Question: 3 Year Russian Visa has no Invitation

[Snipe 21]

Hi,

I am US citizen and I received my 3 year Tourist Russian Visa a while ago and am finally preparing to go to Russia in a month or so, I was looking at it and under the Invitation by section it list nothing just a simple: -

There is also no Invitation Number, that area is blank. under additional information it just lists that it is valid for a max stay of 6 months.

I filled the visa through an agency who dealed with invitation and hotel and what not so I had no contact with Russian Consulate at all. That said I know nothing about what they said or did.

I am worried that with my lack of russian I will have problems when I am passing immigration at the airport to enter Russia. I booked my hotel in moscow for 4 days already but that is about it in terms of plans. I am sort of going to wing my whole trip since I really don't know much I will spend in each place other than at least my first part in moscow. Any tips for stuff that the immigration officer might ask or if this lack of invitation will pose a problem? I could go to one of those websiste and get an invitation just for safety but I'd rather not throw away money.

So anyway any tips on that and what kind of stuff immigration may ask me I would appreciate.

Parallel to this I am meeting up with my girlfriend in Russia and am getting married, I will go to her home for 1-2 weeks, should I not mention this at the border to not have issues of them asking why I didn't get a homestay visa?

Thanks and great forums, I've been reading them for a while, got lot's of useful info from here that led to me getting my visa

Snipe

PS: I look forward to being an active member of this forums once I return to USA and start the process for my girlfriend's visa

Edited May 25, 2013 by Snipe

[St&Sv 33]

Hey Snipe, I just recently came back from St Petersburg a couple of weeks ago. I had my invitation letter with me, just incase, that was provided by VisaHQ. When I got to passport control they did not ask me many questions at all nor did they ask me for the invitation. All they wanted was the visa, and the white landing card filled out (http://www.bravosolutions.com/immigration_form.php). Make sure you hold onto your copy of the landing card, as they will collect it when you leave. After passport control, I collected my bags, went through security and there I saw my baby waiting for me.

[St&Sv 33]

To add to my original post:

If you have an ATM card I recommend you contact your bank and let them know you will be there and for how long. Have a little cash on hand, dollars is ok, just incase and take the rest out of the ATM machines as you need it. You'll get the best rate and possible no fee charged, 2 different banks I used charged no fee at the Metro and the one at the grocery store charged me a small one. As for how much, it all depends on what you are doing. I was there for 10 days and spent about $300 with daily travels to the center (trolley and metro), grocery shopping (beer and food) to cook at her place, and doing touristy stuff. Though she, and her mom, did pay for most of the tourist stuff even when I tried to pay for them! So it depends on what all you plan to do. Also don't forget that legally if you are there, in one area I believe, longer then 7 days you need to register yourself. If you were staying at a hotel for that length of time they would do it for you, but i'm unfamiliar with that process since I didn't stay at one. If there are holidays that fall during your stay you need not count them, as was the case for me so I did not have to register.

Best of luck, and have a great trip, it is an amazing one.

Edited May 25, 2013 by St&Sv

[vbtwo 54]

Don't worry, the Russian passport control guys and girls will just glower at you and not say a single word, either on the way in our out. At least that has been my experience when flying to Russia and Ukraine, in both countries they never say a single word and never smile, just look at you, look at your passport, look at their computer, put a stamp, give you back your passport, and press the button that opens the gate to exit.

[St&Sv 33]

Don't worry, the Russian passport control guys and girls will just glower at you and not say a single word, either on the way in our out. At least that has been my experience when flying to Russia and Ukraine, in both countries they never say a single word and never smile, just look at you, look at your passport, look at their computer, put a stamp, give you back your passport, and press the button that opens the gate to exit.

I can vouch for this too.

