Citizens of Azerbaijan enter without a visa, but a semester-long stay runs on deadlines: an entry application in the RuID app before you fly, migration registration in the first working days, and a medical check and fingerprinting within 30 days. Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad do not work in Russia, so arrive with cash until you have a Russian bank card, and expect a SIM card to need a SNILS number and a Gosuslugi account.
Money
Russian rouble (₽, RUB)
Language
Russian
Time
UTC+3 in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kazan, no daylight saving
Plugs
Type C and F; 230 V
Tipping
About 10% in restaurants for good service; not expected elsewhere
112 works from any phone, including without a SIM card or credit, and routes to police, ambulance and fire. Operators speak Russian; English is not guaranteed.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking3
Cards issued outside Russia do not work here; you live on cash until a Russian bank gives you a Mir card, then pay by card or QR code through SBP.
CI
Cash in roublesEssential
How you pay until you have a Russian bank card
Before departure
Why you need it: Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia do not work here, at tills or at cash machines, so your first weeks run on cash you bring.
Bring enough for the first month: dorm deposit, medical check, insurance, SIM and food
Bring US dollars or euros in clean, recent notes and change them at a bank branch in Russia
Keep the cash split between your wallet and your room
Before you rely on itVisa stopped working in Russia in March 2022, and Mastercard did the same. Cash over the equivalent of USD 10,000 must be declared at the border. Ask your bank in Baku whether any of its cards work in Russia before relying on one.
Source: usa.visa.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
RB
Russian bank account and Mir cardEssential
A local card for shops, transport, rent and transfers
On arrival
Why you need it: Once registered, a Russian debit card (Mir) is what everything accepts, from the canteen to the dorm fee, and it lets friends send you money by phone number.
Free, paid extras · Often free; otherwise about 100–150 roubles a month (2024)Varies by residence statusVaries by university
Visit a branch of Sberbank, T-Bank, Alfa-Bank or the bank your university works with
Bring your passport, its notarised translation, migration card and registration slip; some banks also ask for SNILS
Install the bank’s app or web version and set up SBP transfers
Before you rely on itRequirements differ by bank and branch, and a branch can refuse; ask your international office which bank its students use. Several large Russian banks’ apps have been removed from Apple’s App Store, so on an iPhone ask the branch how to install theirs.
Source: news.itmo.ru · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
SF
SBP (Faster Payments System)
Instant transfers by phone number and QR-code payments
Optional
Why you need it: Russians split bills and pay small shops by SBP; with a Russian account you can pay by QR code even on an iPhone, where contactless phone payments do not work.
In the bank app, turn on SBP and choose it as your default bank
Pay by scanning a shop’s QR code or send money to a phone number
Before you rely on itIt needs a Russian bank account and a Russian phone number. Fees and monthly limits are set by each bank, so check yours before sending large sums.
Source: sbp.nspk.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
Essential apps6
Daily life runs on Russian apps: Gosuslugi for the state, Yandex for taxis and maps, 2GIS for finding a door, Ozon and Samokat for shopping.
Go
Gosuslugi
The state services portal your SIM card is confirmed through
On arrival
Why you need it: A foreigner’s SIM card has to be tied to a confirmed Gosuslugi account, and the same account later shows your registration and fines.
Get your SNILS and a notarised passport translation first
Have the account created and confirmed at a bank or MFC centre, with your email address
Record your biometrics at a bank and confirm them in the app
Before you rely on itThe interface is in Russian. If you registered in RuID before entry, some of these steps may already be done; ask at the bank or MFC.
Source: ebs.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
YG
Yandex Go
Taxis, scooters and deliveries in one app
On arrival
Why you need it: The usual way to get a taxi from the airport or home late at night, with the price shown before you ride.
Choose cash as payment until you have a Russian card
Check the car’s number plate before you get in
Before you rely on itYou can pay the driver in cash; foreign cards will not be accepted. It needs mobile internet, which can drop in Moscow and Saint Petersburg; at the airport, order on airport Wi-Fi or use the official taxi desk.
Source: go.yandex · the provider or a government body · Checked
2G
2GIS
Offline city maps with building entrances and opening hours
Before departure
Why you need it: It finds the exact entrance of a clinic, migration office or dorm block and works offline, which matters when mobile internet is switched off.
Before you rely on itPayment is by Russian card; check whether cash on delivery is offered in your area. Not every district or town is covered, so check your address in the app.
Source: news.itmo.ru · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Oz
Ozon
Online marketplace with pick-up points near every dorm
Optional
Why you need it: The cheapest way to buy a kettle, bedding or a winter coat: order online, collect at a pick-up point a few minutes away.
Tap in at the turnstile; a 90-minute ticket (112 roubles, 2026) covers one metro ride plus unlimited buses and trams
Before you rely on itTopping up from the Moscow Metro app needs an Android phone with NFC. The deposit is refunded if you return the card within five years.
Source: mosmetro.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
PC
Podorozhnik card (Saint Petersburg)
Saint Petersburg’s card for the metro, buses and trams
On arrival
Why you need it: ITMO and SPbU students cross the city by metro; a Podorozhnik ride costs much less than paying by bank card or token.
Paid · Card 90 roubles; 65 roubles a metro ride (2026)Varies by cityVaries by university
Before you rely on itThe balance stays valid for three years from the last top-up. Students at Saint Petersburg universities can get a cheaper student travel card (BSK); ask your international office whether exchange students qualify. Peterhof campus students also use suburban trains and buses.
Source: metro.spb.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
KB
Kazan–Innopolis bus
Shuttle buses between Kazan and the town of Innopolis
On arrival
Why you need it: Innopolis is a small town about 40–50 minutes from Kazan; the bus is how you get to the city, the station and the shops.
Paid · 270 roubles by card, 300 in cash; taxi from Kazan airport about 1,200 roubles (2026)Varies by city
Book on the RZD site or app with your passport details
Pay with a Russian card, or at a station ticket office in cash
Show your passport when boarding
Before you rely on itFast Sapsan trains between Moscow and Saint Petersburg sell out at weekends; book early. Re-register with your host after an overnight trip if your university asks you to.
Source: rzd.ru · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
SIM, eSIM & internet3
Since 2025 a foreigner’s SIM card must be tied to a Gosuslugi account and biometrics, so getting a working number takes a few steps, not five minutes.
RS
Russian SIM card for foreignersEssential
A local number, tied to Gosuslugi and biometrics since 2025
On arrival
Why you need it: You need a Russian number for the bank, delivery apps and the university, and since 2025 a foreigner’s SIM only works once confirmed through Gosuslugi.
Get SNILS and a confirmed Gosuslugi account, and record biometrics at a bank
Go to an operator’s own shop (MTS, MegaFon, Beeline or T2) with your passport, its translation and your phone
Give the phone’s IMEI and sign the contract
Confirm the number in Gosuslugi; it only works once the status says the service is complete
Before you rely on itSIMs for foreigners are sold only in operators’ own shops, not in kiosks, and each SIM is tied to one phone. Mobile internet is sometimes switched off in Moscow and Saint Petersburg for security reasons; Wi-Fi usually keeps working.
Source: ebs.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
MT
MTS
Mobile operator with shops in every city and in Innopolis
On arrival
Why you need it: A large operator with clear instructions for foreigners, so its shops are used to the new SIM rules.
Before you rely on itYou still need SNILS and a Gosuslugi account. Prices are set per region, so check the site for your city.
Source: moscow.megafon.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
Visa, registration & legal6
Visa-free for citizens of Azerbaijan, but RuID before entry, registration on arrival, a medical check and fingerprints within 30 days, then an extension of stay.
GR
Gosuslugi RuID (entry application)Essential
Online entry application, filed at least 72 hours before you fly
Before departure
Why you need it: From 1 July 2026 visa-free foreigners, citizens of Azerbaijan included, must register in RuID and file an entry application before travelling; without it you risk problems at the border.
Install the Gosuslugi RuID app and register with your passport
Take the live photo and complete the biometric step the app asks for
File the entry application no later than 72 hours before you enter, with purpose of travel: study
Keep the confirmation on your phone and as a screenshot for the border
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: this applies to you; citizens of Belarus, diplomats and children under six are exempt. The approved application stays valid for 90 days, so file it close to your flight date, and check whether you need a new one before re-entering after a trip home. HSE’s visa office also advises a passport valid for at least six months from entry. The scheme has changed several times since 2025; check your host’s latest notice before you book.
Source: ivisa.hse.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
MC
Migration card and registration (migratsionny uchyot)Essential
Registration at your address, done through the university
On arrival
Why you need it: Every foreign student must be registered at their address within seven working days of arrival, and universities ask for your documents in the first one to three days.
FreeVaries by universityVaries by residence status
At the border, make sure the purpose on your migration card is study (учёба), not tourism
Hand your passport and migration card to the international office or dorm passport desk on your first working day
Collect the registration slip (отрывная часть уведомления) and keep it with your passport
Re-register after every trip abroad, and tell the office if you move
Before you rely on itIn a dormitory the university registers you; in a private flat the landlord must do it, often with a letter from the university, within the same deadline. Missing it brings a fine and can lead to expulsion and an entry ban.
Source: ivisa.hse.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
ME
Medical examination, fingerprinting and photoEssential
Required checks for stays over 90 days, within 30 days of entry
On arrival
Why you need it: A spring semester is longer than 90 days, so you must pass the medical examination and give fingerprints and a photo; from 1 September 2026 the deadline is 30 days from entry.
Paid · About 7,500 roubles in Saint Petersburg (SPbU estimate, 2026); costs differ by city and clinicVaries by cityVaries by universityVaries by nationality
Ask your international office which clinic and migration office to use, and book in your first week
Bring your passport, migration card, registration slip, insurance and a Russian translation of your passport if asked
Do the medical tests (including a chest X-ray) and collect the three medical certificates
Give fingerprints and a photo at the migration office and keep the confirmation
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: you are not exempt; citizens of Belarus and holders of Russian residence permits are. Universities often book group slots, which is faster than going alone. Missing the deadline brings a fine of 25,000–50,000 roubles and can lead to deportation.
Source: ivisa.hse.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
EO
Extension of temporary stay
Extends a visa-free stay past 90 days for your studies
On arrival
Why you need it: Visa-free entry gives you 90 days at first; a February–June semester runs longer, so the stay and the registration have to be extended through the university.
Cost variesVaries by universityVaries by nationality
Ask the international office in your first month when they will file the extension
Hand in your documents by the date the office sets; HSE’s visa office, for example, asks for at least 45 days before the current period ends
Collect the extended registration slip and keep it with your passport
Before you rely on itDo not leave it to the last weeks: each host sets its own internal deadline. Leaving Russia during the semester restarts registration when you come back and can affect the extension, so tell the office before you travel.
Source: ivisa.hse.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Health insurance (DMS policy)Essential
Health cover the university and migration office ask to see
Before departure
Why you need it: You show the policy for the medical check, the dormitory and the registration; a policy bought at home is accepted only if it meets the host’s conditions (SPbU: issued in Russian or English and valid in Russia), so many students buy a Russian one.
Paid · About 5,000 roubles (SPbU estimate, 2026); cover and price differ by host and cityVaries by university
Ask your host which insurers and cover it accepts before buying anything
Make sure it covers outpatient and emergency care and repatriation
Carry the policy number and the insurer’s 24-hour phone number
Before you rely on itRequirements are set by each university; some sell or arrange a policy themselves. Public clinics will treat emergencies, but routine visits go through your insurer’s clinics.
Source: ifea.spbu.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
SI
SNILS (insurance account number)
The 11-digit number a SIM card and Gosuslugi account need
On arrival
Why you need it: Without a SNILS you cannot open the Gosuslugi account that a foreigner’s SIM card has to be tied to, so get it in your first days.
Get a notarised Russian translation of your passport
Apply at a Social Fund (SFR) office or a My Documents (MFC) centre
Ask when the number will be ready, and save it on your phone
Before you rely on itYour university may arrange it for exchange students; ask before queuing alone. The passport translation is reused for the bank and the SIM, so ask for two certified copies.
