Putin imposes new limits on taking cash rubles out of Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree barring people from taking more than 1 million rubles in cash from Russia to Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, or Uzbekistan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently issued a decree limiting the amount of cash rubles that individuals can take out of Russia. Under this decree, individuals are now only allowed to take a maximum of 1 million rubles in cash when traveling to Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, or Uzbekistan.
Legal entities and sole proprietors are also subject to this restriction, regardless of the amount taken. However, there are some exceptions to the rule. Cash taken in transit by legal entities or rubles taken abroad to support Russian diplomatic missions are not affected by the restrictions. In such cases, cash can be taken out through designated airports.
The person carrying the cash must present a bank statement showing that the money was withdrawn from their own accounts. Violation of the ban will result in the seizure of the full amount by legal entities and sole proprietors, and any amount above the 1 million ruble limit for individuals. This new decree further tightens restrictions on cash and gold leaving Russia, following similar measures introduced by Putin in April 2026.
These earlier restrictions barred individuals from taking more than $100,000 worth of cash rubles to countries within the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as limited the amount of refined gold bars that could be taken to these countries. In September 2026, the Russian Central Bank called for a review of these rules, stating that "more needs to be done to bring order to this area."
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