Visa and Registration

If you are travelling to Russia, you need to have a visa. A Russian visa is usually organized by the travel company which is responsible for your tour or, if you are travelling individually, you must obtain it from your local Russian Consulate or Russian Embassy.

‘All activity is carried out in strict correspondence with the legislation of the Russian Federation’. So, according to Federal Law 115 ‘On legal status of foreign nationals in the Russian Federation’ the requested visa type must answer the purpose of the visit. Violation of this law may lead to an administrative fine up to 7 000 rubles and deportation from Russia, also to entry prohibition.

There are several types of visas for Moscow depending on the purpose and duration of your stay:

Russian Tourist Visa
The Russian tourist visa is issued to foreigners who have booked accommodation in Russia for non-business related reasons. This kind of visa is issued for a maximum of 14 to 30 days (but please confirm with your local Russian Embassy or Consulate).

Russian Private or Homestay Visa
If you are planning to visit your friends or relatives in Moscow, you can apply for a homestay or visitor’s visa. This type of Russian visa will allow you to stay in Russia for up to 90 days. Relatives or friends who will be hosting you during your stay in Moscow will need to obtain a visa invitation for you from a local OVIR (office of visas and registrations). Since Russian consulates worldwide accept only original invitations issued by OVIR, this official invitation must be mailed to you.

Russian Business Visa
The Russian business visa is issued for travellers whose purpose of visiting Russia is private business or an official visit. Business visas are best for travellers who want to stay in Russia for longer than 30 days and need to make frequent trips to Russia. Business visas to the Russian Federation may be issued with up to two entries and for up to 90 days. There are also multiple-entry business visas which are valid for 6 or 12 months with an unlimited number of entries/exits to Russia.

Russian Transit Visa
If you travel through Moscow to another country, you must apply for a Russian transit visa. To obtain this, you will need to present relevant documents to your local Russian Embassy or Consulate. These include an entry visa to the country of destination and a copy of the air, railway or other relevant ticket.

Registration
Every foreigner who comes to Russia should have his/her Russian visa registered within 7 working days upon arrival, excluding holidays and weekends. The purpose of the registration is to notify the immigration authorities about where you are staying while you're in Russia.
According to the new law issued in 2007, it is the responsibility of the accommodating party to register your visa once you arrive.

If you are staying at a hotel, the hotel must register your visa. The hotel administration will ask you for your Russian visa, passport, and migration card (which was given to you at the Russian border). It should only take a few minutes to have your visa registered.

If you are staying at a friend’s or relative’s apartment, the Russian citizen who holds a valid "propiska" (residence permit) can register a foreigner at his/her apartment at any local police station or post office. The whole procedure takes about an hour and costs about 5 Euros.

We can recommend Mellennium Travel agency which offers a full list of visa service to Russian and foreign nationals. Threre is 24 hour customer support. Don’t hesitate to call  +7 495 783 83 11 or email visa@mltravel.ru

 

ÂÂ