Leaving russia - is there any document needed?

[Chris Parker 11]

As we are about to go back into Russia with this new foreign passport, my question relates to how long does it take to get this registration process done so we can also leave Russia with it. We are hoping same day service, but I'd like to know if anyone has done this and can say more about it.

The answer to this question, at least for us, it is a drop off your passports with MID in the afternoon and come back the next morning to pick them up service. Additional stamps are placed in both passports to render the zagranpassport issued through the Russian embassy now complete and valid for exiting Russia. No additional fee for this service, definitely an inconvenient chore if you don't live in or near Moscow, but we were able to do this without problem upon entry to Russia even though the zagranpassport was issued over 2 years ago but was never used to enter Russia until now.

[Chris Parker 11]

It comes into play if your fiancée desires to be registered at a Russian Consulate in the US. Biggest benefit to the registration is that you can return to Russia and have a universal propiska for 90 days.

All Russian citizens can legally reside away from their registered place of residence for up to 3 months, it is not a special benefit of having removed your propiska! (rather, it is all that is left after you removed it). When propiska is removed for foreign residence, the interior passport is supposedly invalidated and taken away from you, and upon exiting the country, you are subject to special customs requirements for those emigrating from the country permanently.

In general, removing propiska and registering at the embassy is only really necessary when the place of residence is sold and you don't have a place to be registered at any longer. It not suggested to do this until you have U.S. citizenship or at least have lawful permanent residence in the U.S. (i.e. a green card) (in fact, I don't think the embassy will accept a registration without proof of one of those statuses).

A valid and properly endorsed zagranpassport with more than 1 year of validity remaining is the only document required to exit Russia.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Chris Parker

[Satellite 1]

All Russian citizens can legally reside away from their registered place of residence for up to 3 months, it is not a special benefit of having removed your propiska!

In my wife's case she was not registered anywhere, for some time until she registered in San Francisco. Therefore, she was subject to fines in every city she went if someone asked to see her internal passport (i.e. Moscow everywhere, and airports her own city).

Also I'd like to know the cite for this Russian law. Because in Moscow they continue to collect fines unless you get a local temporary registration within 72 hours (I am talking locals here). Not sure when it was increased to 90 days or how in the world you'd win your case when you are randomly stopped on the streets of Moscow.

[Chris Parker 11]

Also I'd like to know the cite for this Russian law. Because in Moscow they continue to collect fines unless you get a local temporary registration within 72 hours (I am talking locals here). Not sure when it was increased to 90 days or how in the world you'd win your case when you are randomly stopped on the streets of Moscow.

I don't have the cite, but it is 72 hours (3 days) for non-Russian citizens to register their visa in each city they reside in, but 90 days for Russian citizens to move their propiska if they reside someplace new (i.e. register a new residence).

Propiska is meant to be a permanent residence, you cannot move it day by day, and there is no temporary resident registration for Russian citizens as far as I know like there is for non-Russian citizens. Merely visiting a city to see a friend or relative or do business or pass through in travel is not in any way taking up a temporary residence in that city either.

In my wife's case she was not registered anywhere, for some time until she registered in San Francisco. Therefore, she was subject to fines in every city she went if someone asked to see her internal passport (i.e. Moscow everywhere, and airports her own city).

Russian citizens not having any propiska anywhere, however, yes could very well be subject you to fines, unless you are merely in transit to a new residence and to take up registration there.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Chris Parker

[russ 1]

I don't have the cite, but it is 72 hours (3 days) for non-Russian citizens to register their visa in each city they reside in, but 90 days for Russian citizens to move their propiska if they reside someplace new (i.e. register a new residence).

Yes, and it MUST be within 3 days of entering Russia, even if you are in transit. You can not, for instance, arrive in Moscow and then take a train to the far east. You must register first in Moscow, and then register again wherever you arrive.

I found this out the hard way (In Moscow they would not register my visa, since I was leaving for Lipetsk in a few days). In Lipetsk, they fined me for not registering in Moscow. I also had to write an essay explaining my guilt in visa registration matters (Russian classes were worth something I guess).

[Chris Parker 11]

Yes, and it MUST be within 3 days of entering Russia, even if you are in transit. You can not, for instance, arrive in Moscow and then take a train to the far east. You must register first in Moscow, and then register again wherever you arrive.

