Travel Warning & Consular Information Sheet

  Telephone Service

Long distance telephone calls can usually be made from a hotel. AT&T, MCI and other telecommunications companies can provide calling card service with local access numbers. Check with your phone card provider for specific information. Calls can also be made from phone kiosks, located near Metro and train stations, tourist attractions and in downtown areas, with pre-paid, locally purchased phone cards.

It is also possible to make calls from the local Telephone and Telegraph office. This is the cheapest way to call, but it also necessitates standing in line and putting in a request to make an international call. A rudimentary knowledge of the local language is extremely helpful for those placing a call through the Telephone and Telegraph office.

U.S. Priority Mail Services

Federal Express, DHL, TNT and United Parcel Service all offer priority mail services between the U.S. and Russia. However, even packets sent by priority mail may be held up in customs for up to a week. Local regulations forbid the mailing of Russian passports to or from a foreign country.

Currency

The ruble is the only legal tender. It is illegal to pay for goods and services in U.S. dollars except at authorized retail establishments. Old or very worn dollar bills are often not accepted at banks and exchange offices, even though this constitutes a violation of currency laws. Russia operates on the basis of a cash-only economy. This means that traveler’s checks and credit cards are not widely, if ever, accepted as currency. Travelers’ checks and credit cards are not generally accepted outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Even in these cities, the acceptance of credit cards is subject to change. Before you leave home, check with your credit card and travelers check companies to learn if and where these can be used in Russia. Travelers should expect some difficulty in obtaining dollars in Russia, although dollars can be easily exchanged into rubles. Travelers should not rely on automated teller machines (ATM) for cash. Major hotels or the American Express offices in Moscow or St. Petersburg may be able to suggest locations for cashing travelers checks or obtaining cash advances on credit cards. Western Union agents in Moscow, St. Petersburg and some other large cities disburse money wired from the U.S. Russia sometimes experiences periodic cash shortages. The difficulties of a currency shortage can be avoided by taking a prepaid tour that includes all meals and hotels. Most travelers go to Russia with a sufficient supply of hard currency to cover their obligations during travel. Some hotel restaurants and shops will accept payment only in dollars or other hard currency.

Generally, U.S. dollars can be exchanged for local currency only at official exchange offices or in banks. Anyone caught dealing on the black market can expect to be detained by the local militia.

Shopping

Artwork, souvenirs and handicrafts purchased at special stores for tourists may be taken out of Russia. Be wary of antiques! The authorities define antiques as anything of historical or cultural value and they apply this definition to a wide range of articles. Antiques and artifacts (such as samovars) often may not be taken out of Russia without inspection by local cultural authorities and payment of a substantial export duty. This can be an inconvenient and time-consuming process. Items such as samovars, which are not purchased at tourist stores and not cleared by cultural authorities, are normally confiscated at pre-departure customs inspections. You should obtain a receipt for all items of value that you have purchased. The receipt must indicate that the items were bought in a store clearly licensed to sell to foreigners. Furthermore, icons, art, rugs, antiques and other culturally significant objects must have a certificate indicating that they have no historical value. This certificate can be obtained either from the store at the time the item is purchased or from the Ministry of Culture.

Customs Regulations

Russian customs laws and regulations are in a state of flux and are not consistently enforced. Travelers to Russia should declare all items of value, including cash, on a customs form upon arrival and keep this form until their departure from Russia. Make an accurate and complete customs declaration of all money, travelers’ checks and valuables in your possession. Include all personal jewelry, such as wedding rings and watches, and other high-value items, such as personal computers. Have your customs declaration stamped by the authorities and keep it with you until you leave the country. Keep your exchange receipts to account for your expenditures. Without these records, customs officials could confiscate your cash and valuables upon departure. Currently, travelers leaving Russia with more than $1,500 dollars must declare the amount of cash they are carrying on their customs declaration. Lost or stolen customs forms should be reported to the Russian police, and a police report (spravka) should be obtained to present to customs officials upon departure.

Travelers should obtain receipts for all high-value items (including caviar) purchased in Russia. Any article that could appear old to the customs service, including icons, samovars, rugs and other antiques must have a certificate indicating that it has no historical value. It is illegal to remove such items from Russia without this certificate. These certificates may be obtained either from the vendor of the item or from the Russian Ministry of Culture. For further information, Russian speakers may call the customs service of the Russian Federation at Sheremetyevo-2 Airport in Moscow at (7) (095) 578-2120/2125.

Attempts to bring any of the following articles into Russia has caused difficulties for U.S. citizens in the past:

Electronic Devices

The importation and use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and other radio electronic devices are subject to special rules and regulations in Russia. In general, mapping and natural resource data collection activities associated with normal, commercial and scientific collaboration may result in seizure of the equipment and/or arrest of the user. The penalty for using a GPS device in a manner which is determined to have compromised Russia’s national security can carry a prison term of ten to twenty years. In December 1997, a U.S. citizen was imprisoned in Rostov-na-Donu for ten days on charges of espionage for using a GPS device to check the efficacy of new-installed telecommunications equipment. He and his company believed the GPS had been legally imported and were not aware that Russian authorities considered nearby government installations secret.

No traveler should seek to import or use GPS equipment in any manner unless it has been properly and fully documented by the traveler in accordance with the instructions of the Glavgossvyaznadzor (Main Inspectorate in Communications) and is declared in full on a customs declaration at the point of entry to the Russian Federation.

All radio electronic devices brought into Russia must have a certificate from Glavgossvyaznadzor of the Russian Federation. This includes all emitting, transmitting, and receiving equipment such as GPS devices, cellular telephones, satellite telephones, and other kinds of radio electronic equipment. Excluded from the list are consumer electronic devices such as AM/FM radios.

Cellular Telephones. To obtain permission to bring in a cellular telephone, an agreement for service from a local cellular provider in Russia is required. That agreement and a letter of guarantee to pay for the cellular service must be sent to Glavgossvyaznadzor along with a request for permission to import the telephone. Based on these documents, a certificate is issued. This procedure is reported to take two weeks. Without a certificate, no cellular telephone can be brought into the country, regardless of whether or not it is meant for use in Russia. Permission for the above devices may also be required from the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation. Cellular phone rentals are available and recommended.