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bobs12
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Saint Petersburg
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 Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:57 am Post subject: |
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Well, Smurf does live in Moscow, and he works in the Embassy...
Let's not take offence and have another argument here chaps, please. The rules are not clear, and different sources of 'official' information will tell you different things. Trust me, I've taken advantages of misunderstandings more times now than I care to remember 
On Tuesday (not Monday, because I left my registration in the agency and it's closed  ) I'll be going to the border to renew my two-month allowance on the car. Like I said, my licence is EU, so I can't make any comment on Americans with Russian licences, but I know for a fact that nothing will happen to my insurance as it's paid up until December and is in no way connected to my registration. Maybe Moscow is a different case, I wouldn't be surprised. You have to be crazy to drive there anyway!
I get my registration for three months at a time via an agency because my visa is a bit dodgy. In the beginning they told me that I had to have it stamped on the immigration card. One time when I was crossing the border, the guards told me I ought to have long-term registration marks put in my passport. The agency said that wasn't allowed. The agency told me that I had to have a new registration card (i.e. leave the country) every time I needed a new registration. One time they put it on a post-it note...
I'm absolutely burning with curiosity as to what the *beep* was... |
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Communist Smurf
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 330
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| expatella_girl wrote: |
| You want to *beep* over semantics? |
Semantics are not an issue here. There is a registration and there are two different kinds of residence permit: temporary and permenant. You said residence permit. A residence permit does not expire after six months, which is why I assumed you were talking about registration.
| expatella_girl wrote: |
| Smurf, not trying to start an argument, do you live in Moscow? |
Yes. US Embassy, Bolshoi Devyatinski Pereulok #8, 121099 Moscow, Russia is my mailing address.
| expatella_girl wrote: |
| I know enough people here who are endlessly dealing with the expiration of one thing or another and having to leave the country so that they can come back and renew everything...it's a perpetual round and round process. It's possible that I have used an inaccurate bureaucratic term but the song remains the same. |
I'm fully aware that there are a number of people with visas, and what not, illegally obtained that are given the run-around due to illegality (is that a word?). You were inaccurate with more than bureaucratic terminology.
| expatella_girl wrote: |
| And yes, according to what I've heard (don't have a car myself) when the residency expires, so does everything else. Russian drivers license, insurance and registration etc. |
I'm delighted to inform you that you heard wrong!  Rejoyce and know that you don't need to re-translate your driver's license! 
| expatella_girl wrote: |
| Now this whole residency problem is limited to a few cities. I know it applies in Moscow, I've heard that it's also required in St. Petersburg but not as strictly enforced, and a couple of other towns--can't remember which. No, the resident registration does not apply to Russia as a whole but if you're picked up on the streets of Moscow and your residency registration is expired, you may be in for a very unpleasant experience, including an expedited boot out of the country. |
I can tell you with confidence that registration applies everywhere in Russia. My *guess* is that it is enforced more in Moscow and Petersburg because there are more illegal residents of large cities.
You *should not* be deported for failure to register. I would expect a person that has failed to register will be fined and delayed while trying to leave the country. If stopped without registration, you will likewise be fined or forced to pay a bribe. You also cannot do a number of things, such as legally work and buy a cell phone to name just two examples.
Now that we've gotten that straightened out, I'm wondering you why became so defensive about this. Considering, by your own admission, this was all information that you "heard." I'm assuming your choice of words would indicate you don't know this first-hand and cannot personally attest to what you've said.
CS
Last edited by Communist Smurf on Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Communist Smurf
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 330
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| bobs12 wrote: |
I get my registration for three months at a time via an agency because my visa is a bit dodgy. In the beginning they told me that I had to have it stamped on the immigration card. One time when I was crossing the border, the guards told me I ought to have long-term registration marks put in my passport. The agency said that wasn't allowed. The agency told me that I had to have a new registration card (i.e. leave the country) every time I needed a new registration. One time they put it on a post-it note... |
I'm a bit curious myself why your stamp is on your immigration card. I was under the impression that if you're a tourist, it's on your immigration card. If you have a business visa, it's in your passport.
I think you should start using a different agency, if that's an option, if they're having you leave every three/six months.
CS |
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bobs12
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Saint Petersburg
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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Next visa will be through a friendly school. Much less for the invitation, and, I think, legal registration. Or at least a bit more legal...
The agency itself doesn't seem to know the full story. At first I thought 'cool, good excuse to bugger off to Tallin every three months,' but then I found out through an acquaintance that there was actually no need to leave. It's because the registration is through a hotel... 
I understand that at leadt on the Finnish and Estonian borders, registration isn't always looked at. I suppose it's the luck of the draw though. You can always bargain about the fine. Last time I went with the car they tried to get money out of me for turning round at customs (i.e. without crossing the Estonian border) but I insisted that it was perfectly legal. They came down from $50 to 500 roubles. We settled on me translating a UK car registration document for them.
At customs on the way back round I had a wee talk with the customs guy, who decided I still owed him something. It transpired that the bribe was so that I could pass without having my passport stamped. I wonder how much it would cost to go the whole way out without a stamp in your passport... |
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bobs12
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Saint Petersburg
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| Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| bobs12 wrote: |
| I have no problems with my EU licence |
Treat this with suspicion. I had a nice chat with a ДПС man today, and he informed me that I should have a translation of my licence. On my asking why nobody at the border or when I'd been stopped by ГАИ had mentioned any problem, he replied that border guards and GAI are stupid illiterate mongrels that can't get proper jobs.
We had such a good laugh at the poor sods that he didn't even fine me for having an invalid (stress on the second syllable...) driving licence, but told me that it was definitely in my interests to get a translation. So I'm off to do that now. |
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waxwing
Joined: 29 Jun 2003
Posts: 719
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Communist Smurf wrote: |
I'm a bit curious myself why your stamp is on your immigration card. I was under the impression that if you're a tourist, it's on your immigration card. If you have a business visa, it's in your passport.
CS |
In my humble experience, that is not always the case. My registration on my 12 month ME visa was on the immigration card. That was a 6 month registration. There may be some randomicity in this 
About the driving license, Lonely Planet Russia states very clearly that you must have a translation (edition Summer 2003). |
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bobs12
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Saint Petersburg
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| Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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Aye, but everybody has a different story, guides usually have more cautionary advice. Apparently Finns generally drive in and out of Russia on their own licences, but then they mainly go to Vyborg and the GAI will be used to them there. I got away with four months on an EU licence, and still, in theory, getting away despite a mild slap on the wrist  but the translation is on its way. Worthwhile, just in case.
Might be a good idea for visitors to get an extra copy of their licence (say your old one was lost or stolen) in case the DPS decides to relieve them of their right to drive. Presumably they're not allowed to search you for extra copies of your licence. If you're not good at bribing, it could avoid you getting stranded in Russia after making an illegal left turn... |
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bobs12
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Saint Petersburg
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="bobs12"]the translation is on its way. Worthwhile, just in case./quote]
One more uncanny experience and I'm moving to Germany... Today, on the way back from Ivangorod, stopped by DPS and fined ten quid for... guess what... "invalid licence"... After four months without a hitch 
Luckily it was the guy in front of me who was stopped ten kilometres back up the road for doing twice the speed limit. I was thinking about overtaking him when I saw the flashing lights coming... |
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