I've been to Russia enough over this past year (3 times to OVB and a 4th time coming up in October), that I've been considering getting a multi-entry business visa good for one year. I actually have a side business that I could claim was the need for my business visa, but I actually wouldn't be doing business. The reasons I'm thinking about it:

1. Paying a minimum of $130 each time I want a toursit visa and jumping through all of the hoops.

2. I've been warned by people who have been to Russia a lot that if I apply for too many tourist visas to the same city, I risk getting denied. (I've been visiting my girlfriend and I've been told that if the Russian authorities get suspicious about me seeing someone personal, they'll make me get a private-visit visa.

The company that provides me my invitation letters (waytorussia) says that they can also assist me in getting a business visa, but I'm just not sure if it's worth it. I'm looking for advice from frequent Russian travelers.

I would go for the Multiple Entry Business Visa. You would come out ahead $-wise after your 2nd trip. The flexibility of the visa allows you to go to Russia at anytime, whereas the single entry would take a week (min.) each time. There's also the risk of the passport getting lost the more time it is sent via mail/courier (I am risk averse).

I am sure that once you get your Multi Entry visa, you will not go back to the single entry again (if you plan to go to Russia often)

waytorussia is a fine company but on what grounds would they issue you a Business Visa? Those of us that have ME visas are very thankful for them but are also, if we are smart, totally on the up and up about who sponsors our visas and what our relationship to them is. Would you be a partner of some kind with waytorussia or would they find one of these ghost companies in Russia who would supposedly take responsibility for you? Would you register yourself every time you arrive to OVB or would they? If they do, is there a cost involved in it? Will waytorussia allow you to travel to other Russian cities or will they limit you only to OVB (I know she is there but what if you guys want to take off for a week to Baikal or St. Pete or something)?

Cost wise it makes absolute sense. Just make sure your short term dream is not your long term nightmare.

As far as tourist visas...I've been helping friends get them to OVB for 8 years running now (some 2 or 3x a year) and there has never been a problem. Again, as long as you register, do what you are supposedly there to do, leave before the visa expires, etc, you should not have any problems with it.

Let us know what you decide and, if you can, how you went about it!

Good luck!

Woody-

One of the reasons I brought it up here was to see if anyone thought I'd have a problem doing it. I appreciate your thoughts. Here's what Waytorussia says about business visas:

To obtain a business visa, you need a business invitation. Contrary to a tourist invitation, which is issued by a Russian travel agency, a business invitation was issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and, effective as of 1 Nov 2002 - by the Russian Interior Ministry (RIM). The applicant's data can be submitted to the MFA or RIM either by a business registred in the MFA or RIM or a travel agency. Usually, a company that would like to invite a foreign person for business, requests such service from a travel agency (registred in MFA or RIM). The travel agency submits all travel data of the person to the MFA or RIM, pays a certain processing fee to the MFA or RIM, and after a few days (depending on the processing fee) receives the invitation. After that, this invitation can either be sent to the person invited by post (if the consulate requires originals only), by fax (a copy), or by e-mail (a scanned copy). Also, for an additional fee, the MFA or RIM can send a special telex to the Russian consulate, where the person will apply for his visa, and then there's no need for this person to have a copy or an original of the invitation, he or she will just need to specify a "telex number" of his invitation to the Russian consulate, when he applies.

Where can one get a business invitation. Normally, you should get a business invitation if you're coming to Russia for business, for example, to work for a company, to participate in conferences, negotiations etc. In this case, the company with which you're going to make business should take care of all the formalities (either they'll apply themselves to the MFA or RIM, or ask an agency to do it).
As you understand, any foreign person can apply directly to a Russian travel agency for such invitation. So, if you're coming to Russia for travel and want to get a business visa only because you would like to stay longer and to be able to enter or leave multiple times, you can apply for a business invitation through a travel agency.
It's better to fill in the visa application form after you received the business invitation and to specify there the same data as in the application (the same inviting company, the same visa dates, the same cities to visit).
The price of a business invitation depends on the processing speed and the number of entries. For example, a 3-month double entry invitation would cost about $60 US, and a 12-month multiple entry invitation would cost about $250 US.

They basically go on to say on their website that you don't have to have any real business in Russia to get a business visa. I'm thinking they probably do use some sort of "ghost" business to make the process happen, just like they do with their ghost hotels. I actually have a side business as a consultant, so I could probably use that to my advantage should I try for a business visa.

I don't think I'll have a problem getting turned down for a tourist visa in the near future, but next year I'll probably be going there at least 6-8 times. I've talked to one person who said he was denied a tourist visa after several visits to the same city. They apparently told him that if he was going to the same place that many times, it was obviously for personal purposes and he'd have to get a personal visit visa if he wanted to return to Russia (which are really a big pain). I just want to avoid that situation if possible.