Money and payments
Does Apple Pay work in Russia in 2026?
No. Apple Pay and Google Pay do not work in Russia. Day to day, people pay with cash, a Russian Mir card, an instant transfer by phone number (SBP), or a QR code shown at the till.
Will my foreign Visa or Mastercard work in Russia?
No. A card issued outside Russia is declined in shops, at ATMs and online. Bring cash for the first days, and arrange access to a Mir card if you are staying longer.
How do Russians transfer money to each other?
By phone number. You type the recipient's mobile number, choose their bank, and the money arrives in seconds at no cost. Many small businesses prefer this to a card terminal.
Is $1,000 a month enough to live in Russia?
At the rate in our dated guide, $1,000 is about 90,000 RUB. That is comfortable for one person in a regional million-person city (60,000–90,000 RUB a month including rent), workable in St Petersburg (around 110,000 RUB), and tight in central Moscow (120,000–180,000 RUB).
Phones, internet and apps
Do foreign phones work in Russia?
The handset works normally. What fails is the service around it: roaming is expensive or unavailable, and SMS confirmation codes for Russian services need an active Russian number. Arrange an eSIM or a local SIM.
Should I install a VPN before flying to Russia?
Yes — install the VPN, an eSIM, offline maps and your documents as PDFs before departure, because some apps are hard to download once you are in the country.
How much does internet cost in Russia?
Home fibre at 500 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s costs 500–700 RUB a month, and a mobile plan with 30 GB and unlimited calls costs 500–700 RUB a month.
Getting around and getting in
How do I pay for the Moscow metro as a foreigner?
Buy a Troika card at any station and top it up with cash. One card covers metro, buses, trams, the circle line and suburban trains; the unlimited monthly pass costs 3,460 RUB. Russian bank cards, QR codes and Face Pay also work, but need a Russian account.
How do I call a taxi in Russia without a Russian card?
Use the local ride-hailing app and select the cash payment option when ordering, then pay the driver directly. It is the standard workaround for arriving travellers.
Do I have to register my stay in Russia?
Yes. Keep the migration card issued at the border with your passport, and have your hotel or host register the stay within the legal deadline. Hotels do it automatically; a private host has to file it.
Everyday life
What surprises foreigners most in Russia?
Not the cold. Newcomers usually name the winter darkness rather than the temperature, neutral faces in public that are politeness rather than hostility, and how quickly conversation becomes direct once you are in someone's kitchen.
Is it safe to walk at night in Moscow?
Residents and foreign residents both describe central Moscow and most residential districts as calm late at night, with lit streets and busy metro until after midnight. Normal big-city caution still applies.
Can I get by in Russia without speaking Russian?
In Moscow and St Petersburg, yes, with translation apps and signage in Latin script. Outside the two capitals the language barrier is real, and the Cyrillic alphabet is the single highest-value thing to learn first.
Studying and working
Can foreign students work legally in Russia?
Yes. Since 2020, foreign citizens enrolled full-time at accredited Russian institutions may work without a separate work permit or patent. Before that change a permit was required.
Are there degrees in Russia taught entirely in English?
Yes, mainly at master's and postgraduate level: Skoltech works in English by default, and HSE, ITMO and MIPT run English-taught master's programmes. Most bachelor's degrees are in Russian and start with a one-year preparatory language faculty.
How can a foreigner study in Russia for free?
Two official routes: a government quota place, applied for through the state portal for education in Russia with selection involving Russian diplomatic missions and Russian Houses, and the Open Doors olympiad, whose winners enter master's or postgraduate study without entrance exams.
The five most asked, in short
What we are not claiming
These are short restatements of dated pages, not legal or financial advice. Visa rules, tariffs and payment options change during the year; the page linked under each answer carries the date it was last checked, and the Reality Index is the living version of the table.