Extended stay visa to Russia?

[Daveman]

I would like to acquire an extended stay visa to Russia.  I take it (perhaps erroneously) that I would need a business visa for this? are there other option?

What is the best method of attaining a visa which would allow me to stay for about 2-3 months?

I've seen some websites which offer business visas for a price, but are they legit? Do they need to be registered a specific way?

Thanks
Dave

[Goombah]

If you have family there, you can apply for a "stay at home" visa.  I recently did this for an upcoming trip and was surprised when I noticed the Visa was good for 90 days.  Tourist Visa's are only good for 30. 

Kevin

[Phil dAmore]

For an extended trip the way to go is with a business visa.  Although they are the most expensive types of visas to Russia, once you have them you can come and go as often as you like within the terms of the visa, typically one year.  You can keep getting them indefinitely (I'm on my 4th one) and while technically it is illegal to live in Russia on a biz visa, pretty much everyone does it owing to the near-impossibility of obtaining a Russian residency card.

Homestay visas are cheaper, but are only good for 90 days and -this is important- are SINGLE ENTRY VISAS.  That means if you leave the country for any reason.. like a weekend in Finland or something, you have to get a whole new invitation and visa to re-enter the country.  This is costly and of course time-consuming.

Business visas are multiple entry, allowing you to enter and leave the country at will, with a minimum of inconvenience.

However, with a business visa, or any visa that allows a stay in Russia over 90 days, a valid certificate indicating that you are HIV-negative is required along with the rest of the visa application. 

Americans do not need to provide a certificate of medical insurance when obtaining a business visa to Russia, but MUST have that HIV-certificate.  I hope you have good insurance because the last HIV test I got in the states cost  over $400 and it took two weeks to get the result.... Strange, because in Russia I can get an HIV test for 350 rubles and have the results in a couple of hours....

[chivo]

You can also get a 3 month double entry business visa that is cheaper than a 1 yr.

It is also possible to extend your visa for 2 weeks in case you accidentally over stay, at an extra charge of course. Most visa companies in Moscow can do this for you. Better to leave on time though.

Phil,

Just a FYI, the HIV test is an embassy only thing. Meaning it depends on the embassy you get your visa from. For instance, I get my visa in Estonia(Tallinn) and there is no test required there.

For anyone else whom it might concern. Be sure to check if the embassy you're getting the visa from has this requirement. Many are now choosing to forego this particular requirement, and no sense going through all the trouble if you don't have to. good luck.

chivo

[Rvrwind]

Just a FYI, the HIV test is an embassy only thing. Meaning it depends on the embassy you get your visa from. For instance, I get my visa in Estonia(Tallinn) and there is no test required there.

Sorry Chivo, you are wrong. It has nothing to do with what embassy you are dealing with. It is right in the Russian Government website for visa's.
My last visa from Tallin I didn't have to have it either but it was only a 90 day business visa. Over that 90 days you must produce the negative HIV test results.
I never had to have one until this one because I am getting a 1 year multi entry business visa & I had my invitation & visa done right here in Tver & I am picking it up in Helsinki on Monday. The Tver office handling it told me I have to have an HIV test & it better be negative.
Cheap here Phil, only 210 rouble.

[Daveman]

Thanks for the replies everyone.  The home stay visa would work if didn't want to travel a bit. I'd like to take her back to Crimea for a couple of weeks so I need at least a double entry.  I'm leaning toward the year business simply because if I understand the multiple entry process correctly, I wouldn't need to go through the process again for another visa to make a later trip within the year. Is this correct? or is there a time limit with which one can be outside of Russia prior to returning on the same visa?

So now, here's my problem. I don't know any businesses in Omsk where I'll be staying.  I've read that the sponsoring company must register the visa for me, so does that also mean that it must be registered in the same city in which I'll be staying and therefore a business with an office in Omsk?

How does one go about attaining one of these?  Russia seems to be very lax nowadays with visa enforcement, but I don't want to get banned from future travel there by doing something really stupid.

Dave

[Rvrwind]

I wouldn't need to go through the process again for another visa to make a later trip within the year. Is this correct?

That is correct, it is a 1 Year Multi Entry Business Visa & is only good within the year it is valid for & you can come & go as often & for as little or long as you wish.

[Phil dAmore]

So now, here's my problem. I don't know any businesses in Omsk where I'll be staying.  I've read that the sponsoring company must register the visa for me, so does that also mean that it must be registered in the same city in which I'll be staying and therefore a business with an office in Omsk?

