So now I've decided to visit her in Russia in the summer but I really don't want to stay in hotels for the whole trip. However the Russian embassy in the country where I'm staying only issues tourist visa with a hotel confirmation. She said maybe she could invite me as her friend to visit her on a private visa but I'm not sure if that's a very good idea since we've never met in person previously...
So I was wondering if any of you done this before and was it any success? If not, is it possible if I book a hotel for the visa application and cancel the hotel later? Thanks!
I don't know how it differs in terms of needing a hotel confirmation, but it does allow for more than one entry in a year and it looks to be the same price as the tourist visa.
You can get a letter of invitation on the Internet and use that to get a visa. It is explained at http://www.waytorussia.net/Travel/VisaSupport.html. You have to register within a certain period of time after arrival but can stay where you want. I used this service last year and it seemed to work ok.
Taylor..if I remember correctly, you only need an invitation letter to apply for a tourist visa, that is what Oz is talking about, you don't need a Hotel confirmation. Many companies can issue you one. You can get one through Hotels also(but need to stay there). Second part of your question is registering your papers, which must be done within 3 working days of entry. I think BestHotels does that, for a fee, I think it is $45. Don't know if waytorussia does that. If you are going to small town somewhere...I have no ideas... maybe police station?