Jewelry, medicine, books, oh my! Plenty of seemingly innocuous items have landed travelers in trouble at Russia’s border. Here’s how to avoid it.
Tourism to Russia is rising — but that doesn’t mean it’s safe
No matter how normalized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its political arrests may have become, the country remains unsafe for tourism. Nevertheless, many people are still going: in 2024, more than 1.5 million foreign nationals entered Russia for tourism purposes, according to data from the national border service. That’s a 134 percent increase from the previous year — though still less than a third of the number who visited in 2019. And in the first three months of 2025 alone, Russia recorded over 20,000 tourists from E.U. countries.
The rules for what can and can’t be brought across Russian border checkpoints are numerous and often confusing. To help avoid accidental arrests or fines, Meduza recently created a guide for Russians living abroad who are thinking of returning home. Below, we’ve adapted it in English for foreigners intent on traveling to Russia — something we nonetheless strongly advise against.
All of the lists referenced below are detailed and lengthy, so if you’re planning to travel to Russia and have items you’re not sure about, please ask a Russian speaker to review them with you.
Is there an overall list of items that might cause problems at the border?
There are two main — though not exhaustive — lists. One covers items that require special permission to bring into the country, and the other lists items that are completely prohibited.
There are other lists as well. For example, there’s one that bans bringing in more than 250 grams of caviar from sturgeon species, as well as certain amounts of alcohol, tobacco, and other products under specific conditions.
There’s also a list of “strategically important goods”, which can’t be brought into the country if their total value exceeds one million rubles (about $12,500) — or, in the case of some animals, tobacco products, and alcohol, more than 100,000 rubles ($1,250).
And then there are “extremist materials,” which are also banned at the border. That list is continuously being updated.
On top of all that, Russia’s agricultural watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, periodically introduces its own restrictions depending on disease outbreaks in other countries’ farms. For example, as of August 2025, a directive issued back in January is still in effect, banning the import of dairy and meat products from the European Union — even for personal use. To check the latest rules, go to the Rosselkhoznadzor website and find the country you’re traveling from in the dedicated section.
And that’s not to mention the rules for bringing in medication.
What are the rules for bringing medication across the Russian border?
In most cases, the law only allows you to bring in medicine for personal use — not for family members or friends. This includes medications that aren’t registered in Russia.
However, some drugs fall under special categories:
For example, in 2024, there were two cases in Russia’s Sakhalin region where sailors returned from abroad carrying cold medicine that contained dextromethorphan. This ingredient, commonly used in cough suppressants and sold over the counter in some countries, is classified as a psychotropic substance in Russia. Both men were charged under the Russian Criminal Code’s article against smuggling such substances, which carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
If a medicine that requires declaration is worth more than 100,000 rubles ($1,250) and customs officials decide it’s being brought in “for distribution,” you could face charges under a different criminal statute, which can also bring a prison sentence. Note that “distribution” can include something as simple as bringing a medication for a relative, even if you don’t plan to charge them for it.
To find out whether a drug falls under these restricted categories, you’ll need to check its active ingredients. This is usually listed in the instructions or on the packaging.
Dietary supplements are riskier in this respect: their contents can be unpredictable and might not be listed on the label. For example, some weight-loss supplements have been found to contain sibutramine, classified as a potent substance in Russia, despite it not being mentioned on the label.
If you need to bring medication that contains substances from these restricted lists, you’ll have to carry documents (or notarized copies) that confirm your legal right to use the drug. These documents must state the name and quantity of the medication and must be in Russian (a notarized translation is acceptable). You’ll also have to declare the medication at the border and go through the red customs corridor.
Oh, come on — I’ve traveled to Russia plenty of times and never had any items checked or confiscated
Then you’ve been lucky. Russia’s Federal Customs Service regularly reports cases where random passengers going through the green corridor are stopped and found to be carrying undeclared items.
