A new law passed by the Russian parliament in March 2011 means that since March 25, 2011, it is no longer necessary to register with the authorities based in Russia for stays of less than 7 working days. Before that date, any foreigner hadto register within 3 working days of arrival in Russia. The new law should facilitate travels in Russia.
All foreigners coming to Russia should be registered within 7 working days of arrival, excluding holidays and weekends. Tickets (train, bus tickets) confirm when you arrived in Russia.
In most cases, the owner of the hotel (or apartment), of which you rent, will perform the registration.
According to the russian law of 2007, it’s the responsibility of the owner of your hotel (or appartment) to register your visa.
Registration of your document when staying at the hotel
If you stay at a hotel, the staff will ask for your passport, your visa and your arrival card (migration card obtained at the airport) for your registration. A fee of $3-5 is likely to be required to register your Russian visa. Travelers wishing to have more flexibility are better to not receive an invitation letter from a hotel, because they require that you spend at least a few nights there in exchange for the Russian voucher (needed to apply for a Russian visa), of which they will register with the Russian authorities.
A new law in Russia allows any apartment owner (airbnb) to complete the registration for their tenants. This takes about an hour to complete. Despite a registration form that must be completed and a little waiting, this procedure is fairly quick and easy. Note that this registration does not need to be done in your presence.
The registration of your Russian visa must be made within seven days of your arrival (7 working days), either at a police station near your residence, or simply at the post office. Note that if your owner does the registration for you, your presence is not mandatory.
Photocopy of the first page (with photo) of the passport.
Russian visa (photocopy)
Entry card obtained on arrival in Russia
Form (Foreigner Registration Form - Миграционая форма). 2 copies of the form should be completed in Russian.