Way to Russia Talk Lounge

gomer · WayToRussified Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 445

I was told by a hotel they didn't use stamps on paper anymore for visa registration. It's all done by computer, according to them. The only paper they gave me was a receipt for the bill. I guess I was supposed to show militsia the receipt if they checked my documents for visa registration.

charles · Lounge Lizard Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 179 Location: USA

I finally got my registration taken care of today! Yeah!! I am now registered through July 2008 (10 months), so I don't need to leave Russia until next summer. I am not registered at my own address, but at another. I signed a lot of documents this morning...!! Most of the paperwork was for paying the 2000 rub. fine ($80 US) for not registering. I even had to write a short statement (in Russian) to the effect that I am a US citizen, arrived in Russia on such date, something about Russian law, and what else I don't know. The girl working at the УФМС office dictated to me what I should write, and the woman helping me with the registration spelled the words for me that I didn't know! I'm sure it helped a lot that this woman knows the people at УФМС, and she's there all the time, knows exactly what's needed. I asked her about the 6-month maximum stay and she didn't know anything about that. She said, I have a one-year visa so I am allowed to stay for a year. simple. The company in Novosibirsk who wrote me the new invitation letter requested that I be registered until July 2008, so maybe that's the reason they gave me a 10-month registration. anyway, I got it.

I now have a photocopy of the bottom portion of the registration form. The original is with my "new landlady". I am told that I must keep my copy and show it to the immigration officers when I leave the country. I guess this will be my proof that I didn't overstay my registration period. I wish I made a photocopy of my registration from Moscow. When in doubt, PHOTOCOPY! Nobody here ever asked me when I arrived in Novosibirsk, they only look at the date on my immigration card (arrival in Russia). So, in order to register in the first three days you arrive in a new city, I think you must show proof that you registered somewhere else before.

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

awesome and a relief for you for sure

gomer · WayToRussified Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 445

Congratulations. I guess you'll find out when you leave Russia if 'multi-entry' means you can enter more than once or if you have to enter more than once. I've heard 2 different explanations of the term 'multi-entry'.

charles · Lounge Lizard Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 179 Location: USA

It is a relief, and I hope other people can avoid my situation. Having a letter from a company, requesting that I be registered for the full duration of my visa, was really important. UFMS kept that letter by the way.

As for any difficulty leaving the country, I'll be surprised if there's a problem. They might know that I didn't return the registration form on-time in Moscow, and make me pay a fine, but that's all right.

zhenja · Just Starting Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 1

dear all
I have a tourist visa, but I would like to live by friends
Do you think is it possible, or with a tourist visa I could only go to hotel?
Would me friends have any annoyances if the register me in the post office? Please consider I do not pay no one kopek, but maybe police will not believe...

thanks for your suggestions
zhenja

mev · Frequent Guest Joined: 01 Apr 2004 Posts: 28

rom · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject:

Hi everyone!

My friend and I will travel to Russia-Moscow for the first time next week (7th to 14th Nov.)
We will visit a friend who is living there but we have booked our accommodation at a private apartment through a company that we found on the net. This company is willing to register our visas for a fee of 50€ (each, I guess).
Is this still normal or they just do it the old way because it's an easy way to make money?
If things have changed, can I convince them that I'm not supposed to pay any fee for the registration?
Can maybe our friend from Moscow go to a post office or police station and register us, as we were staying in her house?
Or lastly, shall we go to the hotel that we were told to go for registration? (Together with the visa we received also a voucher for "hotel belgrad")

Which is the best way?...

Thank you....

WayToRussia · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject:

I think your friend should just go to the post office with both of you and register your visas.

The company is charging 50 eur because one of their representative has to go to the post office, fill out all the forms, wait in the queue etc.. Although it shouldn't matter much if you're 1 or 5 persons... I guess it'd take them about 3-4 hours, hence the price...

goDutch · Frequent Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 64

prestowk · Frequent Guest Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 26

For what it's worth, I've registered two different 1-year business visas at the post office (last spring, and this fall), in a private apartment. I don't claim to know that this is how one can/should do, but on the other hand I haven't been provided any information that it's prohibited.

