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Visa to Enter Russia
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Posted by: BrianinAZ

Any information on obtaining an entrance visa to Russia would be appreciated.

Posted by: GREGK

Try www.gotorussia.com for visa info.

Posted by: aldenboxer

I though you didn't need a visa if you were from the Usa only a passport? Am I correct?

Posted by: firemansam

Quote:

Originally Posted by aldenboxer

I though you didn't need a visa if you were from the Usa only a passport? Am I correct?

I think you'll find it's no Visa required for the Ukraine, you still need one for Russia.
(could be wrong though as I'm not American.

)

Posted by: EasyTarget

Quote:

Originally Posted by aldenboxer

I though you didn't need a visa if you were from the Usa only a passport? Am I correct?

Russia still requires a visa if you are an American citizen

Posted by: GoingToRussia

A travel agency in your country can get you a visa or the hotel you are staying at in Russia. When you get to Russia, be sure you register your visa. If you do not register, you might have a problem leaving Russia.

You do not need a visa for the Ukraine.

GTR

Posted by: Turboguy

You definately do not need a visa to go to Ukraine.

You definately DO need a visa to go to Russia.

I would not recommend using a travel agency to get your visa. Some are ok and some don't have any idea about it.

The site that I have used 8 or 10 times and have recommended to others many times with great results is www.russia-visa.com. You can fill out the ap online. If you ever do another just click existing customer and the old info all pops up all you have to do is enter your new travel dates. It is around $ 159.00 for 6 business day service if they provide the invitation. $ 139.00 if you have it. They can do as quick as one day. You can track the progress online. My visa is being picked up at the embassy on Wednesday and I will have it Thursday.

After you fill out the online application you just fedex your passport and one passport style photo and you are set.

I have also used gotorussia and they are good also. You will not go wrong with either one. GotoRussia is also good for other travel arrangements, ie hotels, transfers etc.

If you are staying in a hotel there they will automatically register your passport. If you stay in an apartment you need to use a service like GotoRussia to register it. Watch your head as you go down their stairs.

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turboguy

If you are staying in a hotel there they will automatically register your passport. If you stay in an apartment you need to use a service like GotoRussia to register it.

"If you are staying in a hotel there they will automatically register your passport. "
- Only for 3 days or less.

There is new legal act in Russia.

Posted by: Turboguy

Hi Ms Smarty Pants,

I did not quite understand your post. Can I get you to explain what you mean in more detail. Are you saying they will only register your visa if you are staying for 3 days or less or the registration they do is only good for three days.

A little more information is that when you enter Russia you will have to fill out a customs form. It will have two identical parts. You will have to fill out your information two times on the form. The customs officer will cut the form in half. He will keep half and hand the other half back to you in your passport. Do not loose this. This is what the hotel will stamp with your registration. After you have stayed in your first hotel there will be a one line stamp at the top of it. That is your registration.

As long as you have one stamp that is all they ever seemed to look at. I have not heard of any new laws. I have made about 20 trips to Russia so far and that has usually satisfied the requirements. If there are new rules we need to follow I am sure we would all like to know about them.

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turboguy

Hi Ms Smarty Pants,

I did not quite understand your post. Can I get you to explain what you mean in more detail. Are you saying they will only register your visa if you are staying for 3 days or less or the registration they do is only good for three days.
.....
This is what the hotel will stamp with your registration. After you have stayed in your first hotel there will be a one line stamp at the top of it. That is your registration.

Turboguy, I would like to tell you that all hotels in Russia lost legal rights to put stamps on a customs forms of foreigners.
You may stay in hotel only three days (or less) without your registration there.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Ms. SP,

This is not good news. Why was this change made? Were foreigners staying longer then their visa and the hotels did not report their customers?

Hope all is well my friend,
GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

Ms. SP,

This is not good news. Why was this change made? Were foreigners staying longer then their visa and the hotels did not report their customers?

Hope all is well my friend,
GTR

"This is not good news." Hmmmm I wonder, why do you think so?

Nothing bad! Foreigners have to get registration during 3 days in Russia. Please, you can stay in hotels or in apartments and have to have registration, if you want to stay in Russia 3 and more days. Only State special service has legal rights to make registration foreigner and put needed stamp on a customs form of foreigner.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

When I was in Russia last May, some hotels would register your visa. Now hotels can not register visas?

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

When I was in Russia last May, some hotels would register your visa. Now hotels can not register visas?

GTR

GTR, you know, hotels didnt register your visa. They got your passport and customs form. They went to State Police Department (specail service for foreigners) with your documents. You didnt get register from hotel. You got register at State Police Department. You dont need to go at hotels for register during your seconf trip in Sochi. Your loved woman has to get your hand and visit this Department with you. They will need to look at your passport, your customs form, your russian visa, her russian passport. She must have nationality of Russian Federation. You will get register in Sochi without hotels.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

I understand now. Yes my GF registered me with police when I was there.

The cold soup I had in Sochi was called Okroshka. It had kvass, green vegetables, and kefir. I liked it!

GTR

Posted by: waiting123

You can just take your documents to the OVIR office. That is what I did on one of my trips... my wife was not required to be present. I travel on a tourist visa, I do not have my wife write my invitation.

