Practical tips for your first weeks in Russia

Money: bring cash, then open a Russian account

Visa, Mastercard and Maestro cards issued outside Russia do not work there: not in shops, not online and not at cash machines. This has been the case since March 2022. Some UnionPay cards issued abroad are accepted in a few large shops and hotels, but you cannot count on them.

What to do:

• Bring cash in US dollars or euros for your first weeks. Ask your university what you will need to pay in the first month, for example for the dormitory and health insurance.
• Change money only at banks, never in the street or with private people. Banks may refuse damaged or very old notes, so bring clean ones.
• Check the customs rules if you travel with a large amount of cash.
• Open a Russian bank account and get a Mir card after you arrive, often through your university’s partner bank. Each bank has its own list of documents. At one university, for example, the partner bank asks for your passport with a notarised translation, your visa or migration card, a tax number (INN), a Russian phone number in your name and confirmed biometrics.

This means you will usually need a Russian SIM card before you can open an account. Your international office can tell you in which order to do things. Before you leave home, also ask your bank how your family could send you money later.

Phone and internet

Since 1 January 2025, foreigners can get a Russian SIM card only in person, at a mobile operator’s office. You need:

• a verified account on Gosuslugi, the official public services portal;
• SNILS, your Russian social insurance number;
• your biometrics registered in the Unified Biometric System.

The operator also records your phone’s IMEI number, and one person can have at most 10 SIM cards. Do not use a SIM card registered to someone else, as it may be blocked. Your international office can explain how to complete each step.

All this takes time, so you will not have a Russian number when you land. Plan ahead:

• Send your flight details to your university or to the person meeting you, and agree on a meeting point.
• Use Wi-Fi at the airport or in the dormitory to send messages. Public Wi-Fi in Russia usually sends a code to a phone number by text message, so keep your home SIM active with roaming if you can.
• Download offline maps and a translation app before you fly.

Getting around

• Metro. Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk have a metro. It is often the fastest way to cross the city.
• Transport cards. Buy a city transport card, such as Troika in Moscow or Podorozhnik in Saint Petersburg. Ask your university whether you can get a student travel card.
• Buses, trams and minibuses cover the rest of the city. Many signs and announcements are only in Russian, especially outside Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
• Taxis. Use a taxi app rather than stopping cars in the street, so the price and route are fixed in advance. Many apps need a Russian phone number and card, so you may have to pay in cash at first.
• Maps. A map app that shows public transport routes makes life much easier.
• Long distances. Travel between cities by train, including overnight sleeper trains, or by plane. You need your passport to buy tickets and to board.

Weather and clothes

Winters are long and cold, especially in Siberia, and snow and ice can last for months. Buildings, buses and the metro are well heated, so dress in layers that you can take off indoors.

For winter you need:

• a real winter coat, warm enough for frost and wind;
• warm, waterproof boots with soles that grip on ice;
• a hat, a scarf and gloves.

You can buy these in Russia, where shops sell clothes made for the local winter. Bring warm layers for your first days anyway: autumn can already be cold, and snow comes early in Siberia. Walk carefully on icy pavements, and in spring keep away from roof edges where signs warn of falling ice. Summers are warm, sometimes hot, so pack light clothes too.

Safety, emergencies and electricity

• Emergencies. Call 112 for the police, an ambulance or the fire service. Save your international office’s phone number and your address, written in Russian, on your phone.
• Electricity. Russia uses European two-pin plugs and 220 V. Bring an adapter if your devices need one.
• Documents. Carry your passport and migration documents, because the police can ask to see them. Keep copies at home and on your phone.
• Belongings. Watch your phone and bag in crowded places, as in any big city.
• Scams. Never give bank codes or passwords by phone, even to someone who says they are from the police or a bank.
• The law. Russian drug laws are very strict. Respect the law and your university’s rules: even small offences can cause problems for your stay.

Your next step

Read our visas and travel guide to prepare your arrival, and our guide to daily life for the months that follow. To read signs and talk to people from day one, start with our Russian courses. If you have questions about your own plans, write to us through the Start Your Journey form.