The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to the whole of Russia due to the lack of available flight options to return to the UK, and the increased volatility in the Russian economy.

If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes.

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On 21 SeptemberSeptember, 2022, Russia declared a “partial” mobilisation of Russian citizens to join the military forces. British nationals holding Russian passports should be aware that they may be in scope for mobilisation or conscription, as the Russian government does not recognise dual nationality for Russian nationals in Russia and treats dual nationals as Russian nationals.

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The UK government has imposed sanctions against a range of Russian companies and individuals and imposed other finance, trade and transport sanctions in relation to Russia. These sanctions may haveimpact an effect on transactions in, or connected with, Russia. More information about Russia sanctions is available on GOV.UK, including on the application of sanctions prohibitions and requirements to British nationals.

In May 2022, the UK government designated Aeroflot, Rossiya Airlines, Ural Airlines and Russian Railways for the purposes of UK sanctions. This means that British nationals and others who are bound by UK sanctions are prohibited from entering into transactions which result in making funds directly or indirectly available to these companies, such as purchasing tickets from them. On 23 May 2022, the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a general licence which means that for journeys originating in, or within, Russia, British nationals may purchase tickets from these companies without breaching UK sanctions.

MasterCard and Visa have suspended operations in Russia. This means that MasterCard and Visa cards issued outside of Russia will not work at Russian merchants or ATMs. Cards issued inside Russia continue to work in Russia but they will not work outside of Russia. BeYou should be aware that it may not be possible for you to access your funds through Russian banks or to make payments to Russian businesses with non-Russian credit/debit cards.

There are reports of increased police presence and ID checks. You should keep your passport with you at all times. See Safety and security

If you decide to remain in Russia, keep your departure plans under constant review and ensure your travel documents are up to date. You should monitor the media and this travel advice regularly and subscribe to email alerts.

Consular support is severely limited in parts of Russia due to the security situation and the size of the country. The North Caucasus remains an unstable and potentially dangerous region. The Russian authorities take a particularly strict attitude towards security, as well as compliance with visa and registration rules.

Short-term travel restrictions are sometimes applied in relation to ongoing security operations. These are publicised at very short notice, if at all. See Local travel

It is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the FCDO’s guidance on foreign travel insurance.

Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Russia. See Terrorism.

The UK doesn’t recognise Crimea as being part of Russia. See the Ukraine travel advice page for details.

Small earth tremors are recorded throughout the year without consequences. To learn more about what to do before, during and after an earthquake, see the website of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency.