In the Part 142 environment, you can't just walk into a sim with an examiner and do this. You are required to go through an approved course and then undergo the sim check. It can, however, be very short. At CAE we have a class that is in and out in 1 day. Part 121? Hell, you can do whatever you can get approved I guess. This IS big though...if you're going overseas to fly, you gotta get the restriction removed.
If you are interested in more precise information, hit me up via PM and we can discuss.
Z