Cash, cards and SIMs in Moscow: what works and what does not

Money and phones are where a trip to Moscow differs most from a trip to almost any other capital. The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Russia, and its advice describes an economy where foreign cards do not work, paying in foreign currency is illegal and a foreign SIM card may not connect to the internet. This page sets out those rules so that anyone weighing the question, or already in Russia, can see what they mean in practice. It does not encourage travel against the advice.

The core facts fit in a few lines. Mastercard and Visa are not operating in Russia, so cards issued outside the country will not work at shops or ATMs. It is illegal to pay directly for general transactions in foreign currency. Rubles can be bought only by bringing US dollars or euros and exchanging them at banks, hotels or exchange bureaus. Cash up to the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars can be carried in or out without declaring it. And the advice calls the Russian economy unstable, which could make access to goods and services difficult.

The full text sits on the UK government's Russia entry requirements page, under money and banking. Read it again before any decision, because rules on payments and sanctions can change faster than a guide can be updated.

The advice is direct: Mastercard and Visa are not operating in Russia. Cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs, and cards issued inside Russia will work in, but not outside, Russia. In plain terms, a debit or credit card from a UK, EU or US bank is not a payment method in Moscow. It will not buy a train ticket, a meal or a hotel night, and it will not withdraw cash from a machine.

The advice adds two further warnings. You may not be able to access your money through Russian banks, or make payments to Russian businesses, with non-Russian credit or debit cards. And for all other credit or debit cards, you should tell your provider you are traveling to Russia, to avoid the card being blocked for anti-fraud reasons. That second warning matters for cards on networks other than Visa and Mastercard, but the same advice says there are few remaining methods of transferring money to Russia, so do not assume any foreign card will work.

There is a second-order risk that is easy to miss. The advice says several cases of UK bank accounts of non-UK residents being closed at short notice have been reported, and that UK banks may refuse to transfer funds even to non-sanctioned Russian banks. For a traveler, that means a backup plan based on a wire or an online transfer could fail at the moment it is needed. The guidance is to make sure you have enough money to cover your stay and a plan for accessing funds if your current methods become unavailable.

Because of this, the usual advice about multi-currency cards and paying in the local currency does not translate. Those guides assume that a foreign card is accepted and the only question is the fee. Here the question is whether it is accepted at all.

With cards ruled out, cash is the only route. The advice says it is difficult to get Russian rubles in high street banks in the UK, so if you want to buy rubles in Russia, you must take US dollars or euros to exchange. Only change money at banks, hotels and exchange bureaus, and never from street traders, which is illegal. The advice also says you will need to show your immigration card when you exchange money or check into accommodation, so keep that card with you. The visa and entry page explains how the card is issued at the border.

Carrying that cash has a legal ceiling. You may bring cash in any currency and traveler's checks into or out of Russia without declaring them if their combined value does not exceed the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars. The exit rule is stricter: you cannot leave Russia with cash in any currency or traveler's checks if their combined value is more than the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars, even if you complete a customs declaration. A traveler who brings in a large reserve in case of emergency should plan how to spend or exchange it before leaving, because it cannot be taken back out above that limit.

The advice does not give exchange rates, bank fees or the condition of notes that bureaus accept, and none are quoted here. Those details change often, and they are the kind of figure that goes out of date within days. The practical safeguard is to bring more than the budget, split cash between locations so a loss or theft is survivable, and keep it separate from the passport. The advice warns that British nationals have had passports stolen or lost in Moscow airports and that theft is a risk in main tourist areas, around railway stations, vehicles and hotel rooms, so those are the places where carrying a large sum is least comfortable.

Another detail concerns the leaving procedure. The advice says you may not be able to exit Russia if you have unpaid debts, fines or penalties, and suggests checking the Russian bailiff and State Services portals, which may not be reachable from outside Russia. Paying every fine at the time, and keeping receipts, avoids a problem at the airport.

A reserve that the traveler cannot top up is a risk. The advice says there are few remaining methods of transferring money to Russia and that UK banks may refuse to transfer funds, and it adds that the UK government has sanctioned several major Russian banks, so British nationals are banned from making funds available to those banks. It points to the UK government's guidance on Russian sanctions for what that means for British nationals.

Two scams are also named in the advice. Money transfer scams, where untraceable transfer services are used and the recipient is not genuine, have cost British nationals money. Dating scams have affected British nationals too, and the advice says never to send money to or buy items for anyone you have not met in person. In a country where a cash shortage can be urgent, those two scams work on the same pressure.

The sensible reading is that a trip in these conditions needs money in hand before departure, not money to be sent later. If the cash runs short, there may be no easy way to fix it, and the consular helpline listed in the advice is not a source of funds. The money guides explain the general options for carrying and spending cash abroad, but the Russia-specific limits above override them.

The phone section of the advice is as specific as the money section. If you travel to Russia with a non-Russian SIM card, you may not be able to access mobile internet, SMS or other services. Buying a SIM card from a local network can be difficult for visitors and could take up to 2 weeks to complete. You need to present your passport or other ID and pass biometric checks to buy a Russian SIM from local providers, and you may be asked to repeat those checks even if you have had the SIM for some time.

There is one more route. You can continue using your UK SIM in Russia without any local identity checks as long as your UK mobile company provides roaming service for Russia. Any SIM that has not been connected to the Russian network for 72 hours will not be able to connect to the internet or send SMS when first switched on, and you may have to wait for some time for services to resume, from several hours to several days, though some networks allow a set of actions to restore access faster.

The advice says to make sure friends and relatives know how to contact you if your mobile phone does not work. It does not mention eSIMs by name, so the safe reading is that the same uncertainty applies to any non-Russian line. The connectivity guide and the page on eSIM, local SIM or roaming explain the general choices, but check with the provider in writing that Russia is covered and ask what happens after 72 hours without a connection. Do not rely on a plan sold without a Russia clause.

For a trip, the dependable approach is to plan as if the phone may not work. Download offline maps and tickets before leaving, write down the embassy helpline (+7 495 956 7200) and the emergency number 112, and agree a check-in routine with someone at home that does not depend on mobile data.

A working SIM does not guarantee a working internet. The advice says there are increasing restrictions on access to content posted on the internet, including social media platforms. Meta (Facebook and Instagram), X and LinkedIn are blocked in Russia, and access to other websites can be unreliable. It points to the Russian communications regulator for more information.

Blocked services affect more than entertainment. Many travelers use messaging, maps and ride apps on a daily basis, and a blocked or slow service means a plan B is needed for each. The advice recommends using a local taxi app or asking the hotel to call a taxi, which assumes a working phone and a working app. On social media, the advice separately warns that publishing or distributing information considered fake or from non-official Russian sources can bring a fine or a prison sentence of up to 15 years, including posting or sharing on social media. That is a reason to be cautious about what is posted during a stay, as well as about what is accessible.

Treat this as a list of questions to answer, not a recommendation. Is there enough cash in US dollars or euros for the whole stay, with a reserve, and is it under the 10,000 dollar equivalent limit when leaving? Is it split between at least two places? Does the traveler know the three places to change money, and that street traders are illegal? Is the immigration card in a safe place? Has the UK mobile company confirmed in writing that roaming works in Russia? Are offline maps, tickets and contact details saved? And has an insurer confirmed in writing that the trip is covered? The travel insurance guide explains why that answer comes before everything else, and the decision guide for Moscow explains the advice behind it.