Pretty much any company that provides visas will act as your sponsor for a biz visa.  I have a friend in Moscow that has a biz visa issued from a St. Petersburg company and he was able to register it in Moscow without any problems.. courtesy of a cooperative hotel operator.

As with pretty much everything else in Russia there is a world of difference between the way things are supposed to be and the way things are.  Despite a recent change in the law regarding visa registrations that basically added yet another layer of bureaucracy to the process and of course drove up costs, very little seems to have changed.

But you are correct, under the new law it is the sponsors responsibility to ensure you are properly registered.  If a recent phone call from my sponsor  is any indication, Russia seems to be doing the follow-up work regarding visas issued vs. visas registered.  Mine called me and very, very politely asked if I would please make a quick exit and re-entry into the country so she could register me for 6 months.. even though there is only 4 months left on my current visa.

Based on what I've seen at the airports, I would not say they are lax in visa enforcement...

BTW, you guys coming in from Western countries think you have it bad at passport control?  You should see what citizens of former Soviet republics have to go through....

[Momus]

Hi Dave,

I used Visa House (http://www.visahouse.com) for my 90-day double-entry business visa. It's the company Masha's law firm uses, and that's why I went with them. There are probably cheaper alternatives, but I haven't used any of them.

If you've got plenty of lead time, Visa House will charge you $115 for the invitation and all the documentation. You can pay more if you want it faster. Technically, you're supposed to have the original documents, so you'll also have to pay for UPS Express. In my case, UPS lost the documents and the consulate (in Houston) accepted copies that Visa House subsequently emailed to me. So maybe in practice you can skip that step and the associated expense.

You'll need to send these documents and your passport to the Russian consulate with jurisdiction over your area. Again, I used Houston and then noticed afterwards that it doesn't actually have jurisdiction over Minnesota. They apparently don't care as long as your money is good.

For 6+ days processing time, the consulate will charge you $100. You can pay more if you want it faster (could be Russia's motto).

Once you're in Russia, Visa House will register the visa for you. However, I was in Moscow, so I just stopped by their offices. I'm not sure exactly how this step would work in Omsk, but you can find out by asking them through their online chat service.

Anyway, I've used Visa House twice now, and never had any problems (except for UPS dropping the ball). Hope this helps.

[chivo]

Sorry Chivo, you are wrong. It has nothing to do with what embassy you are dealing with. It is right in the Russian Government website for visa's.
My last visa from Tallinn I didn't have to have it either but it was only a 90 day business visa. Over that 90 days you must produce the negative HIV test results.

Rvr,

What type of visa do you think I have?

Tell me how I'm wrong when I get a 1yr business visa every year and never need a HIV test. Remember I live here too.

Actually, I took the test 3 years ago and when I gave it to the lady at the consulate (in Tallinn), she said...and I quote, "we don't require that anymore". My subsequent  visits have not required any test whatsoever. Maybe they just do it for me, but I seriously doubt it.

Please be careful when you call some one out. I live here also, and have been coming here (to Russia) for along time. If I'm not 99.99% in what I say, I usually won't say anything, maybe you should operate in the same manner.
 
Everyone, I would advise you to call up the consulate you'll be doing business with and check if its required, website notwithstanding, and make sure. Rules and regulations change constantly within specific embassies, and the websites don't always keep up with the latest information. Good luck.

chivo

[chivo]

Let me also clear up some other things.

The rules have change since the beginning of this year. As far as registering your visa, both the sponsor and any person you know registered within the city your visiting can register your visa, IF it's a 1 yr business visa. All they need is a verifiable address and phone number.

Only the person with whom your staying with (Hotel, private party, etc.) can register your tourist visa, the sponsor who issues the invitation cannot register your visa (this info is per Visa House whom I also use). They must have a legitimate address and phone number, both will be verified, but the process has become much easier. You can do this at most post offices in Russia.

Another myth is that you have to go to a specific embassy, you don't. You can go to the embassy of your choice, but you need to decide which one you're going to before you get the invitation, but the company handling your visa will ask you ahead of time. If you're letting them handle everything, it won't matter.

Since I go to the consulate myself, I can choose any one I want, but I do have to let them know which one I'm going to beforehand. For instance, say I'm taking a trip to Spain, and it coinsides with my visa expiring, well I can kill 2 birds with one stone by planning all this in advance and doing my visa business as part of my trip to Spain. Again, I do have to let the issuing sponsor for the invitation know this in advance.

