Russia remains under the highest travel warning from the United States in 2025, as the U.S. State Department strongly advises all Americans not to travel there for any reason. This Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory is due to ongoing safety risks stemming from the conflict with Ukraine, unpredictable enforcement of local laws, disruptions to flights, and significant challenges in banking and communication. While technically the borders are open and visas are still being issued, services such as flights are highly disrupted and banking sanctions make transactions difficult. Americans in particular face heightened threats, including the possibility of wrongful detention and very limited consular support. Most U.S. credit and debit cards do not work in Russia due to sanctions, forcing visitors to rely on cash or local payment options.
Major travel advisories are not limited to Americans. The Government of Canada and several European sources warn people to avoid all travel to Russia because of ongoing armed conflict, the risk of terrorism, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws. These governments note that violence, drone attacks, and even military mobilization could affect travelers at any time. Foreign embassies in Russia are operating with limited capabilities, meaning they may not be able to offer significant assistance to citizens in trouble.
Daily life in cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg may appear normal on the surface, but travelers are urged to keep a very low profile. There is a heightened risk of surveillance and detentions, particularly regarding political discussions, social media activity, or taking photos of sensitive locations such as military sites. Violent crime is not the primary concern, but petty theft, scams, and the potential for legal trouble are real issues. Travelers are advised never to discuss politics, avoid protests and large gatherings, and always carry identification. For those who do travel, it is crucial to bring enough cash, as access to international banking is extremely limited, and always have travel documents updated and ready for potential departure.
Some regions, such as Russia’s borders with Ukraine and the North Caucasus—including Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia—are particularly dangerous due to ongoing conflict and security operations. These areas should be strictly avoided. In March 2024, a large-scale terrorist attack in a Moscow concert hall demonstrated the real risk of high-profile violence even in major cities, and attacks in other parts of Russia highlight ongoing instability.
Travelers also face practical challenges: there are few direct flights from Europe, language barriers are significant, and many Western mobile applications, websites, and services are restricted or unavailable. Local customs are enforced strictly, and failure to respect religious or legal norms—such as photographing government buildings or military installations—can bring serious consequences.
For those who must visit for essential reasons, advance planning on legal, financial, and security matters is critical. Keep emergency numbers on hand—112 for general emergencies, 102 for police, 103 for ambulance, and 101 for fire services. Maintain regular communication with family and, if possible, register any travel plans with your home country’s travel registry.
With the international situation unstable and Russia increasingly isolated, most Western governments urge travelers to postpone nonessential trips. Those already in Russia should consider leaving while commercial options are available, as rapid changes in policy or conflict could leave people stranded. All travelers are urged to stay closely updated on local news and their embassy’s advisories, minimize unnecessary movement, and avoid high-profile or sensitive areas.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Major travel advisories are not limited to Americans. The Government of Canada and several European sources warn people to avoid all travel to Russia because of ongoing armed conflict, the risk of terrorism, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws. These governments note that violence, drone attacks, and even military mobilization could affect travelers at any time. Foreign embassies in Russia are operating with limited capabilities, meaning they may not be able to offer significant assistance to citizens in trouble.
Daily life in cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg may appear normal on the surface, but travelers are urged to keep a very low profile. There is a heightened risk of surveillance and detentions, particularly regarding political discussions, social media activity, or taking photos of sensitive locations such as military sites. Violent crime is not the primary concern, but petty theft, scams, and the potential for legal trouble are real issues. Travelers are advised never to discuss politics, avoid protests and large gatherings, and always carry identification. For those who do travel, it is crucial to bring enough cash, as access to international banking is extremely limited, and always have travel documents updated and ready for potential departure.
Some regions, such as Russia’s borders with Ukraine and the North Caucasus—including Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia—are particularly dangerous due to ongoing conflict and security operations. These areas should be strictly avoided. In March 2024, a large-scale terrorist attack in a Moscow concert hall demonstrated the real risk of high-profile violence even in major cities, and attacks in other parts of Russia highlight ongoing instability.
Travelers also face practical challenges: there are few direct flights from Europe, language barriers are significant, and many Western mobile applications, websites, and services are restricted or unavailable. Local customs are enforced strictly, and failure to respect religious or legal norms—such as photographing government buildings or military installations—can bring serious consequences.
For those who must visit for essential reasons, advance planning on legal, financial, and security matters is critical. Keep emergency numbers on hand—112 for general emergencies, 102 for police, 103 for ambulance, and 101 for fire services. Maintain regular communication with family and, if possible, register any travel plans with your home country’s travel registry.
With the international situation unstable and Russia increasingly isolated, most Western governments urge travelers to postpone nonessential trips. Those already in Russia should consider leaving while commercial options are available, as rapid changes in policy or conflict could leave people stranded. All travelers are urged to stay closely updated on local news and their embassy’s advisories, minimize unnecessary movement, and avoid high-profile or sensitive areas.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Russia remains under the highest travel warning from the United
States in twenty twenty five, as the U s State
Department strongly advises all Americans not to travel there for
any reason. This level four do not travel advisory is
due to ongoing safety risks stemming from the conflict with Ukraine,
unpredictable enforcement of local laws, disruptions to flights, and significant
(00:24):
challenges in banking and communication. While technically the borders are
open and visas are still being issued, services such as
flights are highly disrupted and banking sanctions make transactions difficult.
Americans in particular face heightened threats, including the possibility of
wrongful detention and very limited consular support. Most US credit
(00:46):
and debit cards do not work in Russia due to sanctions,
forcing visitors to rely on cash or local payment options.
