Saint Petersburg Travel Forum

Hello there.
I wonder how difficult and time consuming for a non Russian speaking, to make the visa registration in St Petersburg. Where to go and if I do it by my self how much it cost?

Thanks

Francisco

Hi; You have to get Visa before you arrive in Russia otherwise you will be deported. You must have confirmed destination, like hotel or apartment before you arrive. You can book hotel on the net or an apartment and they will arrange your visa before you travel. I know this as I slept on the airport floor last year and was sent back to Kiev ( I came from Canada to kiev then to St Petersburg ) with an armed guard to the plane and only got my Passport back from the pilot when I was in the Kiev airport. This is serious, not something to play with.

Yes, this is very important before you even go to Russia. The beaurocracy and red tape is a part of the Russian experience....I just got my visa on-line and maybe spend a little over $200 ? ...thefre's a questionaire asking where you've been and if you speak Russian, where you studied...it was like applying for a job! Also, once you get there, your hotel or yourself has to register your entrance into the country. And they keep on changing the rules, so you have to find out the most current. Hope this helps, Norman

well, it depends who opened a visa for you. first of all wanna say u that there are 2 papers u should have.
1. first one u're getting in airplane, a paper with 2 same pages. one of them the custom officer give u back with a stamp of entry. u KEEP NICELY this paper, put it somewhere very far because while being in Russia u do not need it! and in the case of lost of it, u might live/stay in Russia for a long time!:)
2. the other paper which u call a Registration paper. u get it from the place of ur stay in Russia. ok, let's talk abt this paper now.
if you are on a Tourist visa and you stay at hotel, then hotel should provide for you this paper, i think free of charge.
if you are on a Business visa, like me was, then inviting company should provide for you the paper, normally free of charge but i paid 1,200 Roubles (that time was 48$).
i had an option to go direct to nearest police station, stay in a long line, etc.. etc..and get this registration paper free of charge but i did not! better to pay and no headache!
the other option is to do it at any post offices. the only thing u should get on this paper is just one stamp on it!
okay, you can download this form from website, fill it in and within 72 hours to go to any post offices(recommended) or police in Russia and get stamped on it!
the website i try post u later.
but if ur stay in Russia is not for a long time then u can avoid this procedure. u need this registration paper only for local purpose in the case if some Russian policemen stop u in the street.
and u do not need this Registration paper when u exit the country at passport control. u need there the first one!
did u get it????:)
the rules there are routine and confused!

ok, i couldn't find that form to download, anyway it's in Russian and u could not understand what to fill in.
the better way is to find some agency which can do it for you. i found some websites u can go through: http://www.skt-service.ru/eng
the cost of registration up to 30 days is 1,000 Roubles. (abt 29$)
http://www.google.ru/search?hl=ru&newwindow=1&q=temporary+registration+in+russia&lr=&aq=f&oq=

Your hotel should be able to register your visa for you. I thought it cost us something like euro 15.00 per person. You can ask the people at the hotel where to go do it if you wish to do it yourself. It's easier to have them do it for you, however. You will not be wasting valuable sightseeing time.

The two times I've been to Russia my hotel took care of the registration, you will be required to leave your passport with them while they do it. If you are not staying at a hotel, you will need to do it on your own.

Depending on where you're from, you may need an invitation. Be careful where you stay- not all places will register you, and even your inviting agency may not help you out. Visas can cost more than $200... especially with the Letter of Invitation and all that. Most hotels, as people have mentioned, will register your visa, but be careful around the St. Petersburg train station as that seems to be a favorite haunt of police looking to give tourists trouble.

Try visatorussia.com or waytorussia.com for Letters of Invitation (LOI). You'll need to tell them where you plan to go (doesn't have to be exact), planned entry and exit points, and youhave to fill out an application for the visa- if you've been in the military or police, be honest about that- I don't know if it means they won't let you in, but better to be honest, in many ways.

Visa stuff is difficult and confused, but we were in Russia for about five days without getting our visas registered because our homestay in Moscow wouldn't do it for us. I think we did get registered in St. Petersburg. We also avoided police like the plague. We entered and left via rail, so no one really checked on the way out (to Helsinki) but if you leave via air, they probably will and that could give you trouble if you don't register.

They are serious about visa stuff, so cross and dot.

John

You didn't noticed the type of your invitation: hotel (hostel) will do it for you. 1000 roubles - is OVERprice. the cost of registration in the post office is 180 roubles (ab. 4 Euro). Normally hotels or hostels (even if you don't saty there - just ask them do do a pleasure) will take about 300-500 roubles for service.
In the case you get private invitation - Host party (normally the owner of the flat) has to go to any post office (working ours 9am-8pm, Sat. Sun. 9am-15pm) with you, fills the form, shows your passport,visa and migration card and you'll get the stamped leaflet of the form. Normally the Host party (or hotel) leave this paper with them, because they have to send it back to the Migration service upon your departure. No any policemen ask any stamped papers, confirming your registration. If any, you just answer: My hotel made the registration, and they left the paper with them.
Here is official site of Federal migration service (with regular updating): http://www.fms.gov.ru/useful/migrate/index_eng.php
NB: No any police for registration since 1996 - all procedures with foreign and local passports and visas are provided by Federal Migration Service.

Just to add concerning to do it yourself: Quote from the official link mentioned about:
"The foreign citizen has a right to notify the bodies of migration control of his/her arrival at the place of sojourn in person in case there are documented reasonable excuses (illness, physical impossibility, etc.) preventing the Host Party from submitting the Notification to a body of migration registration. "

Thanks to all of you for your comments, I already have the invitation and waiting for the visa. The travel agency that sent me the invitation also has the registration service about 20 euros, I just asked if the self registration was an easy task, and now with all the information I will let the agency to do that.

But I have another question, I arrive to Russia by Moscow on Sunday and go by train to St Petersburg on Tuesday night, As I read elsewhere we have to register the entrance no later than 3 business days from the arrival, so the 3rd business day will be on my first day in St Petersburg. The question is: I should only get registered in St Petersburg or we have to do it also in Moscow.

Thanks

Francisco

3 working days in one place))) So, upon arrival to Spb the period of 3 working days starts again))) Working days Sun.-Fr.

Pardon me)))) Of course, Monday-Friday:-))))

some news for you - http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=-12816

and more - http://blogs.waytorussia.net/item/100

and you should register not later than on Wednesday as you said your trip was on Monday. only 3 working days wherever you are, whatever you do, travel by air/ship or just sit at house, 3 working days!
they check the stamp on your migration card when you enter the country!
coming on Wednesday to S-Petersburg in the morning, go direct to any post office or deposit your paper to hotel! in the morning!

Dear Wrangler, please reread the law and don't confuse others. Article 20: 3 (three) working days for ordinary tourists who come to the destination (place of stay ther he (she) has to be registered, but as soon as he (she has 3 working days - if he (she ) stay less - you can avoid this. The one of exclusions: 24 hours - for hotels and hostels (who register the guest themself). NO ANY stamp om migration card anymore. Just the detachable part of Notification which is not Migration card at all.

we have just completed the application for the visa from australia

it was a single page of questions
relating to any name changes
position at work
and mostly about the agencies you were dealing with
no real tricky questions

theymight come when we are accosted by the police haahaha

like 'whats my favourite colour? ...nope..keep guessing' lol says friendly policeman

ill shoot for 'cerise' and get it in one...!