It can hardly be said the rules are clear, at least to a foreigner. The consulates are not saying much, neither the tour operator selling the visa or the post office where I did the registrations. I know ignorance doesn't usually count as an excuse in front of law, but what is one to do when uncertainty abounds.

goDutch · Frequent Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 64

Yes, people did register their business visas at post offices using help of their friends. And I have been explicitely told in my local UFMS office that this is prohibited. They informed me, that the only legal way to register a business visa is via the inviting organization or in a hotel. The problem is that the complete registration rules are not publically available. I suspect, that post offices registered business visas, because they did not realize that they were violating the rules. It is also possible that the registration rules are different in different cities, but this is less likely.

nicomajor · Just Starting Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

good afternoon everybody

Basically I ordered an invitation form (touristic visa, 7 days trip) on internet in order to get the visa. So the invitation form faxed by the agency was a booking in a hostel in Moscow...Hostel that, of course, doesn't exist...
Since it is the hostel that should register its visitors, I will not be registered by them (I'll sleep in a friend's place but he cannot register me through the russian authorities because he is not russian, he doesn't speak russian, etc...). So how can I get a registration; and for what cost?

And with the new law (february 2007) there is no way for Russian authorities to check if I am actually registered (because there is no stamp and no sheet of paper anymore...since you are supposed to give it to the hotel 24hours before you leave)... So even if I am not registered there is no way for Russian authorities in the airport to fine me or to deny me the possibility to take my plane back , is it ? Or do they check on a computer if you registered your visa ? And if I am asked I tell "yes I registered" and I show them the photocopy of the invitation from my hotel (and if I have a hotel I am supposed to be registered since it's the law; they won't find out it is a false hotel)

thanks for your reply; I leave this Saturday and I am quite stressed out by all this !!

goDutch · Frequent Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 64

The question I want to ask is: "Do we really know the rules?"

My experience showed that the rules of visa registration are different from what we think. Two examples - registration in own apartment and registration of buisiness visas.

Some time ago, Awksus asked a question about registration in own 'dacha' (the post is on page 3). The answer was: "If you are the owner of your own property, then you can go to your local immigration officials (most likely it's the local police station) and say that you want to be registered at your datscha." Sounds logical to me. And I was surprised to learn that the Russian law does not allow it. A foreigner can be registered by a Russian resident only. Self-registration is not possible even in your own house or apartment. So, it is allowed for foreigners to own an apartment in Russia, but it is forbidden to stay there.

Charles told us the story with his business visa, and I have encountered the same problem. The difference with Charles, is that everything was perfectly according to the rules in my case: I reported in time to police, and I did not travel to another city. However, UFMS refused to register my visa. They said that business visas can be registered only by requests of inviting organizations or hotels, and not by requests of individuals (landlords).

I know that people did stay in a private apartment and registered their business visas in post offices without help of inviting organizations. But why was this possible? Can it be the case that post offices just did not know the rules, so that these registrations were done by mistake?

As Admin said, in Russia there are "lots of rules, but in reality everybody does it in their own way". Still, it would be useful to know exactly what the rules are. Otherwise, it will be like crossing a road on red traffic light. You can do it many times and nothing will happen. But if you do not realize that this is not actually what you are supposed to do, you put yourself in danger.

dutchdragon · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:08 am Post subject:

We had a positive experience with the new procedure. My wife and me were in Moscow for Christmas, New Year and another Christmas. My mother in law registered me in her apartment. We picked up the forms at a post office and took them home to filli in. Registration took 15 minutes at the post office in the neighbourhood Smile

. Costs 118 roubles. The post office had the forms on the wall with an explanation how to fill them in.

That was quite different from spending half a day running between and queueing in DEZ, Sberbank and police.