Is this still the same? You can still go to the OVIR office?

Posted by: Turboguy

OK, I have been concerned about this since I am making another trip to Russia in a few weeks and wanted to know what I was going to have to deal with there.

Here is the deal. Since November it is illegal for hotels to register a Visa unless the person holding the visa is actually staying at the hotel. When I visited some towns in Russia and stayed in apartments I would usually go to a hotel to get my visa registered. Now that is not going to work.

Ms Smarty Pants I am glad you brought that up. I think it was good to clairify the situation.

My info by the way comes from an American living in russia and running a travel business and also from a friend who was in Russia two weeks ago and his hotel registered his visa. I have a lot of faith in my info.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turboguy

Ms Smarty Pants I am glad you brought that up. I think it was good to clairify the situation.

If Ms. Smarty Pants says it's true then you should believe it. She's a smart
lady, knows what she's talking about, and lives in Russia. It's like "getting it from the horse's mouth", no I'm not calling you a horse Ms. SP, it is an expression.

GTR

Posted by: Spakoyna

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

Ms. Smarty Pants, I beg to differ with you. Roughly 2 years ago I stayed in a hotel twice for 1 or 2 nights to have my registration completed. Both times my wife and I had to ask the hotel staff to lengthen the amount of time I was registered for. Both times I watched as the lady stamped my documents herself.
This is an interesting subject as so many things are changing in Russia.

Posted by: Spakoyna

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turboguy

OK, I have been concerned about this since I am making another trip to Russia in a few weeks and wanted to know what I was going to have to deal with there.

Here is the deal. Since November it is illegal for hotels to register a Visa unless the person holding the visa is actually staying at the hotel. When I visited some towns in Russia and stayed in apartments I would usually go to a hotel to get my visa registered. Now that is not going to work.

Ms Smarty Pants I am glad you brought that up. I think it was good to clairify the situation.

My info by the way comes from an American living in russia and running a travel business and also from a friend who was in Russia two weeks ago and his hotel registered his visa. I have a lot of faith in my info.

This is what I thought had happened. Some of the hotels were making a good kickback from this...especially the ones in Moscow. When my wife and I stayed in Moscow we were going to rent an apartment. We stayed at a hotel and tried to have them extend my registration. No bribes or anything would work. We rented an apartment and our interpreter,guide,friend told us she knew someone who would register my stay for a fee. I was a nervous fellow when she had to take my passport for a day and leave it with someone. This was on my 3rd trip. Well no problems and was registered by... you guessed it the hotel we had stayed in that would not register my stay for me!

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

Were foreigners staying longer then their visa and the hotels did not report their customers?

I figured the hotels were doing something wrong. It wasn't what I thought it was but it was the hotels trying make an extra buck.

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by waiting123

You can just take your documents to the OVIR office. That is what I did on one of my trips... my wife was not required to be present. I travel on a tourist visa, I do not have my wife write my invitation.

Is this still the same? You can still go to the OVIR office?

Waiting123, you know, Russia hasnt OVIR now.

Posted by: waiting123

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

Waiting123, you know, Russia hasnt OVIR now.

When did this go away??

It was there in February? So what are the steps now for travelers on a tourist visa?

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

I understand now. Yes my GF registered me with police when I was there.

The cold soup I had in Sochi was called Okroshka. It had kvass, green vegetables, and kefir. I liked it!

GTR

Really? Ohhhhh I do understand you! Okroshka! Nice okroshka! By the way, a lot of kinds of Okroshka. May be with meat or with fish. With smetana (milk cream) or without one.

You told before about borsh. Did you like soup "Shi"? Did you eat russian pies?

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by waiting123

When did this go away??

It was there in February? So what are the steps now for travelers on a tourist visa?

Steps? Please, you have to get visa in Russia and get register during 3 days at Special Department of your city in Russia.

Posted by: waiting123

I just checked and it is still the same. We get our Visa in the US... through the Russian Consulate. I go through a friend of mine in San Francisco, CA and she gets a Russian visa placed in my passport. But she states that the registration process is still the same as when I was there. When I stay in an apartment, the service that rents me my flat will register my visa for me, they take my immigration card and I give them 10$ and the next day I have it back with the stamp on it,

I am not sure what you are talking about.. Sorry

All Russian Visas should be registered upon arrival to the Russian Federation.

According to Russian law, your Russian visa must be registered within 72 hours upon your arrival (excluding weekends and official holidays).

If you are staying at a hotel, the hotel will register your visa. You will be asked of your visa and passport. A small registration fee can be imposed.

If you are not staying at a hotel, and travel on a tourist visa, you will have to register your visa at the Passport and Visa Department of the local Police Precinct. As registration rules for private accomodation are complicated and change often, please contact our office immediately upon arrival for detailed information on the registration procedure.

If you are not staying at a hotel, and travel on a business visa, your visa will be registered by our representatives at the central UVIR. You should apply to our Moscow office for registration, providing the following documents:
the original copy of your passport immigration card with an entry stamp
registration application (the form is in Russian and we would be happy to fill it out for you) letter from your landlord (please download a sample here)
While your documents are being registered, we will provide you with an official receipt that acts in place of your documents during the UVIR registration. We can not process your registration without the original of your passport. Registration will take minimum 5 working days.

