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Visa and registration tricks
If you buy your invitation from a hotel or hostel, officially, you can get a visa only for the days you actually stay at the hotel for. But what if you would like to travel through Russia as in individual, for example around St. Petersburg, Novgorod and Pskov, or you would like to take a cheaper option and maybe rent an apartment? Don’t worry – there are hotels, hostels and Russian travel agencies (our sponsors for example) where you can buy a tourist invitation for a 30-day tourist visa, but where you actually stay only one night (and sometimes not at all).This practice is not illegal, it is just a loophole in the law which has existed for years.The only thing is you need is a registration for the whole visa period. The hotels, hostels or Russian travel agencies who gave you the invitation can take care of this, maybe for a small extra fee, although usually the registration is included in the invitation price. Check this before you pay for your invitation.
If you have a tourist invitation for a 30 day stay in Russia, some Russian consulates ask to see the bill to check if you have really paid for 30 days in a hotel. Russian travel agencies can arrange this - ask them to be sure. (Of course you don't really pay for those 30 days, it's just paperwork.)
