How to get and exchange cash in Russia
Your Visa, Mastercard or Amex — wherever it's from — has not worked inside Russia since March 2022. Not at a shop register, not at an ATM. This isn't a "some places" situation; it's total. So the real question isn't whether to bring cash, it's how to bring it, exchange it, and not get burned doing either.
What to bring, and what it looks like when it works
Pack more than you think, split across a money belt and a decoy amount in your daypocket. There's no ATM safety net once you land, so the cash you bring through customs is the cash you have until your next exchange stop.
Where to exchange — bank branch, not airport kiosk
Exchange at bank branches in the city, not the currency kiosks at the airport. Airport kiosks post worse rates and aren't built for exchanging real sums — fine for grabbing a first day's taxi money, bad for anything larger. Once you're in town, a bank branch gets you a fair rate on the full amount.
How much you actually need per day
10 days mid-range ≈ $850–1,000 in cash, on top of anything already prepaid (hotels, flights, insurance, eSIM).
That number covers food, metro, museums, taxis, the small daily friction of moving through a cash city. Prepay everything bookable online before you fly — the trip runs on two tracks: card for anything with a "book now" button, cash for everything after you land.
The train-ticket trap
Booking a Sapsan or long-distance train yourself? The official RZD site does not accept foreign cards either. You're stuck with the same problem one level deeper: pay a booking intermediary with a markup, route it through a Russian contact, or just buy the ticket for cash at the station once you're there. Don't assume "it's a government rail site, surely it takes Visa" — it doesn't.
The 40–60 minute upgrade for longer stays
Staying 10+ days? Foreigners can walk into a major bank branch with just a passport and migration card and open a Russian account with a local Mir card in about 40–60 minutes. Deposit your cash once, then tap like a local — worth doing for a long trip, not worth the errand for a short one.
What trips people up
- Landing with a small amount "to start," assuming an ATM will top it up later. It won't — no foreign card works at any Russian ATM.
- Exchanging at the airport for anything beyond first-day cash — the rate is worse than a city bank branch.
- Old, torn, or marked bills — Russian exchanges are strict; post-2009 and pristine condition only.
- Assuming the RZD train site takes foreign cards. It doesn't — book through an intermediary or pay cash at the station.