Way to Russia Talk Lounge

carlitos · Frequent Guest Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

Hi All, most of us got our invitation letter for tourism purposes but staying with friends . The invitation letters are actually given by Intelservice.

Today my friend call this offices in Moscu in order to ask about the visa registration.

Intelservice cannot registers tourist visas.

The answer given to my friend was that if I was going to stay at a private place my friend needed to register my visa, or I could asked a Private visa Invitation via intelservice then the could help me with the visa Registration. I Idid not know that a private visa could be requested to intelservice..

Other option given was that I needed request a Bussines Visa invitation, then is not problem for them to help me register my visa.

I have nothing against Intelservice, I am very thankful because I got my invitation letter via them. However information should be updated as soon as possible as Intelservice can not help you register your turist visa if you stay in a private place.

Carlitos

tripchik · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:58 am Post subject:

Well, good question.

I have used Intelservice a couple of times.

What happens is that - for around 600 roubles - they stamp your immigration card (register you) for the duration of your visa. At one of their agent offices. These are listed on this site and below.

In my experience, they couldn't care less where you're staying.

And no one else seems worried either, as long as you have a stamp.

Moreover, the last couple of times I have been in an out of Russia, no one's been interested in the immigration card at all.

Yes, a few years ago, prior to the immigration card system, there was a clear distinction between hotel registered visas and OVIR or 'homestay' visas. You needed a different kind of invitation too. But that's changed.

I don't think WTR would recommend this system if it wasn't foolproof.

you wrote:

greg222 · VIP Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 534

Yeah, this is something that should be checked. I had a friend visit in August 2005 on a tourist visa and they did registration for her, albeit grudgingly. One month later they told other friends of mine not to bother registering even though they were in Moscow for one week. I don't know what their current policy is.

As for business visas, if you can't get a landlord letter they charge $80 per month for registration which is ridiculous. The last time I checked that was in October 2005 so again I don't know what their current policy is. But if they're willing to provide hotel confirmations for tourist visas they should also be willing to provide hotel registration.

I know that other companies will not only do this, but even include it in the price of the invitation.

tripchik · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:48 am Post subject:

We like to help.

But both of you talk about indirect experience. 'A friend said that . . ' , 'My friend called . . .and he said they said . . . '

Second and third hand information is rarely the real story. In my experience.

you wrote:

greg222 · VIP Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 534

Yes, this is direct experience and yes 'they' are IntelService. I have been using the company for several years and always recommend it to my friends. A couple of years ago they were great with registration. In the past year I and my friends have had some problems with it. What I wrote was not hearsay. For the three examples I gave I was either in their office with my friends or it applied to me personally.

I'm not attacking IntelService. Their service is great and I will continue using them in the future. But I know other places where I can get my registration done so it's not a problem for me. Also, I personally don't know whether they have stopped doing tourist visa registration altogether. But this should be checked as it would be a big problem for people who didn't know where else to go.

carlitos · Frequent Guest Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

I really do not know what you mean with indirect experiences. I called myself to intelservice and teh answer was no, we can not register your tourist visa. If you are staying at a friend's house etc etc etc .....

Then my friend called, in Russian language, thinking also that it was a Misunderstanding. And they said the same information to my friend.

Information DIRECT OR INDERECT is still the same. Intelservices can not register my Tourist visa because I am staying with a friend. Of course if I stay at a hotel I do not need Intelservices, hotel would register my visa, only for the invitation letter however if i can stay in a hotel maybe this hotel can also offer an visa invitation.

SO, CAN MY VISA BE REGISTERED YES OR NOT AT INTELSERVICES?

if not, then I insist information on this furum should be updated.

AND YES I WILL USE THE SERVICES OF INTELSERVICES AGAIN SO NEEDED. so once again, I am not attacking or against intelservice.

carlitos

tripchik · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:17 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the clarification. Your post has been moved here so that people better qualified than me can answer.

However, a couple of observations.

The visa is normally registered by an Intelservice agent. For example, in St Petersburg, the agent is a company called 'Russian Holidays'.

Concerning a private visa, here is a recent answer from WTR