Source: ebs.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
Housing & daily life5
All four partner universities house exchange students in their own dormitories, which are cheap; private flats cost far more and need the landlord to register you.
SD
SPbU dormitory
Guaranteed dorm place for SPbU exchange students
Before departure
Why you need it: SPbU guarantees a place for every exchange student and reserves it automatically, usually at Kapitanskaya Street 3.
Paid · About 4,800–6,000 roubles a month, three months paid in advance (2026)Varies by university
Watch your email before departure for your dorm address
Do a chest X-ray (fluorography) on arrival: check-in requires it
Pay the first three months in one go (SPbU quotes about 18,000 roubles)
Before you rely on itRooms are shared by two or three. Exchange students of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanics and computer science who study in Peterhof live in the Peterhof halls, far from the centre. Spring arrival is from 1 February. SPbU’s pages give both about 4,800 and about 6,000 roubles a month; confirm the fee with your coordinator.
Source: ifea.spbu.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
ID
ITMO dormitories
University dorms across Saint Petersburg
Before departure
Why you need it: ITMO has five dormitories in different parts of the city, including an inter-university campus; a dorm place is far cheaper than any flat and comes with registration.
Ask for a dorm place when ITMO confirms your exchange, and which building you will get
Ask which medical papers check-in needs; ITMO has asked for a certificate (form 086/u) with a chest X-ray, a vaccination record and insurance
Collect your personal entry card at check-in
Before you rely on itDorms have night-entry and guest rules; read them at check-in. Prices depend on the building and room; confirm the current fee with ITMO.
Source: int.itmo.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
MD
MGIMO dormitories
University residences on Vernadsky Prospekt, Moscow
Before departure
Why you need it: Moscow flats are expensive and need a landlord willing to register you; MGIMO’s residences next to the campus solve both.
Confirm your room with the International Relations Office (international@innopolis.university)
Ask them to book your transfer from Kazan airport
Arrive for welcome week, one week before the semester starts
Before you rely on itThe spring semester runs from mid-January to mid-May, earlier than at other partners. The price on the university page dates from 2022; ask for the current fee.
Before you rely on itBefore paying a deposit, make sure the landlord will register you within the legal deadline; many will not. Never pay before seeing the flat and the owner’s documents. Avito lists rooms too.
Source: cian.ru · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Student life2
Your university’s international office and buddy programme do most of the paperwork with you; follow their instructions and deadlines first.
SB
SPbU Buddy Programme
A local student who meets you and helps in week one
Before departure
Why you need it: An SPbU buddy can meet you at the airport, translate at offices and explain the paperwork in your first days.
Fill in the buddy form linked on the SPbU exchange page
Send your arrival date and flight to your buddy
Join the orientation, held around two weeks before the semester
Before you rely on itITMO, MGIMO and Innopolis run their own welcome and buddy activities; ask their international offices.
Source: ifea.spbu.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Host international officeEssential
The office that registers you and books your medical check
On arrival
Why you need it: In Russia the university, not you alone, handles registration, the extension of stay and often the medical check; its deadlines are the ones to follow.
Go on your first working day with your passport, migration card and insurance
Ask for the dates of registration, medical check and stay extension
Save their phone number and email for emergencies
Before you rely on itOffices: MGIMO international office, ITMO International Office, SPbU Office for exchange students, Innopolis International Relations Office (international@innopolis.university). The linked guide is HSE University’s, which is not a partner: it explains the visa-free steps clearly, but your host’s dates are the ones that count.
Source: ivisa.hse.ru · the provider or a government body · Checked
Communication & language3
Russian is needed for offices, dorms and doctors; WhatsApp and Telegram are restricted by the regulator (2026), so local life runs on VK and MAX.
YT
Yandex Translate
Translation with camera and offline Russian
Before departure
Why you need it: Forms, notices and dorm rules are in Russian; the camera mode translates them on the spot.
Download Russian–English for offline use, if the app offers it on your phone
Use the camera mode for forms and notices
Before you rely on itCheck official documents with a person before signing; machine translation misses legal meaning.
