World Country Guide

Money

Currency
Rouble (Rbl) = 100 kopeks. Notes are in denominations of Rbl1000, 500, 100, 50 and 10. Coins are in denominations of Rbl5, 2 and 1. The Rouble was devalued by a factor of 1000 in January 1998. The old notes and coins remained legal tender until 2002, although their real value was 1000th of their face value.

Currency exchange
Foreign currency should only be exchanged at official bureaux and authorised banks, and all transactions must be recorded on the currency declaration form which is issued on arrival. It is wise to retain all exchange receipts. Bureaux de change are numerous and easy to locate. Large shops and hotels offer their own exchange facilities. US Dollars in pristine condition are the easiest currency to exchange. It is illegal to settle accounts in hard currency and to change money unofficially.

Credit & debit cards
Major European and international credit and debit cards, including American Express, Diners Club and Visa are accepted in the larger hotels and at foreign currency shops and restaurants, but cash (in Roubles) is preferred. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that might be available.

Travellers cheques
Cash is preferred. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.

Currency restrictions
The import and export of local currency is prohibited. The import of foreign currency is unlimited but sums greater than $3000 (or equivalent) must be declared. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Rouble against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date	May '04	Aug '04	Nov '04	Feb '05
1.00=	51.72	53.89	53.62	52.93
$1.00=	28.96	29.25	28.31	28.03

Banking hours
Mon-Fri 0930-1730.