Visa Registration in Russia
If you are staying in Russia for more than 7 business days you must register with the local migration authorities. Visitors staying in Russia less than 7 business days do not need to register (though we recommend that you keep copies of any travel/hotel details as proof of itinerary).
The registration must be completed by the receiving entity. Please note that this is not necessarily the same as the inviting organization or hotel indicated on your visa invitation but the actual host company, hotel or person you are visiting in Russia.
Please note that initial registration has to take place within 7 business days of arrival in Russia. If you visit several cities, you need to reregister your visa at each city where you stay more than seven business days. This should be done on the following business day from your arrival in the area.
We suggest that you keep copies of tickets, hotel reservations and other documents that could serve as proof of itinerary. Keep all copies of registration notifications from your trip.
1. IF YOU STAY AT THE HOTEL, the registration is fully taken care of by the hotel.
Please request a copy of the registration at the reception.
2. IF YOU ARE STAYING AT A PRIVATE APARTMENT, a visa is to be registered by a landlord whether it is a tourist or a business visa. The landlord must apply for your registration at the local post office, police station (in Moscow) or department of Federal Migration Service (commonly known as OVIR) in other cities. A landlord will need to fill out a notification form and include a copy of your passport (pages with photo and visa) and migration card. The landlord must be a Russian citizen officially registered at the same apartment.
The NOTIFICATION FORM has two parts separated by a puncture line. The main part is submitted to the authorities. You must keep the tear off receipt or its copy throughout your entire stay and present it to the authorities if requested. Before leaving Russia, you must return the original receipt to the landlord, who in turn must submit it to the migration authorities within 48 hours. Failure to do so may lead to authorities’ assuming that a visa has been overstayed. This in turn could lead to you being fined or placed on one of the black lists maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which might make future travel to Russia difficult. In addition, a receiving entity will also be fined. When exiting Russia please keep the copy of the receipt.
Please note that Visa Registration is the sole responsibility of the traveller. RuVisa Ltd has no involvement in the visa registration process.
