MOSCOW HOTELS

[PurrSuede 0]

I can't wait to go back to Moscow!

Slim:

I can't either. I lost my Russian Wife. But, I have an idea where I might be able to find one.

As I said, the RW's I've talked to don't look at me as "man with baggage, stay away!".

They say "you are man with SERIOUS Intentions, I want to know more about you!"

They say "There is reason you are single now. Perhaps this reason is to be with ~me~!"

Ya just gotta love how their mind works...

-- Dan

[mendeleev 68]

We had good experience with Moscow Rick.

I can't wait to return, either. And I return to Russia on Wednesday!

[slim 1,530]

Lucky SOB!

[Austin_Volgograd 0]

Lucky SOB!

And I'm going next month... for my wife's K-3 interview! Sorry to rub it in, there, slim!

I'll be looking for accommodations *really quick*, and I appreciate all the info and comments I've seen here.

Thanks to all for the info!

[slim 1,530]

The best apartment I've seen for the money is one that Nick stayed in a while back. I'm not sure who it was through (wanna say Moscow Rick, but don't remember) but he paid something like $80/night for a one bedroom with a jacuzzi. (I love jacuzzis!) Maybe I'm wrong though, that was a while ago. Either way though, you should be able to find a decent place for under $100/night, and in Moscow, that's not bad.

(But to quote Satellite: Have your girl check the classifieds for the best deals.)

[Austin_Volgograd 0]

So... What do you guys do about the registration stamp on your Russian migration card?

I've never stayed in an apartment in Russia, only hotels, and never needed to worry about that.

Thanks in advance!

:Mike

[Satellite 1]

So... What do you guys do about the registration stamp on your Russian migration card?

I always come over on a private visa and thus am entitled to 90 day registration at the OVIR. Cost is less than a $1 paid to the Central bank and receipt returned to the OVIR. For those that travel on tourist visas, your hotel or inviting organization should do it for you. Ideally it should be free because you chose them over someone else. Same goes for business visa.

[Austin_Volgograd 0]

So... What do you guys do about the registration stamp on your Russian migration card?

I always come over on a private visa and thus am entitled to 90 day registration at the OVIR. Cost is less than a $1 paid to the Central bank and receipt returned to the OVIR. For those that travel on tourist visas, your hotel or inviting organization should do it for you. Ideally it should be free because you chose them over someone else. Same goes for business visa.

I know the hotel does the registration stamp. I was wondering about when someone gets an apartment. I saw that Rick (enjoymoscow.com) does this for $50. But do other apartments provide similar services?

I looked at a couple of places that rent apartments in Moscow. They help with: (1) basic visa support - the invitation/voucher, or (2) the whole visa process. But they didn't offer registration if you order only the basic visa support. How much trouble is it to get that registration stamp if you get an invitation (from a service) and apply for the visa yourself? Am I inviting trouble if I don't let the renting agency do the whole visa process?

I'm extremely cautious about this stuff because I've had several problems when I've travelled to Russia (Volgograd/Moscow). But that's a whole other thread.

thanks!

P.S. Is anyone else going to Moscow between 23-October and 1-November?

[Satellite 1]

Am I inviting trouble if I don't let the renting agency do the whole visa process?

I have no idea why you guys have so much trouble with this. I had my fiancee do my invitation and registration for under $15 total. She sent me the invitation and then she took me down to the OVIR. The problem is that you guys don't plan to far enough ahead and thus suffer by worrying if the agency will take care of you. You are at the whim of the inviting agency when it comes to registration, hence I always had my wife do it for me. Thus to end your worries pay them what they ask and stop worrying about it. Unless you want to try to go to the OVIR yourself and try to register. You'll encounter two basic problems:

1. Wrong visa, OVIR usually registers private visas. I'm not sure if they do business visas as well.

2. Wrong sponsor. They want the party that invited to sign off.

These people that rent hotels:

1. Should have the authority to register you as if they were a hotel; or

2. Should do a private or business visa invitation for you if they don't.

For a Russian to pay less than $1 to the central bank and to take you by bus to the OVIR to register you, a process that can take less than 30 minutes if you follow correct procedure, is a steal if they charge you $50! I wish I could open something similar in America.

By the way the cost of those invitations is less than $15 for Russians. Again a handsome profit. Regardless of who orders them hotel, private person, or a business.

[Austin_Volgograd 0]

Am I inviting trouble if I don't let the renting agency do the whole visa process?

I have no idea why you guys have so much trouble with this. I had my fiancee do my invitation and registration for under $15 total. She sent me the invitation and then she took me down to the OVIR. The problem is that you guys don't plan to far enough ahead and thus suffer by worrying if the agency will take care of you. You are at the whim of the inviting agency when it comes to registration, hence I always had my wife do it for me. Thus to end your worries pay them what they ask and stop worrying about it. Unless you want to try to go to the OVIR yourself and try to register. You'll encounter two basic problems:

1. Wrong visa, OVIR usually registers private visas. I'm not sure if they do business visas as well.

2. Wrong sponsor. They want the party that invited to sign off.

These people that rent hotels:

1. Should have the authority to register you as if they were a hotel; or

2. Should do a private or business visa invitation for you if they don't.

For a Russian to pay less than $1 to the central bank and to take you by bus to the OVIR to register you, a process that can take less than 30 minutes if you follow correct procedure, is a steal if they charge you $50! I wish I could open something similar in America.

