Visiting Russia
Entry paperwork, routes, paying for things, staying connected, and what a first week in Moscow actually looks like. Every page says when it was last checked.
Visas & paperwork
Russian government scholarship 2027/28: how to apply for the quota
How to apply for the Russian government scholarship (quota) to study in Russia: what it covers, documents, country contacts and arrival steps. New-cycle deadlines are not yet confirmed.
Checked 14 October 2026
Russian Visa Guide 2026: E-visa, Tourist, Work, HQS and Residence
Every Russian visa in 2026 explained: e-visa, tourist, private, business, work, HQS, study, 'shared values' visa, RVP, VNZh, citizenship. Real costs, real ti…
Not yet re-checked for 2026
FAQ: Russia for foreigners
Straight answers about entry, money, mobile service, transport, study and daily life in Russia, collected from Two Nations’ checked guides.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Moscow
The Moscow Metro: A Practical Guide and a Walk Through Its Underground Palaces
Tickets, Troika, navigation and etiquette — plus the history, ten remarkable stations and a self-guided underground architecture tour.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Moscow Travel Guide 2026: 7-Day Itinerary, Real Tips
How to actually visit Moscow in 2026: e-visa, eSIM, cash without Visa, the metro, where to stay, what to eat, and a 7-day itinerary that skips the tourist tr…
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Moscow, unfiltered
Photos and notes from the city as it looks on a normal day, not on a postcard.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Foreigners living in Moscow: who films it, and what it costs
Most foreign creators in Russia live in Moscow, and that skews everything you see. The metro is beautiful, the deliveries arrive in fifteen minutes, the parks are new, the salaries are the highest in the country — and none of that describes the other 88 regions.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Money & prices
Money transfer to Russia for students: bank cards, accounts and paying in Russia
Can parents send a money transfer to Russia? Which bank card works in Russia for foreigners, how to open an account and pay day to day — with official sources and clear caveats.
Checked 14 October 2026
Your first month in Russia: a day-by-day checklist for foreign students
Days 1–3 SIM by biometrics, days 1–7 registration, days 4–14 dorm, insurance and a Mir card, by day 30 the medical check, days 30–60 the multi-entry visa.
Checked 28 October 2026
Documents for foreigners in Russia from scratch: notarised translation, SNILS, INN, medical check
In what order to get a notarised passport translation, SNILS and INN, the 30-day medical check and fingerprinting, and recognition of your diploma.
Checked 28 October 2026
Migration registration in Russia 2026: 7 working days, who files it, 500 ₽ fee and fines
Your host must file the notification of arrival within 7 working days (30 for Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan). Dorm vs flat, Gosuslugi online, the new 500 ₽ fee, extension and fines.
Checked 28 October 2026
Russian student visa 2026: invitation, fees, extension and why the e-visa won’t work
First study visa: single-entry for 90 days. University invitation up to 20 working days, 960 ₽ fee; multi-entry extension 1,920 ₽. The unified e-visa is not for study or work.
Checked 28 October 2026
Healthcare in Russia for foreigners: doctors, ambulance 103/112, migrant medical check and medicines
How to see a doctor without OMS, what emergency care is free, the new 30-day medical check deadline, bringing medicines through customs, mental-health lines and dental emergencies.
Checked 28 October 2026
Health insurance in Russia for foreign students and workers: who needs it, what it covers, 2026 prices
Entry rules for visa holders, the policy workers need for a patent, where to buy, typical cover, real 2026–27 student prices from 4,000 ₽ and who can get state OMS.
Checked 28 October 2026
Taxes for foreigners in Russia 2026: residency, income tax rates, INN and tax treaties
The 183-day rule, 13–22% resident rates vs 30% for non-residents, patent and self-employment, why scholarships are tax-free, and which tax treaties still work.
Checked 28 October 2026
Renting an apartment in Russia as a foreigner: dorms, contracts, registration and 2026 prices
Where to search, what the lease must say, who registers you within 7 working days, average Moscow and St Petersburg rents, and the prepayment scam police warn about.
