# Hotel bookings different from Visa Voucher

**URL:** <https://forum.russiable.com/t/hotel-bookings-different-from-visa-voucher/176>\
**Category:** Travel to Russia\
**Created:** [September 3, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/hotel-bookings-different-from-visa-voucher/176 "2024-09-03T02:30:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![joeya27](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a698b9/32.png) [@joeya27](https://forum.russiable.com/u/joeya27)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/hotel-bookings-different-from-visa-voucher/176/1 "2024-09-03T02:30:36Z")

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Hello, I hope all is well. Several months ago I purchased a tourist visa voucher from iVisa. I then applied at the Russian Consulate for a tourist visa and was approved some months ago — they added my Russian tourist visa to my Canadian passport.

I am going to Russia next week.

The hotels that I booked however, are different from the ones in my voucher. Since I already have been approved and got my visa - is it okay that my hotel bookings differ from the hotels listed in my visa voucher from iVisa ? Is there anything I need to do about it ?

When I arrive at the airport in Russia, other than my passport with visa in it - what else do I need to show them ? Is it sufficient to show them my hotel bookings or do I need to also show my voucher - would it be an issue that the hotels listed in the voucher differ from my booking itineraries ?

Also, a portion of my time I will be spending at my wife’s home there (she is Russian) - do I need a letter of invitation in Russian for this or is that not necessary ?

Thank you for your time!

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**Author:** ![Bill](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Bill](https://forum.russiable.com/u/Bill)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/hotel-bookings-different-from-visa-voucher/176/2 "2024-09-04T22:46:05Z")

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I’ve travelled to Russia a few times with an American passport with a paper tourist visa. So I can try to give you some insight.

A visa and passport is all you should need to get across the border. They will give hand you a small paper voucher that you keep in your passport. And they take it back when you leave the border.

When you check out of any hotel they should give you a document with a hotel stamp on it. Generally the next hotel you check in will want to see this document. One of the few times I forgot to ask for this document I ran into trouble checking into my next hotel…luckily they were able to take me in after I was able to show them a train ticket that I had just arrived in the city and they talked to my last hotel on the phone. But most hotels seem to ignore this document.

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**Author:** ![antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/u/antoniob)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2024, 1:13pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/hotel-bookings-different-from-visa-voucher/176/3 "2024-09-08T13:13:33Z")

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> @joeya27 The hotels that I booked however, are different from the ones in my voucher.

this question is asked since ever despite information online being clear…

voucher for visa application has nothing to do with actual accommodation. Voucher invitation is required for application to “tourism” type of visa, that’s all.

> When I arrive at the airport in Russia, other than my passport with visa in it - what else do I need to show them ?

in normal times only the passport with the visa on it.  
But these times maybe border police may ask whatever they want. Your regime is one wanting the destruction of Russian Federation, and it hosts and manipulates since long the heirs of Banderists. From the point of view of FSB you could just be yet another infiltrating agent.

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**Author:** ![antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@antoniob](https://forum.russiable.com/u/antoniob)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://forum.russiable.com/t/hotel-bookings-different-from-visa-voucher/176/4 "2024-09-08T13:21:10Z")

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> @Bill A visa and passport is all you should need to get across the border. They will give hand you a small paper voucher that you keep in your passport. And they take it back when you leave the border.

this small piece of paper is the migration card…

> When you check out of any hotel they should give you a document with a hotel stamp on it. Generally the next hotel you check in will want to see this document.

this is no longer current. Was until around the 2010’s. Actually hotels did put a stamp on the back of the migration card, besides giving the copy of the FMS registration (an A4 sheet with characters written into blocks). Adoption of new procedure was gradual as smaller countryside hotels having few foreigners got informed and updated with some delay. This disappears as administration when progressively digital and more rationalized.