Major travel advisories are not limited to Americans. The government
of Canada and several European sources war arn people to
avoid all travel to Russia because of ongoing armed conflict,
the risk of terrorism, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
(01:09):
These governments note that violence, drone attacks, and even military
mobilization could affect travelers at any time. Foreign embassies in
Russia are operating with limited capabilities, meaning they may not
be able to offer significant assistance to citizens in trouble.
Daily life in cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg may
(01:30):
appear normal on the surface, but travelers are urged to
keep a very low profile. There is a heightened risk
of surveillance and detentions, particularly regarding political discussions, social media activity,
or taking photos of sensitive locations such as military sites.
Violent crime is not the primary concern, but petty theft,
(01:50):
scams and the potential for legal trouble are real issues.
Travelers are advised never to discuss politics, avoid protests and
large gatherings, and always carry identification. For those who do travel,
it is crucial to bring enough cash as access to
international banking is extremely limited, and always have travel documents
(02:11):
updated and ready for potential departure. Some regions, such as
Russia's borders with Ukraine and the North Caucasus, including Chechnya,
Dagistan and Ingushetia, are particularly dangerous due to ongoing conflict
and security operations. These areas should be strictly avoided. In
March twenty twenty four, a large scale terrorist attack in
(02:32):
a Moscow concert Hall demonstrated the real risk of high
profile violence even in major cities, and attacks in other
parts of Russia highlight ongoing instability. Travelers also face practical challenges.
There are few direct flights from Europe, language barriers are significant,
and many Western mobile applications, websites and services are restricted
(02:54):
or unavailable. Local customs are enforced strictly, and failure to
respect religious or la legal norms, such as photographing government
buildings or military installations, can bring serious consequences for those
who must visit for essential reasons. Advance planning on legal,
financial and security matters is critical. Keep emergency numbers on
(03:16):
hand one hundred and twelve for general emergencies, one hundred
two for police, one hundred three for ambulance, and one
hundred one for fire services. Maintain regular communication with family,
and if possible, register any travel plans with your home
country's travel registry. With the international situation unstable and Russia
(03:36):
increasingly isolated, most Western governments urge travelers to postpone non
essential trips. Those already in Russia should consider leaving while
commercial options are available, as rapid changes in policy or
conflict could leave people stranded. All travelers are urged to
stay closely updated on local news and their embassy's advisories,
(03:57):
minimize unnecessary movement, and avoid high profile or sensitive areas.
Russia remains under the highest travel warning from the United
States in twenty twenty five, as the U s State
Department strongly advises all Americans not to travel there for
any reason. This level four do not travel advisory is
due to ongoing safety risks stemming from the conflict with Ukraine,
unpredictable enforcement of local laws, disruptions to flights, and significant
(00:24):
challenges in banking and communication. While technically the borders are
open and visas are still being issued, services such as
flights are highly disrupted and banking sanctions make transactions difficult.
Americans in particular face heightened threats, including the possibility of
wrongful detention and very limited consular support. Most US credit
(00:46):
and debit cards do not work in Russia due to sanctions,
forcing visitors to rely on cash or local payment options.
Major travel advisories are not limited to Americans. The government
of Canada and several European sources war arn people to
avoid all travel to Russia because of ongoing armed conflict,
the risk of terrorism, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
(01:09):
These governments note that violence, drone attacks, and even military
mobilization could affect travelers at any time. Foreign embassies in
Russia are operating with limited capabilities, meaning they may not
be able to offer significant assistance to citizens in trouble.
Daily life in cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg may
(01:30):
appear normal on the surface, but travelers are urged to
keep a very low profile. There is a heightened risk
of surveillance and detentions, particularly regarding political discussions, social media activity,
or taking photos of sensitive locations such as military sites.
Violent crime is not the primary concern, but petty theft,
(01:50):
scams and the potential for legal trouble are real issues.
Travelers are advised never to discuss politics, avoid protests and
large gatherings, and always carry identification. For those who do travel,
it is crucial to bring enough cash as access to
international banking is extremely limited, and always have travel documents
(02:11):
updated and ready for potential departure. Some regions, such as
Russia's borders with Ukraine and the North Caucasus, including Chechnya,
Dagistan and Ingushetia, are particularly dangerous due to ongoing conflict
and security operations. These areas should be strictly avoided. In
March twenty twenty four, a large scale terrorist attack in
(02:32):
a Moscow concert Hall demonstrated the real risk of high
profile violence even in major cities, and attacks in other
parts of Russia highlight ongoing instability. Travelers also face practical challenges.
There are few direct flights from Europe, language barriers are significant,
and many Western mobile applications, websites and services are restricted
(02:54):
or unavailable. Local customs are enforced strictly, and failure to
respect religious or la legal norms, such as photographing government
buildings or military installations, can bring serious consequences for those
who must visit for essential reasons. Advance planning on legal,
financial and security matters is critical. Keep emergency numbers on
(03:16):
hand one hundred and twelve for general emergencies, one hundred
two for police, one hundred three for ambulance, and one
hundred one for fire services. Maintain regular communication with family,
and if possible, register any travel plans with your home
country's travel registry. With the international situation unstable and Russia
(03:36):
increasingly isolated, most Western governments urge travelers to postpone non
essential trips. Those already in Russia should consider leaving while
commercial options are available, as rapid changes in policy or
conflict could leave people stranded. All travelers are urged to
stay closely updated on local news and their embassy's advisories,
(03:57):
minimize unnecessary movement, and avoid high profile or sensitive areas.
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