If your final destination is not Moscow or St. Petersburg and you are not staying at a hotel, you will need to register your visa with a local UVIR. We will provide you with an official letter requesting UVIR officials to register your visa promptly.

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spakoyna

Spakoyna, you are right. Most of all hotels have not special permisions for register of foreigners.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

Mine did not have meat but it was in a white broth so it probably had milk cream in it. It was good!!! I like Russian food. I want to buy some but I can not find it in my city. I will have to go to a bigger city to buy Russian food.

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

May be you can cook russian food for youself? Nothing difficult here! We will write you all steps.

Posted by: Chrismc

I had Okroshka! with meat I am not sure what type of meat though, I believe it was pork, would this be right? it was with smetana too!!

Ms S P your mood says Sick...are you OK

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

I had Okroshka! with meat I am not sure what type of meat though, I believe it was pork, would this be right? it was with smetana too!!

Ms S P your mood says Sick...are you OK

Chrismc, thank you for question. I got some cold. It was +35C here and dry a lot of days. It is +14C here the second day and rain. I wonder, what place went out our usuall hot Samara weather.

Posted by: waiting123

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

Chrismc, thank you for question. I got some cold. It was +35C here and dry a lot of days. It is +14C here the second day and rain. I wonder, what place went out our usuall hot Samara weather.

Get some rest and drink some soup!! I hope you feel better soon!

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

Chrismc, thank you for question. I got some cold. It was +35C here and dry a lot of days. It is +14C here the second day and rain. I wonder, what place went out our usuall hot Samara weather.

I understand, here it is +30C today but tomorrow it could be anything that is how it can be in the UK. I am glad to hear it is nothing serious though!!

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

May be you can cook russian food for you? Nothing difficult here! We will write you all steps.

I do not have any kvass or kefir. I am not much of a cook either. If I can't put it in a microwave or take it out of a can or a bag ... I don't buy it. Not really but close.

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Thank a lot of! I am much better.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

You told before about borsh. Did you like soup "Shi"? Did you eat russian pies?

Oh yes, I love borsh!!! I never tried Shi, what is it made of? My GF made a pie but it is what I call a cake. It had a cinnamon taste to it but she said there wasn't cinnamon in it. It was very good! I had it in the morning with coffee. I hope you are feeling better soon.

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

I do not have any kvass or kefir. I am not much of a cook either. If I can't put it in a microwave or take it out of a can or a bag ... I don't buy it. Not really but close.

GTR

LOL Hmmmm I cook good russian Kvas from water with bread and some sugar.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

You make Kvas at your place, you do not buy it! I am impressed. I think you need to add that to your profile, and that you are excellent cook! Yes?

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

Shi is a kind of soup with cabbage. Nice soup!

Posted by: GoingToRussia

My borsh had cabbage, tomato, beet, meat, and potato. It was very good. My favorite Russian food.

GTR

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

You make Kvas at your place, you do not buy it! I am impressed. I think you need to add that to your profile, and that you are excellent cook! Yes?

GTR

GoingToRussia, thank you a lot of! I am russian lady. So, I do like to cook all wonderful tasty kind of russian food. Classical russian food and modern russian food.
Yes, I make Kvas at my kitchen. Kvas is very good thing for cooking Okroshka. Also you may kept Kvas in your refrigerator. Very good to drink cold Kvas at hot weather. Very good to put some raisinses in Kvas before refrigerator.

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

My borsh had cabbage, tomato, beet, meat, and potato. It was very good. My favorite Russian food.

GTR

Yes, yes, you are right!

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

My borsh had cabbage, tomato, beet, meat, and potato. It was very good. My favorite Russian food.GTR

Is this Shi?

GTR

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

I had cold Kvas when I was in Russia. I liked it but I think it is an acquired taste, no? You need to put excellent cook in your profile, American men like women that can cook ... at least I do.

Take Care and Be Well,
GTR

Posted by: Chrismc

I think Shi is basically borsht made with cabbage instead of beets?

Posted by: BrianinAZ

Thanks to everyone for their valuable information

Brian

Posted by: jackjeckel43

since this thread is opened may i ask a question please? If i do a hotel reservation with online booking for my first night i can request the invitation from them correct? what about the following nights? do i need to keep registering with whatever hotel i stay at after? what if i choose to stay with friends after the first night. do i need to find an ovir to register, and what if i travel every day... thanks for any clarifications on this

Posted by: Turboguy

When I have done it all they look at is for a registration stamp on the back of your customs form. If you have one you are set. I think if you do stay in more than one hotel you may get more than one registration. I will watch that on my trip and try to post and let you know. I am leaving for Urkaine tomorrow and will be going to Moscow in a week and will be in 3 differnet hotels in three different cities.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

You only need to register your visa one time. You can stay any where you want after you register your visa. I stayed at my GF's place and she took my passport/visa to the police station and had it registered. I never spent a night in a hotel.

GTR