Can I Buy Russian Rubles Right Now in 2023?

Ever since international sanctions hit Russia and the SWIFT network cut Russian banks from its system, it has become increasingly difficult to buy Russian rubles online or at high street banks and currency providers. The Russian ruble exchange rate has also faced dramatic volatility since February of 2022.

Can I Buy Russian Rubles Right Now?

Prior to the sanctions placed on Russia and its banking system, banks and currency exchange operators in the UK, EU, and around the world could easily exchange your home currency into Russian rubles (RUB).

Since the implementation of the sanctions, however, the ruble has become a very volatile currency and few countries now do currency exchanges to and from the ruble.

Are Financial Institutions Refusing to Sell Me Russian Rubles?

The answer is partly yes and no.

The clearest way to buy Russian rubles is to present foreign currency to banks, hotels, and exchange bureaus within Russian borders. This option is, of course, limited only to those who are eligible to enter the country.

If you are looking to buy rubles from within the UK, Western Europe, the United States, or any other country that has placed sanctions on Russia, then your best bet will be to occasionally check for updates directly from high street banks and currency exchange providers.

A few places popular for buying rubles, which have suspended the service, include:

• Post Office UK
• Travelex
• Wise Multi-Currency Account

Where Can I Buy Rubles Right Now?

Another option is to transfer money from your debit or credit card to a Visa or MasterCard that works in Russia.

MasterCard, Visa, and other card payment systems have suspended operations in Russia, meaning that MasterCard and Visa cards issued outside of Russia will not work at Russian ATMs or vendors. However, cards issued inside Russia will continue to work as long as the transactions you make are done within Russia.

Until recently, Profee was the only money transfer provider offering international transfers to Russia from the EU/EEA and the UK. However, increasing regulatory pressure seems to have even squeezed them out of the market recently.

As a result, as of December 2023, there are practically no viable options for sending money to Russia from overseas, even to non-sanctioned Russian banks. Still, it's worth checking out our real-time money transfer comparison engine. Our team of experts constantly keeps an eye on the market and selects services that are reliable, secure and approved by the financial authorities of the countries in which they operate:

It is likely that at the time of your search, no service can carry out your transfer to Russia. If this is the case, we invite you to leave your e-mail address below so that we can inform you when a new service provider is added to our comparison search engine. Please note that we are constantly updating our database and doing our best to recommend the best transfer services on the market.