tl;dr: Visiting Russia for 8 days, not staying in one town/city for more than 2 days at a time. Do I need to register? If so, when?
I’m planning a trip to Russia later this year, and am looking for some clarity as to whether it will be necessary for me to go through the migration registration procedure.
I’m a British/German dual citizen. I currently have only a UK passport, but can acquire a German one in plenty of time to use it for this trip if there’s any particular advantage to doing so.
I’ve already visited Russia once, but that time it was not necessary as the trip was less than 7 days long. This time the trip will be longer, but I won’t be staying in one place for more than 2 days at a time. Itinerary is still subject to change but will be something like:
2 nights in Moscow
1 night in Murmansk
2 nights in Teriberka
1 night in Murmansk
2 nights in Moscow
I’ll have hotels in Murmansk and Teriberka, and stay at my friend’s flat in Moscow.
The information I’ve found online generally points to registration being required after 3 days in one place or 7 days total in Russia (so I would have to register). But that information is coming from various not-very-authoritative looking google results (mostly travel agencies who should know, but there are plenty of contradictory statements).
My host in Moscow believes only the 3 days in one place rule applies (so it’s unnecessary as I won’t be staying anywhere for 3 days at a time), and that (while we can do it if I really want) registering would just be a waste of time.
The only authoritative source I can find is mid.ru: Migration registration of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation, but I can’t quite make sense of what it says. The applicable part seems to be:
Persons subject to registration at the place of stay:
[…]
2) a foreign national temporarily resident or temporarily staying in the Russian Federation – after seven working days from his/her arrival at the place of stay, except, when that foreign national:a) is in a hotel or in some other organisation providing hotel services, in a spa resort, health resort, recreation centre, camping, travel camp, children’s holiday camp, medical organisation providing medical aid in hospital conditions or a social service organisation;
Which seems to suggest it’s time in one place that matters (and 7 days in one place, not 3), but I suspect I’m reading it wrong as it also seems to suggest registration is unnecessary if staying at a hotel.
A later paragraph says:
The procedure of migration registration, in fact, is reporting to (notifying) a territorial unit of the Federation Migration Service that a foreign national has arrived at his/her place of stay and must be carried out within seven working days after the arrival of the foreign national to the Russian Federation. Furthermore, it should be known that all the migration registration procedures are effected by the Receiving party, and the foreign national is not required to turn to any organisations and waste his/her time.
Which seems to say that it is necessary to register within 7 days of entering Russia, regardless of how long you’re in any one place. But also seems to say that I don’t need to do anything at all?
The end result of my research is that I’m very confused. Can anybody clarify what exactly the requirements are, and specifically whether the itinerary above would require me to go through the registration procedure?