According to estatelearning, Russia (Russian: Россия, Rossija) is a country located in both Europe and Asia (transcontinental state). Russia is the largest country in the world, bordering Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. The territory of Russia also includes the Kaliningrad exclave and a large number of islands (archipelagos). By far the largest and most famous of these are: Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land (Frans Jozefland) and Sakhalin (Sakhalin). The capital of Russia is Moscow (Moscow). A number of major cities in Russia are: Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Samara and Omsk.
Russia is the largest country in the world. The country has a long history. This is reflected in old towns, historic buildings, fortresses and churches. The landscape of Russia is mostly flat, but also has various mountain areas and even desert areas. It also has many rivers, a long coastline and approximately 140 protected nature reserves. In the winter months you can also do winter sports in Russia. Russia is also known for space travel, theatre, opera, vodka and fur hats. A major attraction is the red square in the center of Moscow. This is a large square with several cathedrals, palaces and museums. Novaya Zemlya is the most famous Russian archipelago off the coast of Russia. Almost the entire archipelago has been designated as a National Park. The area mostly consists of mountain formations and glaciers. Furthermore, this archipelago is known for the Nova Zembla effect. You can see the sunrise rise before this could be astronomically speaking. This is achieved by mirage. See behealthybytomorrow for Asia early history.
Where is Russia?
Travel information of Russia
Official name: Russian Federation
Continent: Europe and Asia
Area: 17,098,242 km²
Capital: Moscow (Moscow)
Country code: RU, RUS
Population: 141,722,205 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Federal republic
Highest point: 5,642 m (Elbrus)
Distance (Amsterdam – Moscow): 2,154 km
Flight time: approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Russia is discouraged.
Current color code: Orange and red.
Due to this status, a partially negative travel advice is in effect for Russia.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Russia that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Russia, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Russia. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Russia?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Russia at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Russia has a continental climate. During the summer months, temperatures are around 20 to 30 degrees. During the winter months, temperatures are around freezing point, with a lot of winter precipitation. In the north and northeast of Russia, temperatures can drop to -50 degrees. The south of Russia is an exception with temperatures of around 30 degrees all year round.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Russia can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Russia can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July and August are the best months to travel to North and Midwest Russia.
May, June and September are the best months to travel to Central Russia.
January, February, November and December are the best months to travel to South Russia.
June, July and August are the best months to travel to Eastern Russia.
This avoids the months with high or low temperatures.
Language
Russian is the official language in Russia. In addition, several other languages are spoken in Russia, including English, Tatar, Bashkir, Ukrainian and Chuvash.
Would you like to translate from or into Russian for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Russia.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the Russian Visa Center in Rotterdam or The Hague, after completing the visa form on Visa.kdmid.ru (valid for 30 days).
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Russia: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Russia: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Russian Embassy and Consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Russia, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Russia, payment is made with the Russian ruble (RUB).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Russia can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Russia are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -41% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (46% cheaper), food (39% cheaper), imported beer in catering (45% cheaper), cigarettes (74% cheaper) and public transport (83% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Russia it is not a matter of course to tip. Sometimes service costs are already included in the bill. If this has not already been done, it is increasingly common to give a tip, especially in the big cities. Good service is about 10% tip.
Time difference
Russia falls into eleven different time zones:
– Kaliningrad time: 1 hour ahead (winter time), no time difference (summer time).
– Moscow time: 2 hours later (winter time), 1 hour later (summer time).
– Samara time: 3 hours later (winter time), 2 hours later (summer time).
– Yekaterinburg time: 4 hours later (winter time), 3 hours later (summer time).
– Omsk time: 5 hours later (winter time), 4 hours later (summer time).
– Krasnoyarsk time: 6 hours later (winter time), 5 hours later (summer time).
– Irkutsk time: 7 hours later (winter time), 6 hours later (summer time).
– Yakutsk time: 8 hours later (winter time), 7 hours later (summer time).
– Vladivostok time: 9 hours later (winter time), 8 hours later (summer time).
– Srednekolymsk time: 10 hours later (winter time), 9 hours later (summer time).
– Kamchatka Time: 11 hours later (winter time), 10 hours later (summer time).
Russia has no difference between winter time and summer time.
Find local times, dates, time zones and time zone map for Russia on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Russia you have to drive on the right.
To drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Russia, you must have an international driving license or a legalized Russian translation of the Dutch driving licence. The international driver’s license is available at an ANWB shop.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Russia.
Electricity
In Russia the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Russia can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 02 (fixed) or 112 (mobile)
– Fire Brigade: 01 (fixed) or 112 (mobile)
– Ambulance: 03 (fixed) or 112 (mobile)
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap. The quality differs per area.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Russia can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Russia can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Russia end in.ru.
Official websites of Russia: eng.kremlin.ru and russia-travel.com.
Russian traffic bureau: russischverkeersburo.nl.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Russia is 007 or +7.
If you want to call the Netherlands from Russia, dial 8 (wait for dial tone) 1031.
(If you use a country code, leave out the first 0 of the number to be called.)
All area codes for Russia can be found on Wikipedia.
Telephone numbers can be found in the Russian Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Russia.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Russia.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Russia.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Russia can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Russia, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Russia?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Russia. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Russia can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Russia can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Russia? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Russia.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Russia, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Russia, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, current sanctions, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Russia? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Russia.
– Alcohol: Buy from the age of 16, drink at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: Maximum allowed alcohol content is 0.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Not allowed. Imprisonment and/or fine.
Did you know that…
…Russia borders 14 other countries?
…There are approximately 160 different ethnic peoples living in Russia?
…The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world (9,289 m)?
…Half of the world’s stock of enriched uranium is in Russia?
…Russia has the most time zones in the world (11)?
…Life expectancy for Russian men is only 64.3 years?
