Do you need a passport to exchange currency in Russia?
Yes, in most cases. Under Russia’s anti-money-laundering law 115-ФЗ, any exchange above 40 000 ₽ requires a passport, and below that limit a bank may still ask for one. Bring your original passport to every exchange — a photo or a photocopy is usually not accepted.
Updated September 2026
What the law actually requires
Law 115-ФЗ obliges banks to identify anyone exchanging more than 40 000 ₽ in one transaction. The cashier records your passport details before handing over the money. Below 40 000 ₽ the law does not require identification at all, but each bank sets its own policy, and many ask for a passport regardless of the sum.
The rule applies in both directions: selling dollars, euros or yuan for rubles, and buying foreign cash with rubles — though note that buying foreign cash can be limited, while selling it for rubles is unrestricted. Splitting one large sum into several small exchanges at the same counter rarely helps — the cashier will usually ask for your passport anyway.
What to bring to the counter
Bring the original passport. No Russian phone number or Russian bank account is needed for the exchange itself, but keep your passport together with the papers you were given at the border — a bank may ask to see them.
Use a bank or a licensed exchange office (обменник) with a posted rate board. Airport counters take passports too, but their rates are poor, so change a small amount there and the rest in the city.
- Your original passport, valid and undamaged
- Clean, newer-series banknotes — worn or old-series dollars are often refused or discounted
- A look at the rate board before you hand anything over
- Time to count the rubles and keep the receipt
Exchange less by paying without cash
The simplest way around the passport question is to need fewer rubles in cash. In cities, most shops, cafés and ticket sites take Russian payment network QR payments and Russian-issued cards, while global payment methods do not work anywhere as of 2026.
PayInRussia is a virtual card for foreign visitors. You top it up online from your own bank and scan the Russian payment network QR code at the till. The basic card needs only a phone number — no passport — and holds up to 15 000 ₽. Verify with a passport and a selfie and the balance rises to 600 000 ₽.
Keep some cash for markets, tips and small stalls, and exchange it with your passport in hand.
