Originally Posted by
bankops
Yes there is such a thing, but there is no need to pay for the agency to do it. It used to be federal and now it is local/regional government responsability, since '07.
No, there is no such thing. Whether you have visa or not, you have to register at the place where you reside - permanently or temporary. Foreigners and citizens should go through this procedure. How can you call it a visa registration if it has nothing to do with the visa and has no effect on the validity of the visa?
If you go to MOW and stay in a hotel for 8 days and then go to LED and stay with a friend for another 8 days, then you would have to be registered in MOW by the hotel, and then in LED by your friend.
Same process applies to a Russian citizen (although the time requirement might be different). What does visa agency have to do with this? They just produce an invitation to obtain the visa. What happens after the visa is issued does not concern them.