Safety in Russia

In the cities. The big cities run thousands of cameras, and street crime rates are among the lowest anywhere you will travel.
Wildlife. In Kamchatka and Altai never leave a marked trail alone; bears are a real and lethal risk, not a talking point.
Roads in the mountains. Be extremely alert on Altai roads, where livestock can be lying on the tarmac just past a blind bend.
Winter cold. Siberian temperatures drop to minus forty, so proper layered thermal clothing is a survival item rather than a comfort.
Car insurance. Take the full cover option on any rental, because gravel thrown up by oncoming trucks smashes windscreens in the mountains regularly.
Scams. Ignore the touts working arrivals halls at airports and order cars only through the official apps on your phone.
Water on the trail. Hiking in Karelia, filter water from open sources however clear and clean it looks.
Before you book. Check your own government's travel advisory for current guidance, make sure your insurance covers the regions you plan to reach, and keep a paper copy of your policy with you.

Russia is a large country and conditions differ radically: Moscow and St Petersburg compare with European capitals on everyday safety, while the regions bordering Ukraine are affected by hostilities.

Taxis. Do not hail anywhere. Yandex Go and other apps operate with good coverage even in smaller cities, at low prices.

Currency and cards. The main practical difficulty for a foreigner: Visa and Mastercard issued outside Russia do not work. You need cash, exchanged at banks. Mobile payments and phone-number transfers are more developed here than almost anywhere, but require a local card.

Street schemes. The classics at tourist sites: costumed characters and animal handlers demanding money for photographs by Red Square and Palace Square, unlicensed guides offering tours, and pickpockets working the stations.

Restaurants. Deception is rare and bills are honest. A service charge is sometimes included — check.

Apartment rentals. Standard caution: deposits against a contract, condition photographed.

Regions bordering Ukraine. Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk and Rostov regions and Crimea are affected by the consequences of hostilities: shelling, drone attacks and heightened-alert regimes. People do not go there. Airspace over the south is restricted and airports in Krasnodar region and the south have closed for extended periods.

Photography. Military installations, air defence in action, strike aftermath, transport infrastructure and security ministry buildings must not be photographed. Publishing such footage may be treated as transmitting information.

Speech laws. Provisions on "discrediting the armed forces" and "fakes" are in force, along with "foreign agent" and "undesirable organisation" legislation. Public statements and social media posts on these subjects create legal risk, foreigners included.

LGBT. Legislation restricts public expression, and the "international LGBT movement" has been designated extremist.

Drugs. Among the harshest laws anywhere: long sentences for small quantities, including substances legal elsewhere. A separate trap is medication: codeine and tramadol products, strong tranquillisers and some ADHD drugs are controlled, and importing them without a prescription and supporting letter is treated as drug smuggling. Foreigners have been detained under this.

Registration. Foreigners must be entered on the migration register. Hotels do this.

Drones. Flights are prohibited outright in most regions.

Vaccinations. None mandatory. For the taiga, the Urals, Siberia, Altai and Karelia, discuss tick-borne encephalitis vaccination: these regions are highly endemic and the illness is serious.

Ticks. The season runs April to July. The most underestimated natural danger for visitors to Russia.

Water. Moscow's tap water meets standards; in St Petersburg people usually filter it. In the regions, bottled is better.

Healthcare. Standards vary widely. Moscow and St Petersburg have high-quality private clinics and good public centres. The regions are weaker. Emergency care is provided to everyone free of charge; further treatment for foreigners is chargeable. Insurance is needed, but note that many Western insurers have excluded Russia and a policy may not function.

Climate. Siberian winters reach −40°C and frostbite takes minutes. Summers in central Russia bring heatwaves and wildfire smoke.

Emergency number is 112 nationwide, along with 101, 102 and 103.

Russia sits in the lower part of the Corruption Perceptions Index, but street extortion by police is rare for tourists.

Document checks. Police may check documents, and in Moscow this happens regularly, especially in the metro and around stations. Carry your passport with the migration card and registration: having no documents means a trip to the station.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. The process is slow but functional.

Traffic police. Cameras are very numerous and fines arrive automatically. The traffic police operate largely formally.

What genuinely matters. Everyday safety in Moscow and St Petersburg is high: the metro runs late, streets are lit, and nights are calm. The risks for a foreigner lie elsewhere — speech laws, photography, medication in your luggage, and the border regions. Those four things are what cause serious problems.

Consular assistance. A number of countries have reduced their diplomatic presence, and their capacity to help a detained citizen is limited.

Emergency number is 112.