Also, the registration (or at least mine) will be for 1 yr, but you still have to register it every 6 months, which will require you to leave the country, unless you have connections here that can take care of this for you.

Yes, this is Russia, and you can have most things for a price, regardless of the laws...did someone says laws and Russia in the same sentence

One other thing, once the visa is registered, and it doesn't matter if it's in Moscow or the actual city you're visiting...matter of fact, you should always put Moscow on your application as one of the cities you'll be visiting regardless if you're actually coming here or not.

You'll have little difficulty travelling around Russia after that. All most people want to see is that you actually registered your visa. good luck.

chivo

 

[DKMM]

Negatory Chivo on the tourist visa.

anybody can register it.  I had people register my visa who were completely unrelated to my invitation or where I was supposedly staying.  Last time I even registered in the Tver post office which was not the city I was listed as staying in.

But then again, nobody ever saw my dokumenti so I guess who knows if it was done correctly or not.  Try not to speak English in public and dress like a Russian and you're all set.

[Phil dAmore]

Tallin is an exception to the HIV requirement... I have a British friend who always goes to Tallin for his visas and he said the same thing.. they don't require the HIV certificate.  I am also told that they provide visas cheaper, but don't offer one-day service.

My visas come from Helsinki and occasionally Seattle.  Both of those consulates require HIV certificates.  Consulates are allowed to make their own rules and set their own prices.  For example, in Helsinki an American is not required to have a certificate of health insurance, but some other nationalities are.  Visas for Canadians are cheaper than those for Americans, but not as cheap as for Europeans.  Finnish citizens have their own 'special' price too.

One more thing about registration:  If you feel lucky (well... do ya, punk?   )  you can blow off the whole visa registration process.  There is little chance you will be asked for your documents IF you make sure that when you are outside you are always with your lady.  In 5 years I have never seen the police stop a couple.  It may cause you some problems upon exit, but in my experience it's easier to pay the fine at the border (or, if you happen to be a smooth talker, you can try and BS your way out of it!)

[Mir]

But then again, nobody ever saw my dokumenti so I guess who knows if it was done correctly or not.  Try not to speak English in public and dress like a Russian and you're all set.

So if you present yourself as a Russian they will ask why do you need a visa?

[chivo]

Negatory Chivo on the tourist visa.

anybody can register it.  I had people register my visa who were completely unrelated to my invitation or where I was supposedly staying.  Last time I even registered in the Tver post office which was not the city I was listed as staying in.

actually true, my mistake. I spent the night drinking and co horting with a certain RW and slipped.

all, anyone with a verifiable address and phone in the city you're visting can register your tourist visa for you.

DKMM, I just figured you'd have the people you're staying with, be it a hotel or private party do it for you. good luck.

chivo

[chivo]

Tallin is an exception to the HIV requirement... I have a British friend who always goes to Tallin for his visas and he said the same thing.. they don't require the HIV certificate.  I am also told that they provide visas cheaper, but don't offer one-day service.

Phil, FYI, Narva does. ciao

chivo

[Rvrwind]

Please be careful when you call some one out. I live here also, and have been coming here (to Russia) for along time.

Chivo, My apologies.
I am still baffled as how they get away with it when right on the Russian website it requires it, are they not Rusian at the Emabassy inTallin? Very strange.
Yes, the registation procedure has become much easier, much more paperwork for the person registering you though.
I'm going to try & register mine at the post office through my sister in law like my old regstration but had it done at the OVIR, didn't enjoy that at all.

[DKMM]

Chivo,
I never stay with anybody so that never applies.  I get my invitation from a certain guy who uses a fake hotel in moscow.  I know certain offices to go to get it done and that's that.

Phil, my 1st trip to russia i got stopped with a girl because she was speaking english to me.  I have since instructed my ladies to switch to Russian when we go by Militsya.

Mir, if you appear as a Russian, the chances are very slim that militsya will stop you randomly.

[chivo]

Chivo, My apologies.
I am still baffled as how they get away with it when right on the Russian website it requires it, are they not Rusian at the Emabassy inTallin? Very strange.
Yes, the registation procedure has become much easier, much more paperwork for the person registering you though.
I'm going to try & register mine at the post office through my sister in law like my old regstration but had it done at the OVIR, didn't enjoy that at all.

no problem Rvr  . Baffled? Of course we are, this is Russia remember :noidea:. take care.

chivo