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Traveling to Russia from India

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  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Visa to Russia from India
      • How to obtain a Russian Visa in India in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to obtain the Russian electronic visa (e-visa): St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Far Eastern regions
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Where do I apply for a Russian visa if I live abroad?
      • Is it possible to travel to Russia Visa-Free? Who does not need a visa?
      • Russian Embassies, Consulates and Visa Centers – Updated list
      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • How to get a private visa to visit relatives or friends in Russia
      • Should I indicate nights on the train in the application for an invitation letter or Russian visa?
      • Is it possible to change my itinerary or renew my Russian visa?
      • The reasons for refusal of the Russian Visa (and how to avoid them)
      • Business Visa to Russia: Step by step guide
      • Can I modify my invitation to Russia if it contains some incorrect information?
      • How to get a 3-year tourist Russian visa (only for US citizens)
      • How to get travel medical insurance for Russian visa (in 5 minutes)
    • 1.2. Registration and immigration
      • Registration in Russia: What it is and how it is done
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
    • 1.3. Visa to India, China and post-Soviet states
      • How to travel to Belarus without a visa (visa-free) and with visa
      • How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)
      • How to get an e-Visa to India online: Step-by-step guide
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
      • How to go from the airport to the center of Moscow or the Red Square
      • How to find the cheapest flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg from India
      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
    • 2.2. Russian trains
      • Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Traveling by bus through Russia (and how to buy tickets online)
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
    • 2.4. Car rental
      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
      • What do you eat in Russia? Typical dishes and Russian restaurants
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • What is the Moscow Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Moscow Tourist Information Offices
      • Official tourist maps of Moscow (PDF)
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, by boat, or by tour bus?
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • Places to enjoy the best views of Moscow
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Moscow in Space: from the Museum of Cosmonautics to the Planetarium
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • The Seven Sisters of Moscow: The Stalinist Skyscrapers secrets
      • The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of Moscow: you will not believe its story
      • What to see in Red Square in Moscow (and best things to do)
      • Novodevichy Convent (and cemetery), one of my favorite places in Moscow
      • Star City Moscow, where the cosmonauts live – What to see inside?
      • Moscow City: Skyscrapers & Observation Decks (You can go up to enjoy for its views)
      • Traveling to Moscow with children: What to see and do as a family
      • The Tretyakov Gallery: Russian art like you’ve never seen before
      • VDNH (VDNKh), my favorite park in Moscow: Back to the USSR!
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg: Guide to not get lost
      • White Nights of St. Petersburg: When the city doesn’t sleep
      • Essential tourist maps of St. Petersburg (PDF and JPG)
      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • Drawbridges (and Pedestrian Bridges) of St. Petersburg: Schedules and Recommendations
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • What to see (and do) at Lake Baikal between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude
      • Yekaterinburg, where Europe and Asia come together
      • Next stop: Novosibirsk. Welcome to Siberia!
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • Where is it better to change indian rupees for rubles?
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
      • How to pay for purchases in Russia without losing money in ruble exchange?
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone (online or in a store)
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia
      • Traveling to Russia with a travel agency or on your own? What is better?
      • Holidays and celebrations in Russia in 2020 (and important days)
You are here: Home / 5. Practicalities / 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices / Where is it better to change indian rupees for rubles?

Where is it better to change indian rupees for rubles?

Posted on: 17.08.19 | by Irena Domingo

This article tries to answer a frequent question that confronts all those who have traveled to Russia: Where is it better to change indian rupees for rubles? In the airport? At your bank? In a bank in Russia? In an ATM in Russia? Making your purchases on your credit card? Is it better to change your money before you travel or is it better to do it in Russia? I will answer all of these questions.

Article updated August 17, 2019. Published June 24, 2018
Change pounds for rubles

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Introduction
  • 1. Changing your money at an airport in Russia
  • 2. Changing your money at your bank before you travel
  • 3. Changing money at an ATM in Russia
  • 4. Changing your money with a Russian bank
  • 5. Changing your money through buying with a debit or credit card
  • Final Recommendations

Introduction

A very common question that arises before traveling to Russia is where to change indian rupees for rubles. Money exchange is a very lucrative business and all brokers charge a fee for making the change, although some more than others.

Basically, I say that there are two options for paying in rubles: use cash or use a bank card in Russia for all purchases.

Personally, I prefer to change a little cash to rubles before leaving to pay for the essential expenses upon my arrival at the airport (taxi, food, drink, etc.). Once in Russia, I prefer to use my card to make payments both in restaurants and in shops since both Visa and Mastercard often offer a good exchange rate.

