Business Travelers Face New Headache

The Moscow Times ^ | September 1, 2005. | Kevin O'Flynn

[Lukasz]

All foreigners, with the exception of Germans, who travel on multi-entry business visas must reregister every time they enter the country under a new rule introduced this week.

The passport and visa departments of the Moscow city police stopped stamping residency permits in passports of foreigners with the commercial visas on Tuesday. Confirmation of registration is now being stamped only on migration cards -- which foreigners have to submit when they leave the country.

"This will cause mass problems," said Alexei Filipenko, the general director of the Visa Delight agency.

Visa registration officials have not announced the change, and a representative reached by telephone Wednesday refused to comment.

Filipenko said his agency had learned about the new rule only when it got a client's visa back. Other visa agencies said the same thing.

The stamps used to be placed both in passports and on migration cards.

The change will complicate the lives of business travelers, especially those who make routine trips to Russia.

Every time a traveler enters the country, he will have to send his passport with a new migration card to the passport and visa department in the neighborhood where he lives for the often time-consuming registration process. Furthermore, if he does not stay in a hotel or own an apartment, he has to include a letter from his landlord.

Registration for commercial visas is given for a maximum of six months.

The new rule does not apply to citizens of other former Soviet republics, who do not need commercial visas, and those who visit or live in Russia on tourist or work visas.

Germans also are not affected.

Germany and Russia have a special visa arrangement dating back to December 2003, which may be the reason for the exemption, German Embassy spokesman Wolfgang Bindseil said. The agreement states that registration procedures should be made as easy as possible for certain groups, including business travelers.

Bindseil said the embassy had not been notified of the change.

Registration officials have occasionally stamped migration cards in the past, and some foreigners have gotten around the problem of reregistering by hiding their migration cards when they leave the country, said an official at a visa agency who did not want to be identified because he did not want to give the impression that he was condoning illegal action.

He said that border officials usually waved those foreigners through, although he knew of a Latvian citizen who had been barred from crossing the border into Latvia by train.

Many travelers are finding that they face more bureaucracy.

In July, the Federal Migration Service abruptly began requiring that foreigners undergo tests for six diseases -- including leprosy, syphilis and Chlamydia -- as part of the process for obtaining work permits.

The American Chamber of Commerce has protested the requirement and expects a reply from the government soon.

[Lukasz]

It would be all about Putin’s pro-business policy. Funny, despite that Chirac is like Schroeder very close with Purin, the French gained nothing here. Another defeat for Chirac, he is such a loser…

[Lukasz]

Isolationism?

[InsureAmerica]

real beaurocracy is calling the USCIS to check on the status of a pending application...

[sergey1973]

Looks like it.

[GarySpFc]

I SEE THE SKY IS FALLING CROWD IS OUT OF BED AGAIN. This is more nonsense out of the mouths of those who have never been to Russia. I always register my visas whenever I travel to Russia at the local hotel. It's not a problem, and only takes a few minutes. Businessmen are only going to be affected if they stay at a private residence, and then the inconvience is minor.

[Lukasz]

"This will cause mass problems," said Alexei Filipenko, the general director of the Visa Delight agency.

[GarySpFc]

"This will cause mass problems," said Alexei Filipenko, the general director of the Visa Delight agency."

More nonsense from the peanut gallery. One of my clients works for a major meat retailer. He has two meat specialty stores in Moscow, travels there twice a month, and has his own apartment. He doesn't see it as a big deal.

[Lukasz]

So Gary you know better than the general director of the Visa Delight agency in Russia. Why I’m not surprised?

[GarySpFc]

Did it ever occur to you the agency wants to eliminate all barriers to travel?

[GarySpFc]

Quite frankly I am not any different than anyone else in that I want to keep my life simple, and don't like going to the trouble to register my visa. We have an apartment in Volzhsky, and I have to register at the hotel in Volgograd, which is on the other side of the Volga River approximately 20 miles away. It costs me $20 each time I register. I know it is something Russia requires, and so I make it my first stop after getting off the train in Volgograd prior to going to the apartment. It will make for additional stops when I use a multi-entry visa, but that's not the end of the world, and is not going to hinder me from going.