Checked 28 October 2026
6 things that catch foreigners off guard in Russia in 2026
Your card won’t work, an app may track your registration, and cash has hard limits. Six surprises with official sources — before you land.
Checked 25 October 2026Is Russia really cheap? Prices vs France, Portugal and Brazil in numbers
World Bank data: Russia’s overall price level is less than half of France’s. What that means for a student budget — and why Moscow is not the national average.
Checked 25 October 2026
What $1,000 a month actually buys you in Russia
Rent, utilities, internet, transport and groceries in roubles and dollars — and the cities where a thousand dollars runs out.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Life without Apple Pay: what daily tech in Russia actually feels like
Mir cards, transfers by phone number, QR codes at the till and Face Pay in the metro — plus the parts that are genuinely worse.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
What works in Russia right now: the 2026 reality index
Cards, cash, SIM, VPN, e-visa and registration in one dated table, each line linked to its guide.
Not yet re-checked for 2026How to actually pay for things in Russia in 2026
How foreigners pay in Russia in 2026: why Visa and Mastercard fail, how much cash to bring, UnionPay coverage, opening a MIR card, SBP transfers and moving money in and out.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
SIM cards, internet and apps in Russia in 2026
Staying connected in Russia in 2026: buying a SIM as a foreigner, tourist eSIMs, what needs a VPN, whether WhatsApp and Telegram work, and using Yandex Go without a Russian card.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Cost of Living in Russia 2026: Real Numbers from Moscow to the Regions
Real 2026 prices: rent, groceries, restaurants, metro, taxi, utilities, gym and three full monthly budgets — Moscow, St. Petersburg, and a typical region.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Mir Card & Money in Russia 2026: Bank Accounts, SBP, SWIFT, Crypto
The complete 2026 guide for foreigners: opening a Russian bank account, getting an INN, Mir card abroad, SBP instant transfers, what's left of SWIFT, and usi…
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Cost of living in Russia vs your city
Published 2026 Russian prices on one side, the numbers you actually pay on the other.
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Russian size converter
Shoe and clothing sizes: EU, UK and US to Russian.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Russian menu decoder
What 28 common Russian dishes are and what they contain.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Russian train tickets for foreigners
Booking RZD without a Russian card: passport details, classes, boarding.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Yandex Go and taxis for foreigners
Ordering a taxi in Russia without a Russian card: phone number, payment, airports.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Opening a Russian bank account as a foreigner
Documents banks usually ask for, getting a Mir card, and common refusals.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Quick answers about Russia in 2026
Does Apple Pay work, will a foreign card work, how to pay for the metro, is $1,000 a month enough — answered in thirty seconds each.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Is Russia expensive for foreigners in 2026?
Food, transport and services are cheap by Western European standards; housing in Moscow, electronics and anything imported are not. A single person outside Moscow lives comfortably on far less than in the EU, while a Moscow family with a rented flat lands much closer to European numbers than the supermarket videos suggest.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Language
Russian for real life
The alphabet, the phrases you need first, apps and channels that actually help.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Say it in Russian
Real phrases people actually use, with pronunciation you can copy out loud.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Russian alphabet
All 33 letters with sound, look-alike traps and what each one really sounds like.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Transliterator
Turn any Latin text into Cyrillic and back, instantly.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Cyrillic keyboard
Type Russian without installing anything, then copy the result.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Your name in Russian
How your name is written and said in Russian, including the friendly short form.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Which Russian city fits you?
Eight questions, one city, and a reason for each answer.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Regions
Living in Siberia as a foreigner: Baikal, Irkutsk and the small towns
Four time zones from Moscow, the arithmetic changes: land and housing are a fraction of the capital's, and everything else — specialist medicine, imported goods, a flight home — costs more in time and money.
Not yet re-checked for 2026
Foreigners in the Russian countryside: farms, villages and winter
The countryside is where the largest foreign audiences actually are: a Danish homesteader in the taiga, a Canadian family with a tractor in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a Brazilian driving a Lada between villages. Land is cheap, neighbours are curious, and the work never stops.
Not yet re-checked for 2026Not what you needed?