Taking cash rubles from Russia to Kyrgyzstan: rules from 29 September 2026

The rules for taking cash rubles from Russia to Kyrgyzstan changed on 29 September 2026. For individuals, the special procedure applies to amounts above RUB 1 million. Larger amounts may be taken out through specified Russian airports with qualifying documents covering the full amount.

The legal basis is Presidential Decree No. 706 of 29 September 2026. The Russian Federal Customs Service has also explained the requirements. Here is what passengers should check before departure.

What changed and who is affected

The restriction concerns physical Russian rubles taken out of Russia to EAEU countries, including Kyrgyzstan, and to Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Do not apply this threshold to the reverse journey, foreign currency or a bank card balance: those involve different situations and rules.

Organisations and individual entrepreneurs are subject to a separate rule: the prohibition applies regardless of the amount unless a specified exception is available. The examples below concern individuals.

RUB 900,000, one million or more: three examples

This table explains only the decree’s cash-ruble export restriction. It does not remove other applicable requirements for moving money across borders. Simply declaring the money does not replace the conditions of the exception.

Which airports are listed

Government Order No. 657-r of 30 March 2026 lists 17 air border crossing points:

• Arkhangelsk (Talagi);
• Bryansk;
• Kaliningrad (Khrabrovo);
• Kaluga (Grabtsevo);
• Kemerovo;
• Lipetsk;
• Magnitogorsk;
• Makhachkala (Uytash);
• Moscow (Vnukovo);
• Moscow (Domodedovo);
• Moscow (Sheremetyevo);
• Murmansk;
• Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo);
• Petrozavodsk (Besovets);
• Tomsk (Bogashevo);
• Chelyabinsk (Balandino);
• Cherepovets.

Pulkovo and Koltsovo are not on this list. An airport’s international status alone is not enough. Inclusion also does not mean that your required flight currently operates there or that the airport is operating without restrictions.

If you plan to carry more than one million rubles, check the actual airport where you leave Russia before buying a ticket. For connecting journeys, clarify how the procedure applies to your itinerary with the competent authority. This airport exception cannot automatically be applied to road or rail departures.

Which documents to prepare

The decree provides for bank statements certified according to the issuing bank’s procedure. They must confirm withdrawals of rubles from accounts or deposits belonging to the person taking the money out and cover the entire amount being carried.

Documents in Order No. 658-r of 30 March 2026 may be used instead. For individuals, these include:

• A bank document recording transactions involving foreign-currency cash and cheques, identifying the person who made the transactions or issued the power of attorney.
• An ATM or payment-terminal receipt confirming a cash-ruble withdrawal and showing the person’s name and/or payment card number.
• A loan agreement with a microfinance organisation together with its cash disbursement voucher confirming payment of the loan in cash rubles.
• A bank loan agreement together with the bank’s cash disbursement voucher confirming payment of the loan in cash rubles.

A general explanation of where the money came from is not the same as a document on this list. Ask your bank about the statement’s format and certification, and ask the airport customs office how to present the documents in your circumstances.

What happens if the prohibition is breached

The decree provides for seizure of the cash rubles exceeding RUB 1 million from an individual. For legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, the entire amount is subject to seizure. The term used in the decree is seizure.

This does not mean that accepting the loss of the excess is a travel option: the export conditions should be met before the journey. Beyond the airport procedure, the decree includes separate exceptions for certain international carriage by legal entities and for Russian overseas missions; these do not automatically apply to an ordinary passenger trip.

A checklist before flying to Kyrgyzstan

1. Count the physical Russian rubles you will take out of Russia.
2. If the amount exceeds one million, check your departure airport against the current list in Order No. 657-r.
3. Prepare qualifying documents for the full amount and check their identifying details.
4. Clarify the airport’s checking procedure in advance and allow time for it.
5. Revisit the sources before travelling: the requirements may change after this article’s review date.

For the rest of your preparations, see our pages on flight check-in and baggage and hand luggage.

This article explains general rules and does not replace guidance from the competent authority on your individual circumstances. Reviewed on 8 October 2026.