[Snipe 21]

This is great news! I appreciate the prompt responses. It certainly makes me feel better about that. I know about the visa registration and will try to register at the hotel I am going to and then again when I go to her town through post office (she asked about it and they said there's no problem for visa registration there)

I will be sure to notify my banks and carry some cash just incase, but I also feel a little bad that my girlfriend and her family too want to cover all the cost. Must be a russian tradition, but I will do my best to avoid that

I guess I might as well ask one more question while I am at it. Do you guys recommend I carry my passport with visa at all times incase Russian Police stop me or will a copy (notarized or not) suffice?

Thanks again!

[BatmanUSA 105]

carry your passport and immigration card at all times... just in case...

and remember, if you stay more than 7 days you must register with your immigration card..(little white card they give you when you enter) the hotel will do it for you or I think you can go to a police station or a post office to register, check the Russian website... I went to Moscow in march, I didn't have an invitation letter and I had no problems. we rented an apartment and we were there for 6 days.. I didn't register and I didn't have any problems when I left...

[BatmanUSA 105]

carry your passport and immigration card at all times... just in case...

and remember, if you stay more than 7 days you must register with your immigration card..(little white card they give you when you enter) the hotel will do it for you or I think you can go to a police station or a post office to register, check the Russian website... I went to Moscow in march, I didn't have an invitation letter and I had no problems. we rented an apartment and we were there for 6 days.. I didn't register and I didn't have any problems when I left...

Edited May 26, 2013 by BatmanUSA

[Hollyday 122]

Okay, about the registration stuff: i have some experience in this area having done it already 5 times for my husband.

As you've already been told, if you're staying in one place for a certain time, you have to be registered. If you're staying at a hotel, the hotel does it for you, if you're staying at a private residence, the host has to do it for you. Only in case of some serious unavoidable reasons why the host can't do it (like being in hospital), the foreigner is allowed to register himself.

They have a special form for the host to fill in (two copies), which can be found here (also post offices have those forms). It can either be submitted directly to the migration authorities (FMS) or be mailed to them from a regular post office. I prefer the latter (but fill the paper at home since it's just more convenient than doing it in a post office). Generally, the procedure is described here but there are two significant discrepancies between Russian and English versions of this page and i think for the purposes of our discussion, the Russian one wins. First, the English version says you have 3 working days to have it done, Russian one says 7. Second, the English version says the host has to submit the remaining notification paper to the migration authorities when the foreigner departs, but the Russian one says:

"При убытии иностранного гражданина из места пребывания или выезда его из Российской Федерации, отрывная часть Уведомления остается у иностранного гражданина. Снятие иностранного гражданина с учета по месту пребывания осуществляется территориальным органом ФМС после поступления информации о постановке иностранного гражданина на учет по новому месту пребывания или выезде из Российской Федерации." - "When the foreigner leaves this place within Russia or generally departs, the slip remains with the foreigner. Removing of registration is done by the authorities either when he or she is registered in a new place in Russia or when they receive information that he or she has left the country."

Edited May 27, 2013 by Hollyday

[paws057 9]

Hi,

I am US citizen and I received my 3 year Tourist Russian Visa a while ago and am finally preparing to go to Russia in a month or so, I was looking at it and under the Invitation by section it list nothing just a simple: -

There is also no Invitation Number, that area is blank. under additional information it just lists that it is valid for a max stay of 6 months.

I filled the visa through an agency who dealed with invitation and hotel and what not so I had no contact with Russian Consulate at all. That said I know nothing about what they said or did.

I am worried that with my lack of russian I will have problems when I am passing immigration at the airport to enter Russia. I booked my hotel in moscow for 4 days already but that is about it in terms of plans. I am sort of going to wing my whole trip since I really don't know much I will spend in each place other than at least my first part in moscow. Any tips for stuff that the immigration officer might ask or if this lack of invitation will pose a problem? I could go to one of those websiste and get an invitation just for safety but I'd rather not throw away money.

So anyway any tips on that and what kind of stuff immigration may ask me I would appreciate.

Parallel to this I am meeting up with my girlfriend in Russia and am getting married, I will go to her home for 1-2 weeks, should I not mention this at the border to not have issues of them asking why I didn't get a homestay visa?

