Short answer: in 2026, foreign-issued UnionPay cards mostly do not work reliably in Russia. Once seen as the workaround after Visa and Mastercard left, UnionPay has become unreliable for visitors. Here's the current reality and what to use instead.
Do foreign UnionPay cards work in Russia?
Usually not. UnionPay still operates in Russia, but most cards issued outside Russia now fail or work only intermittently. Whether yours works depends on the issuing bank, the country and the specific terminal — which in practice means you cannot rely on it. Many travellers report declined payments and failed ATM withdrawals even where UnionPay signage is displayed.
Why did UnionPay stop working?
To avoid secondary sanctions, UnionPay restricted the servicing of foreign-issued cards at sanctioned Russian banks' terminals and ATMs. Cards issued by Russian banks largely keep working domestically, but foreign-issued UnionPay cards lost dependable acceptance, and some banks abroad have stopped issuing or servicing them for Russian use.
Should I get a UnionPay card for a trip to Russia?
It is not worth banking on. UnionPay cards have become hard and expensive to obtain abroad, often with high fees and monthly charges — and still no guarantee they will work once you arrive. The consensus among travellers is that UnionPay is no longer a reliable solution.
What actually works for paying in Russia?
- Cash (rubles) — bring euros or dollars and exchange them at a bank; cash is the one method that always works.
- A Russian MIR card — if you can obtain one (it generally requires a Russian bank account), it works everywhere domestically.
For the full picture, see our guide to paying in Moscow as a tourist.
Does PayPal or Apple Pay work in Russia?
No. PayPal suspended its Russian operations in 2022, and Apple Pay and Google Pay no longer work with foreign cards in Russia. Plan around cash plus, if you can get one, a Russian MIR card.
