Martin, your link didn't work, but I found the link by reducing the number of forward slashes and then found the site you were on about.
So, they do not need a visa and neither do they need to register with a hotel if staying only up to 3 days. here is what it says for anyone interested:
RUSSIAN FEDERATION (RU)
Passport required.
Visa not required.
Passenger must hold Immigrant Card, obtained free of charge on
board or on arrival.
If staying longer than 3 days, passenger must register the
Immigrant Card through hotel or sponsor.
All visitors are strongly recommended to have sufficient
health/travel insurance to cover any medical expenses.
Non-compliance with entry regulations may result in fines for
carrier varying from a min. of USD 1,800.- to a max. of USD
3,600.- or the equivalent in local currency per passenger,
and in either deportation by same airline on first available
flight or an indefinite delay for passenger at point of entry.
If carrier can prove that at boarding point passenger had
proper documents to enter or transit territory of Russian
Fed., passenger may be fined for USD 160.- or the equivalent
in local currency.
Thanks Martin, thats a good site, but people will have to take some of the forward slashes off and find it themselves.
BF,
Somehow, copying and pasting weblinks onto this forum puts in spaces etc.
That weblink provides exactly the same information as the travel agents and the airline check-in's use thus if that is wrong then they are wrong also. Once you've got the link then save it to your 'favourites' and you've got it for ever more :)
Hey Martin, you seem to know quite a bit, do you know if a double entry visa is needed to enter Russia if on a return flight you go through Moscow( were in St Pete's week before)as a transit to leave country?
Beemer,
Your question doesn't make a lot of sense! If you are travelling to 'destination' Russia then you need a single entry visa for each time you travel to and enter Russia.
If you are merely transitting Russia, with your destination another country, then if you remain 'international' at the Russian airport then you do not need a visa.
If however you have a lengthy connection time at the Russian airport whereas you may need to go to a hotel, or if you are transitting between Moscow SVO 1 and SVO 2 then you will need a single entry visa, or transit visa, for each time you do this thus if you're doing it twice then you need visa(s) to permit you to do it twice.
I had great fun in Odessa convincing a Transaero book in manager that an eticket is a valid booking for an onward flight from Moscow and I didnt really need a visa. Took an hour. He wanted me to call Emirates to confirm I had a booking. I said will that satisfy you if I say yes? He decided finally to make the call himself. It was a one hour checkin which is my current record.
thanks Martin UK, sorry I didn't explain well, went to St Pete's first, left country to Kiev for a week then
my flight home had to go through Moscow on Aeroflot, was there only 4 hours at airport. I wasn't sure but had a double entry visa anyway.