Source: translate.yandex.com · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
VK
VK
Social network and messenger used by students and dorms
On arrival
Why you need it: Dorm chats, student groups and university announcements live on VK, and it was among the services kept running during the 2026 mobile internet cuts, according to press reports.
Before you rely on itYou sign up with a phone number; a Russian one is the safest choice. Ask friends and family in Azerbaijan how they will reach you before you leave, and agree on a way that works lawfully from both sides.
Source: max.ru · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Words for the first week
ЗдравствуйтеZDRAST-vuy-tye
Hello (polite)
Спасибоspa-SEE-ba
Thank you
Вы говорите по-английски?vy ga-va-REE-tye pa an-GLEE-ski
Do you speak English?
Я студент по обменуya stu-DYENT pa ab-MYE-nu
I am an exchange student (a woman says студентка, stu-DYENT-ka)
Мне нужно встать на миграционный учётmnye NUZH-na vstat na mi-gra-tsi-ON-ny u-CHYOT
I need to get my migration registration
Можно оплатить наличными?MOZH-na a-pla-TEET na-LEE-chny-mi
Can I pay in cash?
Где ближайшее отделение банка?gdye bli-ZHAY-she-ye at-dye-LYE-ni-ye BAN-ka
Dial 112 for anything urgent; the Embassy of Azerbaijan is in Moscow and there is a Consulate General in Saint Petersburg.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in RussiaEssential
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Moscow
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, or you are detained, the embassy issues a return certificate (qayıdış şəhadətnaməsi) and can help.
Save the consular hotline +7 916 714 87 79 (09:00–20:00) and consul_moscow@mission.mfa.gov.az
Save the consular section numbers: +7 495 629 27 14 and +7 495 629 55 46
Keep scans of your passport, migration card and registration in your email
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. The embassy is at Leontyevsky Lane 16, Moscow (metro Pushkinskaya or Tverskaya); main line +7 495 629 09 22. Saint Petersburg has its own consulate general, and there is another in Yekaterinburg; Innopolis students should ask the embassy which mission covers Tatarstan.
Source: moscow.mfa.gov.az · the provider or a government body · Checked
CG
Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Saint Petersburg
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan in Saint Petersburg
Before departure
Why you need it: For ITMO and SPbU students it is the nearest Azerbaijani mission for a lost passport or an emergency.
Save the hotline +7 911 717 39 99 and stpetersburg@mission.mfa.gov.az
Note the consular section number: +7 812 717 39 91
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. Address: 2nd Sovetskaya Street 27/2; documents are received Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:30.
Carry your passport and registration slip, keep cash for the days mobile internet drops, and expect formality in offices.
01Carry passport and registration
Police check documents on the street and in the metro, especially in Moscow. Carry your passport, migration card and registration slip, not copies, and stay calm and polite if stopped.
02Plan for mobile internet cuts
In 2026 mobile internet was switched off for days at a time in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, leaving only a list of approved services. Keep cash, offline maps and your dorm address written down; Wi-Fi usually keeps working.
03Messaging is not what you know
WhatsApp and Telegram are restricted by the Russian regulator (2026) and often do not work; local groups use VK and MAX. Agree with family how to reach you before you go.
04Re-register after every trip
Leaving Russia, even for a weekend at home, means a new migration card and a new registration when you return, and it can affect your extension of stay and RuID. Tell the international office before you book.
05Dress for real winter
February in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kazan is often well below freezing, with ice on pavements. Buy boots with grip and a warm coat; Ozon pick-up points make it cheap.
06Shoes off, slippers on
At home and in many dorm rooms people take their shoes off at the door and wear slippers (тапочки). Bring a pair or buy them in week one.
07Offices are formal
Use Вы (the polite you) and first name plus patronymic with staff and teachers. Bring originals, copies and translations: missing one paper usually means coming back another day.
08Flowers in odd numbers
If you bring flowers as a gift, give an odd number; even numbers are for funerals. 8 March (Women’s Day) is a public holiday and a big occasion for gifts.
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Where this guide comes from
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