Bring rubles: many foreign bank cards will not work
- Moscow, Russia
- Posted on
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Photo: State Bank of the Russian Empire (issued design); digitization: Money Museum of · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
About this trap
Many foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Russia, and most ATMs refuse them, so plan to rely on cash. Shops, cafes and transit take only rubles. Exchange dollars or euros at an official bureau or bank in the city and skip airport counters and street changers. UnionPay cards are the foreign type most often reported to work. Ask your bank before you fly, count your change at exchange offices and keep small notes for market stalls.
Where
Bring rubles: many foreign bank cards will not workCitywide, from markets to taxis
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