Registering Visa help

So I'm planning a trip for Moscow for this upcoming January. My friend just started her job teaching English in Moscow (she'll be there 38 weeks starting last week) so I'm planning on staying for almost a month and bunking with her in her apartment. Now I've got everything planned on getting the visa and whatnot, but my question is in regards to you getting it registered once you arrive. My friend is a US citizen, so I understand she cannot register it. I have friends in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod, but that wont do either! Her landlord for her apartment is in Australia. The company she works for takes care of any problems, and they're a British company. So I don't know how I'm going to get my visa registered, I read it has to be a Russian citizen and if you're staying with friends its either the landlord or the friend that does it. So that's my dilemma. I've thought about renting a hotel room for 1 night or something, but I'd rather not do that for the cost. Plus I'd assume that they register your visa for just the time that you're staying there anyways. Does anyone have any ideas/tips? I really need it!

Well, I just got back from visiting friends in Russia, but they were Russian citizens. The owner of the apartment was my friends dad, and he wasn't the landlord...he was the owner of only his apartment. He had to be present at the OVIR office with his domestic passport and, I think, the papers that showed that he owned the apartment. When I was registered, they looked at my passport and registered me.

Officially, you must have your passport and visa registered within three days. My friend told me that even Russian citizens have to do this when they go to another city and will stay for more than three days. I would think that the OVIR office would understand...but then again, it isn't America and they usually want large sums of money to facilitate "understanding." If I were in your place, here is what I would do... a) Look for a nearby Russian friend to help, b) Ask your friend if she has any Russian friends who would be willing to register you in their apartment, c) Go to a hotel and ask the front desk to register you for the duration of your stay.

I've heard that it is possible to register your visa at hotels without renting a room, just slip the person a $20 in US currency and they will help you. I never did this because I didn't have to, but money is the key to making just about anything in Russia easier. I really don't think they would only register you for one day...that would be a lot of paperwork over one month!

I would really recommend trying to find a Russian "friend of a friend" to register you in their apartment. It's probably the easiest way, usually people look at the address registration, they don't drop by for a visit as far as I am aware. By the way, what type of visa do you have and who invited you?

Anyway, I hope that might have helped a little since I see no one has replied to you in over a month.