By the way the cost of those invitations is less than $15 for Russians. Again a handsome profit. Regardless of who orders them hotel, private person, or a business.

You ask why we have so much trouble? I don't know about everyone else, but I'll share my story.

1. On my first visit, the hotel put the registration stamp on my migration card, but they put the wrong date. I did not notice this until I was at the airport, leaving the country. I know... *MY* fault. I'm much more diligent about checking all this.

2. My trip will be to 2 cities, Volgograd and Moscow. Doing the private visa will only complicate and confuse the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly OVIR) in Volgograd. A colleague of mine was doing the private visa through his wife's mother in Volgograd, and they had a LOT of problems with that office!! It's rediculous how Volgograd officials handled this. I don't want my wife to go through these headaches, and stress. Hell... I'm 100% sure I would spend $50 in phone calls with my wife explaining everything to her, and calming her down, etc. etc. etc.. It's much better for me if I pay someone $50 to take care of it all.

3. This trip is a little more complicated than usual. Yes, if I was going to stay with my wife, in 1 city, I'd probably ask her to do the guest (private/homestay) visa. If my wife lived in Moscow, it would be a lot easier also. But that's not my situation. Maybe I'm complicating things a little more than is possible, but I'm doing these things to help my wife's comfort level. She's already scared to death of the interview because a friend of hers told her one (1) woman didn't get her visa one time. Very stupid, I know. The friend couldn't say why the woman didn't get her visa. It was probably one of those "Bring the rest of your documents and you're approved!" kind of things. But my wife is scared to death now because of this. She also has a 2-year-old daughter that keeps her busy. Anything, within reason, that I can do to help keep her calm for the interview next month is worth it.

Regarding the "wrong sponsor" comment... They (Russian passport/custom control, police/militia at the airport, etc.) didn't care the last 3 times I've been in Russia. They only wanted to see a registration stamp from the hotel I stayed in, for the period of time I actually stayed in Russia. They didn't call the hotel to see if I was actually a guest there.

Can a guest visa even be used in my situation - 2 cities where I'll be staying more than 3 days each? I understood that a guest visa is only used for the city in which it is issued.

Is it worth $50? To me... Hell, YES!

[Satellite 1]

Can a guest visa even be used in my situation - 2 cities where I'll be staying more than 3 days each? I understood that a guest visa is only used for the city in which it is issued.

By guest you mean private? Yes. I stayed in Tomsk and Moscow for over 3 days. In Tomsk I registered through the simple processes I described in the other post. In Moscow I had my 2 day hotel register me for 2 weeks. They broke the law, but they were cool about it. Surprisingly no bribe was required, even though I was prepared to give one.

I can understand that you wife would be nervous about dealing with US authorities in terms of getting a US visa. So was my wife. But my wife had no problems about dealing with Russian authorities. She marched right into the OVIR and everything was taken care of smoothly. She lived in that country for many years and had no problems.

It is the same comfort level you will have walking your wife into the Social Security Office or DMV when she arrives. You wouldn't pay someone $50 to do that for you, no matter how much your wife suppose would insist on it

Yes, you are right, the airport only cares about a registration stamp. My comment about wrong sponsor would be the difficulty you would encounter if you have a tourist visa given out by a hotel and try to have your wife register you at the OVIR.

According to Russian law, on a private visa you can stop at as many OVIR's and register if you stay at the city longer than 3 days. But ultimately as in my case my first registration covered 90 days, no matter where I traveled. And in reality the extra registration is only to satisfy local militia officers in the particular city I was at.

[russ 1]

[

You ask why we have so much trouble? I don't know about everyone else, but I'll share my story.

It was a huge hassle for me too. Fortunately, at DME no one look it or took the migration card. (it would only have been a 1000 r. fine/bribe in the end anyway.)

I had to pay fines, bribes, and hotel fees and it didn't matter in the end. When the police stopped me on the street, they didn't even look at it.

Trying to get the private visa involved so many documents that it was not practical to get. If you are only in Moscow, it is probably fine.

In the (very unlikely) event that I need a visa to Russia again, it will be a business one, and I will pay someone to register it.

The only scenario that I can ever see bringing me to Russia again would be for work anyway.

[Satellite 1]

Trying to get the private visa involved so many documents that it was not practical to get.

This is the problem with Russia. All the regions come up with their own rules. In Tomsk, the only documents needed for a private visa was a photocopy of my passport page, pay slip from the bank, and an application form filled out by my wife. That was submitted to the OVIR and 6 weeks later an invitation was ready for pick up. The invitation was then mailed to me, which I along with my visa application form, passport, and money order submitted to the Russian consulate in San Francisco. 2 weeks later the 90 day single entry visa was ready.

Other regions as you guys describe must come up with different rules and requirements and that is a shame for such a lack in consistency.

Edited September 18, 2006 by Satellite

[Austin_Volgograd 0]

Trying to get the private visa involved so many documents that it was not practical to get.

This is the problem with Russia. All the regions come up with their own rules.

Now you understand why we have so much trouble with this stuff!

[PurrSuede 0]

Trying to get the private visa involved so many documents that it was not practical to get.

This is the problem with Russia. All the regions come up with their own rules.

Now you understand why we have so much trouble with this stuff!

Well I can pretty much say between the USA and the FSU, those are two of the largest biggest bureaucratic nightmares in the entire world!!!

At least in Russia a small "fine" paid to the right person can straighten things out right away.

Do NOT try that to get "priority processing" with the USCIS... LOL

-- Dan