I found this out the hard way (In Moscow they would not register my visa, since I was leaving for Lipetsk in a few days). In Lipetsk, they fined me for not registering in Moscow. I also had to write an essay explaining my guilt in visa registration matters (Russian classes were worth something I guess).

I'm just a little curious about this experience of yours... this was a direct airport to train station transfer, or did you stay overnight somewhere? Because, if it was a direct transfer, there was never an address in Moscow you could register under... How did you describe what you should have done in your essay?

My understanding on this subject was (maybe it changed with the introduction of the migration card in 2003), you only have to register the visa within 3 days if your stay in the city is for 3 days or more. For example, if you enter Russia with a Transit Visa, you don't have to register it (can't register it?) to exit Russia because the visa only allows you to stay in Russia for up to the 72 hour days maximum without being registered, provided it eventually gets registered within 3 days of entry.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Chris Parker

[russ 1]

Yes, and it MUST be within 3 days of entering Russia, even if you are in transit. You can not, for instance, arrive in Moscow and then take a train to the far east. You must register first in Moscow, and then register again wherever you arrive.

I found this out the hard way (In Moscow they would not register my visa, since I was leaving for Lipetsk in a few days). In Lipetsk, they fined me for not registering in Moscow. I also had to write an essay explaining my guilt in visa registration matters (Russian classes were worth something I guess).

I'm just a little curious about this experience of yours... this was a direct airport to train station transfer, or did you stay overnight somewhere? Because, if it was a direct transfer, there was never an address in Moscow you could register under... How did you describe what you should have done in your essay?

Stayed one day in Moscow, then on to Lipetsk the next day. Couldn't register the next day in Lipetsk, as the office closed after I arrived that day. Since it was over 72 hours since arrival in Moscow, there were fines.

I couldn't register in Moscow (tried to) because my stay there was less than 72 hours. If I had stayed in Moscow a week I think it would have been okay.

[Satellite 1]

Propiska is meant to be a permanent residence, you cannot move it day by day, and there is no temporary resident registration for Russian citizens as far as I know like there is for non-Russian citizens. Merely visiting a city to see a friend or relative or do business or pass through in travel is not in any way taking up a temporary residence in that city either.

Try explaining this to Moscow militia on every corner. You pretty much have to have all your travel documents and reservations on you, plus a print out of the law, and after a good days worth of detensions they'll release you if you refuse to pay the bribe as a local who is merely visiting friends for one or two months in Moscow! Plenty of my wife's friends have had to pay for not doing a "local temporary" registration while "temporarily" residing in Moscow. This requires someone who does have a Moscow Propiska to go with you (must all the be the person who is in charge of the place you are staying). Hard to find someone who does and someone willing to waste their day with you. This is what the militia guy told us when we got stopped. Luckily for both of us local and foreign it was still the day after arrival. We avoided contact with them for the next 2 weeks during our stay in Moscow.

Yes, and it MUST be within 3 days of entering Russia, even if you are in transit. You can not, for instance, arrive in Moscow and then take a train to the far east. You must register first in Moscow, and then register again wherever you arrive.

It's true, when I was registering my visa in 2004, a grandma from Ukraine who traveled for 6 days to Siberia by train was slapped with a 1000 ruble find for not registering within 72 hours! That's big money in 2004 and when you are a pensioner from the Ukraine.

[Chris Parker 11]

Stayed one day in Moscow, then on to Lipetsk the next day. Couldn't register the next day in Lipetsk, as the office closed after I arrived that day. Since it was over 72 hours since arrival in Moscow, there were fines.

I also thought Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays were excluded from the 3 days (meaning, you can register late in those circumstances because they were closed on the deadline).

[russ 1]

I also thought Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays were excluded from the 3 days (meaning, you can register late in those circumstances because they were closed on the deadline).

They kept weird hours, like being open 9-11 AM Thursday, then 6-8PM Sunday, or something like that. Since the line was longer than they are open for, it is easy to spend a few days going there before someone helps you. We arrived at night, after they had already closed, but that day still counts.

They didn't count Sunday, but they counted back from the time the plane landed in Moscow, so it didn't matter (they weren't open that early in the morning Monday)

[Kotenochek 0]

I would do that and take it to the DEZ-she knows what that is,since her family will not be charged for bills on her part anymore,like water and stuff.