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Posts: 24

stanj, thank you... I got the visa invitation through waytorussia, is that legitimate? I'm not really staying at the hotels that are listed, I'm staying with someone I know in Yekaterinburg. I went there allready this past february, but should I be expecting something different? I registered with some specific part of the post office myself last time. Should I be expecting a different process at the airport this time? Last time I only needed to show my passport/visa and license maybe once. I kept a copy of everything on me such as passport/license/visa/invitation and had the original migration card on me until I left Russia. Is it against the law that I use an invitation from waytorussia for a tourist visa, then stay with someone at their apartment?

thanks again.

stanj · Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:22 am Post subject:

You will probably get by but, no, an invitation from a tour operator or hotel you have no connection with is not valid. Most people get away with it, but if anyone from immigration checks your documents, as is happening more now, you are on your own. For the private visit in someones home you should have the Private Visa, it is low cost(or free) and lasts up to 3 months. Your friend has to be registered in that apartment however to be able to invite someone to stay in it. The immigration service is not happy about the number of 3rd parties selling visa support against the rules and authorization of the registered hotel or tour operator.
I know the hard way and spent a lot of time and money correctly the mistake of using Travisa, a large visa service in the US that was recommended by the consulate. All together I ended up spending over $1000 unnecessarily and lost over a week, plus had to move out of my apartment.
I had a terrible experience with GoToRussia.com a few years ago and unless I had a lot of connections here I would have been in real trouble.

Your hotel or tour operator is responsible for you while in Russia. Not being in touch with them and them not cancelling your registration within 48 hours of your leaving is another offense.
Tourist visas are for general tourism, not for home-stays. Lots of people will chime in and say they got away with it for several trips. Yes they probably did but they should also know what the rules are and that if anyone checks they have no excuse and liable for a 5 year ban from re-entering Russia, plus fines. There is a proper visa for most activities here, the only problem is making up your own rules to avoid the law.
In all practical sense, the authorities don't want tourists who skirt the law, they are not likely to contribute to the economy or abide by the laws. Regular tourists are perfectly welcome however because they use the proper visa for their intended visit, stay in hotels or hostels, and essentially pay their own way. As a result they never have problems, get their visa support for free and don't even know about registration since it is done automatically by their sponsor/host.
I deal with 10s of thousands of tourists each summer and none every have problems or need to worry about anything. I also deal with immigration authorities almost every day and generally they are professional and honest, and no one to fear if the rules are followed.

munroe25 · Frequent Guest Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Posts: 24

Oh... damn, that is not good news. I don't want to get into any trouble. It worked out well for me last time, I hope everything will be alright. I wanted to get a private visa, but there wasn't enough time. If I get questioned, should I say that I am going to the hotel which is stated on my invitation?