Way to Russia Talk Lounge

cfrmn · Just Starting Joined: 15 Dec 2002 Posts: 2

Could you explain a little more about exactly how using your services to rent an apartment will affect a tourist under the new visa rules. I've traveled to Russia before but always stayed at hotels...so the process was very straightforward and simple. But I guess that there's 2 major things I'm concerned about.

1) Since there seems to be a greater emphasis on checking vouchers for accomodations upon arrival ---I'm curious about exactly how a voucher is issued for an apartment rental?

2) Will I encounter any problems trying to explain upon entry that "YES--I AM staying in an apartment"...but "NO-it's not a 'homestay' visit"?

Any other new issues or problems that I need to be aware of?

Thanks in advance.

Rob

WayToRussia

First, it's not WayToRussia.Net services: we advertise availablable renting opportunities, but the apartments are rented by private landlords, not by us (this is to avoid misunderstanding).

Now, it was already said in the visa section, that the modified visa regulations are mainly aimed to CIS citizens, so they won't (and they don't in fact) affect foreginers from Europe, US, Japan, or Australia, at least in practice.

To answer the question 1), yes, there's a greater emphasis, but it only means that you should be able to provide the address of your stay (even only first place of stay) in Russia to immigration officials if they requre. When you rent an apartment through a landlord whose apartment is presented on our site, you're usually sent an address of the apartment 3 days prior to your arrival.

To answer the question 2) -- NO, legally, the homestay visit or renting an apartment is absulutely the same thing for immigration officials. They just need you to have your visa registered. The landlord can provide you a special letter where he / she says he doesn't mind your staying in the apartment, and then this letter is brought to the company that issued your visa support, and they stamp the registration. That's all. It's paperwork, but simple, if you know how to do it.

Slider · Guest

Slider · Guest

They also thoroughly checked that my stay was prepaid for ALL days from date of entry until date of return flight. Upon leaving I was asked to produce the accomodations recipt as well as the visa registration recipt and again they verifyed that all days were "paid"

WayToRussia · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2003 2:13 pm Post subject: Homestays and Apartments

Homestay for Russian officials means you come to visit someone, as a guest. In this case you need a private visa. When I was answering the question, I meant the homestay where you pay for your stay -- in this case you may get a tourist visa, and have the travel agency arrange a homestay for you.

In this case, I don't see what the problem can be. For example, when you pay $30 US for visa support, it already includes booked accommodation. Maybe the travel agency has a very good arrangement with the owner of the apartment where you stay, and they pay him / her only $3 US per night, or even less...

But I absolutely agree with Slider about the visa registration -- this is essential, if you don't want to have any troubles.

Slider · Guest

OK I'll explain my specifc situation in a little more detail.
I used a service to get my visa and airline tix.
I booked accomodation through another service (not knowing any better)
which caused some confusion I guess.

BUT what passport control said they had a problem with, is that "a friend" was picking me up at the airport, and that no representative from the accomodation service was present to pick me up. Although I was emphatic that I would not be visiting the outlying town my friend lives in, I was visiting the city as a tourist, and I would be where the paper stated (in the city) for the entire length of my stay, they still detained me until they could decide, and told me next time I would be turned away if I did not get a homestay visa instead of a tourist visa.

Incidentally, the Danish guy asked the rep from Lufthansa if this could be handled in a "more traditional Russian manner" and he was assured this was a new proceedural issue not a matter of money..........

Bender · Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2003 9:08 am Post subject:

i have some concerns about this as well. ill be going to st peter in june to stay with a friend.

should i have a tourist visa or homestay?

does my friend need to get an invitation for me or can i go through a visa service?

since i will be staying at her apartment in st peter how does this effect my enty and what do i need to do so i wont have any problems getting in to russia?

thanks all advice is appreciated

mike

WayToRussia · Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 5:56 pm Post subject: VIsa

You can only go through the visa service that has an office in St. Petersburg to register you. Otherwise, you'll have troubles. And you will need to specify on your migration card (upon entry to Russia) the hotel, that's specified in your visa support (it's always specified there).

If you apply through our site, our partner company has an office in the center of St. Petersburg, where you can register your visa ($20, takes 1-3 days).

You can also ask your friend to make a private visa for you, but it will mean queues, 1 month waiting, invitation original only, and then queuing to register you in his apartment through a local OVIR.

So, both alternatives are suitable, it's up to you to choose.

cfrmn · Just Starting Joined: 15 Dec 2002 Posts: 2

It looks like visa registration (at least for the time being) is sometimes going to take a bit longer than the 1-3 days that is usually suggested. I just arrived in Moscow Friday morning and promptly went to my visa service to get registered. I was told that they "hope" to have my visa back to me this Friday----an entire week.

Which, of course make me wonder--what would have happened if I had arrived Friday and planned to leave Moscow on Wednesday or Thursday?

All of these new rules and procedures seem to still have quite a few kinks that need to be worked out. Hopefully, things will get straightened out and become a bit simpler and smoother with time.

WayToRussia · Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2003 12:17 pm Post subject: Visa Registration

Well, if you told them you're leaving earlier, they would try to make something to process it faster.

But it really doesn't depend on them much, cause all the services were passed on from Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Internal Affairs and during this transition period, the registration takes slightly longer.

I also think it will soon be straighten out.