Russian Visa Registration
Every foreign citizen who comes to Russia on a tourist or business visa must register with the local migration authorities. Paperwork must be completed by receiving organization and cost additional fees.
Please note that the registration has to take place within 72 hours upon arrival, excluding holidays and weekends. If the duration of your stay is less than three days, no registration is required. We suggest that you keep copies of your tickets, hotel reservations and other documents that could serve as a proof of your itinerary.
• If you stay in a Hotel, the hotel will take care of your registration
• If you are staying at a private apartment, your business or tourist visa needs to be registered by a landlord (or a person who is registered at the apartment). A landlord must apply at the local police office or Federal Migration Service (commonly known as OVIR) to register a visitor on a tourist or business visa. A land lord will need to fill out a notification form and include your passport and migration card details. A landlord will also have to present his passport and must be officially registered at this apartment.
Notification Form has two parts separated by a puncture line. The main part is submitted to the authorities. The tear of the receipt must be kept by the foreign citizen through out his/her stay and presented to the authorities if requested. Before a foreign citizen leaves Russia, he/she must return this receipt to the land lord, who in turn must submit it to the migration authorities within 24 hours.
Multiple entry business visas for 1 year are registered for 6 months only. Foreign citizens with 1-year business visas will have to leave Russia after the first 6 months spent in the country. Registration is to be renewed after foreign citizens reenter Russia.
A failure to register Russian visa is likely to result in problems leaving Russia and when trying to reenter Russia in the future. Due to the possibility of random document checks by Russian police, all foreigner citizens should carry their original passports, registered migration cards and visas with them at all times. Failure to provide proper documentation can result in detention or heavy fines.
Assistance with registration is available trough our Moscow office for additional fee.