Basic information:

  • While it is true that in some shops or restaurants they may also accept payment dollars, pounds or euros, but usually you have to pay with rubles. That means that it is impossible to avoid the hassle of changing rubles. When traveling to Russia, you simply have to exchange indian rupees for rubles.
  • Except for small purchases in little shops or kiosks, credit cards are generally accepted in most restaurants and shops in the big cities (it is possible that in more rural, remote areas than the large cities they may not be accepted).

1. Changing your money at an airport in Russia

Change pounds for rubles 2

You can change indian rupees to rubles in an exchange office at the airport. However, this option is usually the worst since the exchange rate applied by exchange offices in Russian airports are usually the worst by far for the customer.

This is an expensive and very unwise choice. Even changing small quantities. Do not be fooled by the “no commission” since instead of a commission they charge you a very unfavorable exchange rate.

2. Changing your money at your bank before you travel

This means going to your bank and requesting to exchange some indian rupees to rubles. Most likely you will have to wait a few days for them to get them back to you (assuming that your bank offers this service).

This method is usually quite unfavorable, but usually better than making the change at the airport. Banks also typically charge a fee for currency exchange.

I usually use this option in order to take some money in rubles and be able to pay my initial expenses upon arrival in Russia (taxi, food, etc).

3. Changing money at an ATM in Russia

This option involves using your debit card, either Visa or Mastercard, (not credit, which is much more expensive) to get cash from an ATM. You can take out money at an ATM at the airport or in the city center.

While the exchange rate offered by Visa or Mastercard is much more favorable than the previous options, instead, the banks apply a fee for extraction and one for currency exchange. The exchange rate applied by Visa is available at this link and the rate applied by Mastercard is also available on its website.

ATM in Russia - Rubles

Normally banks operating entirely online usually offer better conditions. In contrast, traditional banks usually apply a higher fee that can be as high as 5% or more.

It is best to always ask your bank in advance to know what the fee is that they will apply for transactions in Russia.

In any case, this is a good way to exchange your money provided your bank is not charging you high fees. It is also a convenient solution because in Russia you can find ATMs on every corner.

4. Changing your money with a Russian bank

This option entails taking your indian rupees with you from home and making the exchange in a bank in Russia. The exchange rate applied by Russian banks is much better than you can find in the airport or at your bank.

I always advise asking at your hotel’s reception desk to indicate where there is a nearby bank that offers a good exchange rate and no commission.

Changing money with a Russian bank - Rubles

Changing your money in a bank in Russia is a more economical way to change indian rupees for rubles since the exchange rate they apply is a little more favorable than with the previous options but keep in mind that this has three drawbacks:

  • You have to waste time going to a bank and perhaps waiting in line in order to perform the transaction (this has happened to me more than once).
  • You have to bring your indian rupees in cash from home (risk of loss or theft).
  • Some banks apply a fee (you must ask beforehand).

5. Changing your money through buying with a debit or credit card

For me, this is the best way to change indian rupees for rubles. Keep in mind that in Russia, bank cards are accepted in most shops and restaurants practically the same as in India. It is true that for small purchases and payments in kiosks or in small shops you will need cash, but you can make all the important purchases with a card without a problem.

With a Mastercard or a Visa, you can make purchases with a good exchange rate and only pay a fee for currency exchange that is usually around 3%, although there are banks that do not apply this fee. To make purchases you can use either your debit card or your credit card.

The card I use in Russia is the Revolut card, since it applies the best exchange rate in Russia and without commissions. It is a prepaid card that you can recharge through your bank card, by bank transfer, through Apple Pay, PayPal, etc. It can be requested for free through this link.

Revolut Card for paying in Russia

Final Recommendations

As you have seen, currency exchange can be done in different ways. This is what I usually do when I travel to Russia:

  • I take a small amount of rubles that I change at my bank before I leave home to cover the initial expenses.
  • Once in Russia, I use my Revolut card for all purchases except for those places that do not accept them (kiosks, small shops …). It is much easier to use a card than it is to waste time having to go to banks in Moscow to change for rubles. Moreover, the cost is similar.
  • Finally, I also take money in indian rupees or dollars. If I need more cash in rubles then I can change them in any bank at a good price, but sometimes I also use my debit card to withdraw cash at ATMs.

 

What has been your experience changing indian rupees for rubles? You can leave your comments below.

 

 

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Categories: 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices



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About the Author

Irena Domingo's avatar

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia from India.

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Hey! I’m Irena Domingo

I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I started this blog with one goal: to create the most complete guide ever written to travel to Russia and beyond!

I want to know about …

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Visa to Russia from India
    • 1.2. Registration and immigration
    • 1.3. Visa to India, China and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products
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