# Forum About Russia Travel and Tourism  Registering the Visa

## TheHopeful

Hello, 
I'm traveling to Russia for the first time on Friday! But, I'm a bit uncertain about the Visa Registration process. 
My visa company says that I can register at any hotel or at the local OVIR office.  
Does anybody know what sorts of questions they ask, or paperwork I'll need to fill out?  
Any information would be helpful! 
I've tried googling it without much detailed success. 
Thanks! 
TH

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## tdk2fe

I'm pretty sure what they mean is that when you get to where you are going, you need to register yourself in that city.  Basically, what happens is whenever you get to your hotel, you give them your passport, and they hold it for (usually) a couple of hours.  What they are doing is registering your passport with the government.  I don't beleive there is any paperwork to fill out (other than the migration card which you usually get on the airplane when you are landing).  I wouldn't worry about going to an OVIR office, the hotel will suffice.  Just be sure to keep your plane ticket on you until you register, because sometimes police officers will ask for your registration.  You are legally allowed to be in a city for 72 hours without registration, and your plane ticket can verify when you arrived.   
If you do have questions when you arrive, and are staying at a hotel in a big city (Moscow, St. Pete), they usually have somebody on staff who speaks english, so I wouldn't worry too much.   
hope this helps 
tdk

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## Бармалей

One thing to keep in mind: if you're going to change money, you'll have to have your passport, so you may want to do this prior to registering at the hotel; sometimes it takes more than just a couple hours, too  - depends on how busy/lazy the hotel staff is. And of course, keep your passport physically on you at all other times.

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## kalinka_vinnie

Alternatively, keep a COPY of your passport (with a copy of your visa) on you at all times. You don't want to lose the thing.

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## Бармалей

I think you may find some militsia hardasses who will claim you have to have the ACTUAL passport. It's kind of a gray area from my understanding. PROBABLY you'll be ok with a copy, but I personally saw no problem with carrying it on my person -- just don't put it in, say, your back pocket where pickpockets have easy access.

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## kalinka_vinnie

кому как   ::   
Well, I never had any questions with my copy and I was stopped thrice  ::

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## Бармалей

I was never stopped  -- I either blended in really well or looked like a boring and poor non-Chechen foreigner  ::  (probably the latter); I just know what our program staff told us.

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## kalinka_vinnie

I must admit, that the three times I was stopped was under very suspicious circumstances...   ::   
1) My roommate, drunk as an eel, decides to undress and run naked in the street. Luckily the militsia were very friendly and we had a cute blonde latvian friend who helped us.
2) our cab driver in moscow decided to take an illegal u-turn in the middle of the night right infront of a cop-car on a bridge. Luckily we had a Finnish Journalist on board and three cute German girls.
3) I was going home from an offical dinner party in a suit with some friends. Should of seen it coming. No luck here, just pure Norwegian charm!

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## Бармалей

> I must admit, that the three times I was stopped was under very suspicious circumstances...    
> 1) My roommate, drunk as an eel, decides to undress and run naked in the street. Luckily the militsia were very friendly and we had a cute blonde latvian friend who helped us.

 Hooray for cute Latvians.   

> 2) our cab driver in moscow decided to take an illegal u-turn in the middle of the night right infront of a cop-car on a bridge. Luckily we had a Finnish Journalist on board and three cute German girls.

 Hooray for cute Germans.   

> 3) I was going home from an offical dinner party in a suit with some friends. Should of seen it coming. No luck here, just pure Norwegian charm!

 Boo for lack of Latvians/Germans. 
So what you're telling us is that the moral of this story is: _ 
Always bring with you either a) a REAL passport  OR b) ATTRACTIVE female foreigners._

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## Shadowoflight

anybody know if they'll ask about or discuss your marital status during reg?

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## Бармалей

> anybody know if they'll ask about or discuss your marital status during reg?

 Yes (too lazy to format).   _
19. Marital status         мarried		single (never married)		divorced		separated		widowed	 
20. Spouse’s full name (even if divorced or separated, please indicate maiden name if applicable) 
	21.Spouse’s date of birth (dd/mm/yy)   
22. Spouse’s place of birth	_    http://www.russianembassy.org/

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## Shadowoflight

^
i know they ask all that when filing documents to obtain a visa. but what about registering after arrival (at ovir or hotel)?

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## Бармалей

The hotel I dealt with really didn't care; I doubt many of them would. OVIR, though, I have no clue. They're liable to ask you anything they feel like, I imagine, though I doubt they would really care. Why is this even an issue? Are you a married man cruising for Russian brides or something?  :P

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## Shadowoflight

yeah. married. but soon to be divorced. id rather not have it become an issue.

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## JB

DO NOT GO TO OVIR!!!! If you have a tourist visa you must be registered by your hotel. If you have a business visa you must be registered by the company that sent you the invitation. If you got your invitation from a service or agency that said they include registration you should go to their office for registration.
Registration does NOT involve any forms or documents from you that ask any personal questions.  You must give your passport and migration card to the company or hotel that is registering you. DON'T forget to get a migration card from the stewardess on your plane before you land in Russia. DO fill out the migration card before you enter passport control and keep it in your passport at all times. When you surrender your passport for registration be sure to get a copy of it with a document/letter (that states your passport is being processed by OVIR) from the entity that is registering you. Keep these documents on you at all times until you get your passport back.

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## TheHopeful

I have a Business Visa, and the company (http://www.russia-visa.com/) said I should register at a hotel... ? 
Is it incorrect? What should I do? I'm leaving tomorrow!

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## kalinka_vinnie

Yes, you can register at a hotel without actually staying there... I don't know how they do it though, I went through a Russian travel agent that did it for me. 
Are you staying at a hotel or not? If yes, then they will take care of it for you.

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## TheHopeful

I'll be renting a flat...

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## JB

Spend the first few nights in a hotel, and after your visa is registered and passport returned to you, move to your flat.  But if you live in a flat without being registered there (a whole different complicated process requiring a special spravka from the housing office in charge of your building)it could be a problem if the cops ask to see your documents.  So don't hang out at tourist or expat bars and clubs, don't be drunk in public, and don't go in the metro late at night (all easy pickings for cops looking for extra income).

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## kalinka_vinnie

Well, I rented a flat in Russia... but I was still registered at the dormatory... then I got my school to register me in my flat for me... 
oh yeah, are you going to school there? They will fix it for you !

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## JB

If the school got you the flat they can fill out the documents for the building you are staying in and turn them in. But if you are renting on your own the owner/s of the flat must take their passports (in person) and your passport and the completed documents to the housing office and get the document stamped, pay your taxes for the length of your visa then you or your school must turn this packet into OVIR (all within the 3 day time period of course). This seems to be strict in Moscow but I'm not sure how strict it is in St. Petersburg or if it is even a requirement in other parts of Russia.

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