Problems register visa in Russia
 

Hi

This is my third day in Russia and I am now in Vladimir 180km east of Moscow. I stopped here to register my visa, but both hotells are full and they don't want to help me out.

For the last few days I have just been driving and sleeping in my van at parkings along the road. That's my plan for the next 4-6 days that it'll take to get into western mongolia.

Do you think there will be any problems if I don't register my visa? The LP guidebook only say it can be problematic in moscow and similar places where cops hang around to fine tourists without it. Haven's seen a tourist yet in this country, so I guess I won't meet those cops, but I could end up paying a speeding ticket or two on my way to Mongolia...don't want to get into to much problems, but getting the visa registered is also a hassle and keeps me from getting to Mongolia as quick as possible...

Thanks in advance.

You can get it done at the main post office in the towns... of reasonable size:)
We tried about 6 hotels before we found one that even had a stamp! and then it was just an hotel stamp.

John

now the rules a the following:
they do not put a stamp any more
when you check in they e-mail your data to the immigration office database. no check in - no registration.
what you need is Vladimir immigration office so-called OVIR tel +7 (4922)23-12-33 address Lunacharskogo 1.
but "both hotels" sounds funny. there is five at least in vladimir and a dozen in Suzdal (40 km from vladimir) all official.
if no luck in vladimir go to suzdal it a small town full of english speaking people you'll find help there.

further as you enter inner russia republics you'll be registered at road police block-posts right on the road. they as well may check priveous registrations. mind they won't put a stamp either.
the region you are in is Golden ring full of tourists - you just road-blind, i guess tarmac is all you see.
it's a long way ahead go to suzdal rest for a day.
if all the way to mongolia not stopped by road police register at post offices or so-called "pasportny stol" (="passport table" an office dealing with registrations for russian citizens)
give me points you are thru i'll find addresses at those very towns.

Visa Registration
 

I crossed in Mongolia from Ulan-Ude and my duaghter did not have her visa registered at all. They didn't bother us at all.
this may be the single case. but second time we left Russia from Sochi and again they did not bother. we just told them that we spent nights camping.

No stamps either
 

We rode with two bikes from Vladivostok to Moscow and camped as well as hotels.
The best we got were hotel stamps.
No one bothered us when leaving Russia. The road Police took long hard looks at our passports when stopped but sent us on our way. At the border of Estonia they also gave our passports a hard long look but also sent us on.

Do what you think is right, if you get in a pickle without all the right stamps who knows what would happen.

We kept out of trouble and trundled along.

Good luck.

Scott and Laura

Thanks for the advices. (My brother read them and phoned me a coupl of days ago)

I just arrived in Ulgii, Western Mongolia today.

I didn't register at all in russia and at the borde they (and I) discovered that I didn't either have the arrival card that you are suposed to stamp and give back at the border. I think I lost it somewhere at the border of arrival between all the documents and stamping :-) Anyway that delayed my exit only 5 minutes (it took 3 hours in total). They just made me one that I could hand ocer to them again :-) So no worrys at all. No police/roadblock cared about it either.

Tomorrow the real adventure starts :-)

Hi Motobelka,
In the end of july I'll go back to russia from mongolia. First 3-4 days I'll visit a solar eclipse festival which is located about 200 km south of Gorno-Altaysk towards the mongolian border. Is there any post office this close to the border that would register my visa? The nearest town to the festival is called Ongudai, but i think it's really small (village???).

Thanks for the help!!!

onguday is a settlment( bigger then a village smaller then a town) and an local administration center. there, in the administration building, is a small hostel ( address is Sovetskaya 78 tel.+7 388-45 22371
another person to contact is a local souvenir shop owner Nina Alexandrovna Tokhonova (Íèíà Àëåêñàíäðîâíà Òîõîíîâà) . +7 7 388-45 22261. the place is on the central square

Thanks very much for that information Motobelka!

This time I might try to register :-)

I've just arrived in Vladivostok (12th July). Entered Russia at Sochi 3rd June. Only 1 registration. Some hotels refuse to let me stay becasue of lack of registration confirmations, but so far no other problems.... hey ho, ... welcome to Russia, .. loving the people and the place,.. fantastic.
Geoff

Yeah it's gonna be fun on my way back to Sweden when I'll have some more time to spend in Russia. On my way to Mongolia I was just trying to get there as fast as possible...

spakur, i am 2 days or so away from Olgii coming from Barnual side. Maybe we meet in town oк on the road.
Cheers,

Hi Rene!

I tried to reply to you a few days ago, but when I was writing the reply there was a power black out :-(

Well I am now in Moron in the North next to Hovsgol. I'll continue this afternoon west back to Ulgii. I am going to do the Northern route in 4 days or so. So if your heading that way We should meet on the way somewhere...