Is it still necessary to manually fill out a migration card for Russia?
Passengers travelling to Russia by plane are required to have a migration card giving their personal and visa details, the name and address of their host, and their signature. The card is filled out in duplicate; one half is given to the immigration official on arrival, and the other half on departure.
In my experience it had always been necessary to fill out these migration cards yourself, and they were always distributed on the plane in order to avoid queues at the airport. However, in the last year or so, whenever I've flown to Moscow, I have never been given the blank migration card in advance. Instead, it is given to me by the immigration official at the airport, completely filled out for me except for my signature.
Is it now standard for the migration cards to be filled in for you? I ask because the Aeroflot in-flight magazine still contains a conspicuous warning that all travellers must manually fill in the migration card. I see a lot of passengers reading the magazine and asking the flight attendants for these cards, only to be told that they're not necessary.
Is the pre-filling done only for certain types of passengers or only at certain airports?
Best Answer
Russian version of Sheremetyevo (SVO) contains this information:
?? ??????????? ?????????? ??????????? ?? ?????????? ?????????? ????????? ???????????? ?????????? ??????? ???????????? ???? ??????????????? ? ????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???????????? ????????.
???????? ? ???????? ????? ???????????? ???? (?????? «?» ? «?») ??????????? ???????????? ??????????? ???????? ? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????? ???????.
It basically says that parts A and B are filled by border control officers with automation usage, and you cannot fill the migration card before the border control.
However, at the same page we find:
?????? ??????????? ??????????? ????????? ??????? ???????????? ???? ??????????????:
- ??? ?????????? ????????? (???????, ??????) ??????????? — ??????? ???????? ????????? (???????, ??????) ?????;
So, technically, flight attendants must provide the migration cards, but in fact border control simplifies the procedure by filling out all the information for you. Consider this as an exclusion from rules, which works in highly loaded points of entry. The procedure may differ in other airports or other entry points in Russia.
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Can I leave Russia without migration card?
If you try to leave Russia without a migration card, the chances are you will be fined between $50 and $100 dollars, delayed, and you may have trouble if you wish to make an application for another Russian visa in the future.How do I get a Russian migration card?
Upon entry to Russia you will be given a migration card, which is usually distributed to passengers on incoming flights while passing through a passport control and available at arrival points in Russia.How do I register myself in Russia?
Registration must be done at local pulice precinct (in Moscow ) or FMS office (commonly known as OVIR). The Visa registration process must be completed in every city where you intend to stay for more than 3 business days during your entire stay in the Russian Federation.Why does a foreigner need a migration card in Russia?
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