Ok, here's my concerns...

1) The current Russian Visa application has added questions about "Do you have a husband/wife, son/daughter in Russia?" Will the answer to this have any effect on the approval of the application with the official invitation for the tourist visa? For the homestay visa?

2) 1-day layover upon arrival in Moscow... Do I need to someone register the tourist/homestay visa when i have to stay somewhere for 1-night after the initial arrival to change planes? Can the visa actually be registered even though I have not reached the sponsoring party/organization? (for example, if I have a tourist visa and I stay in a private apartment for the first night, can that person get me an OVIR stamp on the tourist visa to validate that stay? Or, if I have a homestay visa and I stay in a private apartment, not the sponsor's, or a hotel for the first night, can it still be registered?)

3) Have they truly eliminated the male visa applicant supplement?


Anybody have any experience or knowledge to apply to these questions?

As long as you will be able to register at your final destination within 72 hours of arrival in Moscow, you are fine. If not, you need to spend at least 3 days in Moscow to register there first. In this case, stay in a hotel and have them do it.

The fine is less than $100, so you may just want to pay it when you register late.

That's all fine with me... I'm just worried about possibly not being allowed to board my RUS interior flight on day 2 to reach my final destination, because I didn't register my tourist visa in the Moscow hotel I stayed at the night before. "The rule is also that the visa is to be registered visa in every city you stay in..."

1. Shouldn't be a problem because the Russian visa for most Americans isn't being looked at as an "intending immigrant" like the American visas for Russians and therefore having family or close personal contacts shouldn't hinder you in the least from attaining the visa.

2. You only need a stamp within that 72-hour period as Russ mentioned. If you're just "in transit" through Moscow, then you don't need to register. However, if you're going to go beyond that 72-hour window before you reach your final destination, then maybe you would want to register to avoid the late registration charges. Shouldn't affect your plane boarding because you'll be within that time period. (Keep in mind Russian holidays and weeekends.)

3. Depending on which agency you go through to acquire your visa they may or may not have you fill out a supplement (male or otherwise). The one I went through (two years ago) had a generic form and that was it.

1) Should not have an effect. It's for the purpose of linking your name and passport number in their databases with any Russian citizens.
2) No need to register for this short period. You are in-transit.
3) The male supplement was eliminated when they revised their visa applications a couple years ago. Unless someone is behind the times, you will not be asked to complete one.