Thanks and great forums, I've been reading them for a while, got lot's of useful info from here that led to me getting my visa

Snipe

PS: I look forward to being an active member of this forums once I return to USA and start the process for my girlfriend's visa

The letter of invitation is only for the Russian Embassy here in the states to get the visa. You do not need to take it with you because all they will do at passport control is throw it back at you. I've been there 6 times now and they never ask you anything. Also now the migration cards you used to have to fill out on the plane going to Russia and now done by passport control on a printer with the information off your passport. They keep one copy and give you the other one, you will need this when you go back through passport control to go home. Just remember if you stay 7 days or more register your visa through any post office. To register your visa you will need a scan of your bio page from your passport and a scan of the visa itself with the entry stamp in it. You can do the bio page at home and take it with you but the visa will have ot be done in country after it has been stamped. Be prepared to wait if you go to the post office, speed is not their strong suit! If you are there less than 7 days or are staying at a hotel don't worry about it they do it for you. I hope this helps!

[paws057 9]

This is great news! I appreciate the prompt responses. It certainly makes me feel better about that. I know about the visa registration and will try to register at the hotel I am going to and then again when I go to her town through post office (she asked about it and they said there's no problem for visa registration there)

I will be sure to notify my banks and carry some cash just incase, but I also feel a little bad that my girlfriend and her family too want to cover all the cost. Must be a russian tradition, but I will do my best to avoid that

I guess I might as well ask one more question while I am at it. Do you guys recommend I carry my passport with visa at all times incase Russian Police stop me or will a copy (notarized or not) suffice?

Thanks again!

I've never been stopped by the police but it is a good idea to have your passport and migration card at all times. Some banks will not allow you to use a credit card in any former Soviet country. They say it is because of the fraud over there. The major banks will but a local bank probably won't. So what I do just in case that stupid card doesn't work is I wire some money through MoneyGram to my girl. Then if I need it we go and get it, if I don't need it, well that s a gift for her!

[vbtwo 54]

I've never been stopped by the police but it is a good idea to have your passport and migration card at all times. Some banks will not allow you to use a credit card in any former Soviet country. They say it is because of the fraud over there. The major banks will but a local bank probably won't. So what I do just in case that stupid card doesn't work is I wire some money through MoneyGram to my girl. Then if I need it we go and get it, if I don't need it, well that s a gift for her!

Never had any problems using bank card at an ATM in Ukraine. Used it both at the airport and at a local bank branch ATM. The airport ATM charged a fee, but my bank refunds ATM fees (yay!), the local branch ATM didn't even charge any fees at all.

Using a credit card at a store would be a different matter and would probably be denied though.

[Hollyday 122]

Never had any problems using bank card at an ATM in Ukraine. Used it both at the airport and at a local bank branch ATM. The airport ATM charged a fee, but my bank refunds ATM fees (yay!), the local branch ATM didn't even charge any fees at all.

Using a credit card at a store would be a different matter and would probably be denied though.

I had a totally different experience. I was working for a Russian bank a couple of years ago and there was a policy of blocking bank cards issued by this bank if they'd been used in an Ukrainian ATM without prior confirmation from the cardholder that it was him or her doing the transaction, all because of the fraud and scamming. So i'd suggest warning the bank anyway about the travel plans just in case.

[St&Sv 33]

You should always call the bank first to inform them you are taking an oversea trip, or else after you've used it once it will be flagged and shut off until you call. At least this is what my bank does if I don't let them know about it.

Edited June 3, 2013 by St&Sv

[paws057 9]

You should always call the bank first to inform them you are taking an oversea trip, or else after you've used it once it will be flagged and shut off until you call. At least this is what my bank does if I don't let them know about it.

Citi Bank is usually pretty good about this if you call before you go or set it up online that you will be traveling. But they did give me a hard time about a money gram the last trip for some reason? I had to send it three times and of course two phone calls to get it to clear.