As of September 29, 2026, Russia has restricted the export of cash rubles to Armenia and other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. Travelers carrying large sums of money must now follow new rules or risk losing their cash at customs. Individuals are barred from taking out more than one million rubles unless certain conditions are met.
What has changed and whom it affects
The special procedure for taking cash rubles out of Russia was established by Presidential Decree No. 709, signed on September 29, 2026, and effective the same day. According to information passed by the Russian customs service to Armenia's State Revenue Committee, the restrictions are intended to protect Russia's national interests and ensure its financial stability. They apply to travel to member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, which include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as to Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The new limits
For individuals, the limit is set at one million rubles. Carrying cash above that threshold is prohibited unless the special conditions described below are met. The rules are stricter for legal entities and sole proprietors: they are barred from taking out cash rubles regardless of the amount. Exceptions are made for international transportation operations and for supporting the work of diplomatic missions, but as a rule they do not extend to ordinary commercial business.
How to legally take out more than a million
Individuals do, however, have a lawful way to carry more than a million rubles. Two conditions must be met. First, the legal origin of the money must be documented. Second, travelers may depart only from certain international airports on a list approved by the Russian government. The list includes 17 airports in all, among them Moscow's Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo, as well as regional airports such as Khrabrovo in Kaliningrad, Tolmachevo in Novosibirsk and Balandino in Chelyabinsk.
What documents to prepare
To prove where the money came from, travelers must present the relevant documents to customs officers. If the cash was withdrawn from a bank account, a bank-certified statement is required. If the rubles were obtained by exchanging foreign currency, a document confirming the exchange is needed. For borrowed funds, travelers should have a credit or loan agreement and a cash disbursement slip from the bank or microfinance organization. Russia's Ministry of Finance has explained that these documents are needed specifically to confirm the source of a large sum of cash, not merely to declare it.
What happens if you break the rules
If an individual tries to take out more than a million rubles without supporting documents, the entire amount above the limit is subject to seizure. The decree uses the term "seizure" rather than "confiscation." For companies and sole proprietors that violate the ban, the consequences are harsher: the entire sum they are carrying will be seized. In addition, failing to declare currency, or declaring it inaccurately, carries administrative liability under Article 16.4 of Russia's Code of Administrative Offenses, with a fine ranging from half to twice the undeclared amount.
The new rules apply only to cash rubles. Taking out foreign currency in cash above the established limit requires permission from the Bank of Russia. In addition, restrictions on exporting gold were introduced on May 1, 2026: it is now prohibited to take refined gold bars, that is, gold purified of impurities, with a total weight of more than 100 grams out of Russia. The Russian government and the Central Bank have been instructed to develop, within three months, a procedure for recording and reporting cash currency taken out of the country.
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