For example, in July 2024, a Kazakh citizen flew from Azerbaijan to Russia, bringing a pair of Tiffany earrings worth 1.5 million rubles ($18,800) as a gift for his wife. He didn’t realize they needed to be declared and went through the green corridor. Customs officers stopped him, noticing the expensive jewelry, and he ended up facing criminal charges under the Criminal Code’s article against smuggling “strategically important goods.” Because he had no prior convictions and was the father of young children, he avoided prison and was fined 300,000 rubles ($3,750). The earrings were confiscated by the state.
In another case, in March 2025, a Russian citizen tried to take two books dating from the late 18th to early 19th century from Russia to Turkey. He had inherited them and didn’t know he needed to get approval from the Russian Culture Ministry — a process that includes an expert review to confirm the books aren’t part of the national museum fund or otherwise banned from export. He also should have obtained official export permission, filled out a passenger customs declaration, and gone through the red corridor. Instead, he went through the green one and ended up being charged under the Criminal Code’s article against smuggling “cultural property.” This offense carries a hefty fine or up to five years in prison.
Okay, fine. So what should I look out for? How can I tell if a book might be considered a cultural artifact?
If you’re packing your bags and preparing to cross the Russian border, here are the types of items you should pay special attention to:
- precious metals and gemstones
- minerals
- medications and dietary supplements
- cash
- alcohol
- cigarettes, other tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices
- books
- paintings and other works of art
- medals, orders, and honorary badges
- food
- animals and plant parts (seeds, amulets, souvenirs, herbal mixtures, roots, coral, ivory, bones, antlers, and other body parts)
- weapons, including non-firearms, and their components
- any item over 100 years old
- manuscripts over 50 years old
- clothing and other personal items worth more than 10,000 euros if you’re flying, or 500 euros if you’re traveling by other means
Each of these categories comes with its own rules. For example, you can bring in no more than five kilograms of plant-based food and five kilograms of animal-based products — and the latter must be in factory packaging.
You’re not allowed to bring in more than three liters of alcohol without declaring it and paying a duty. Even with a declaration, the total limit is five liters.
For precious metals and gemstones, it depends on the type and value. If you’re entering Russia by car or train, the total value must not exceed 500 euros (about $578 at the current rate). If you’re flying, the limit is 10,000 euros ($11,570). Anything above that must be declared and is subject to customs duties.
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Exporting scrap made of precious metals or rough diamonds is completely prohibited (cut and polished diamonds are an exception). Importing rough diamonds is also not allowed.
You can’t take currency equivalent to more than $10,000 out of the country.
As for books, if you’re bringing them into Russia, they must not be on the list of “extremist materials,” and their content must not violate Russian laws (such as those against “discrediting” the Russian army or spreading “disinformation”). If the books are more than 100 years old, or rare enough to be considered museum pieces, they could potentially be classified as cultural property.
Saiga or buffalo horns, walrus tusks, and sperm whale teeth aren’t explicitly listed in the two main categories we mentioned earlier, but they fall under the broader classification of “derivatives” of endangered species, which are regulated by the CITES Convention. That means they’re either entirely banned or require special permission from Rosprirodnadzor (Russia’s environmental watchdog) to bring in or out.
To check whether something in your luggage might fall under these restrictions, it’s best to refer to the official lists we mentioned earlier. If you don’t have time to dig into the details, at least look at the general customs rules on the Federal Customs Service website. There’s also a short reference guide listing the most common items that get people into trouble.
If you’re unsure about anything, you can always call the Federal Customs Service hotline and ask directly.
What if they do find something? Could I really end up in prison?
It depends on the circumstances. Here are just a few examples of what’s happened to people caught bringing in medications included on Russia’s list of psychotropic or narcotic substances without the proper documentation or declaration.
But outcomes can vary. In the case of the sailors who brought in cold medicine containing dextromethorphan, one received three years of probation, while the other was fined 20,000 rubles ($250). In both cases, there were significant mitigating factors.
A man from Yekaterinburg went through the green corridor carrying a Cartier watch and ring worth more than six million rubles ($75,200). He was charged with smuggling strategically important goods on a large scale. He pleaded guilty in court and was fined 450,000 rubles ($5,640). The watch and ring were confiscated.
Sometimes, authorities apply articles from the Code of Administrative Offenses rather than the Criminal Code. For instance, if someone fails to declare a cultural item worth less than 100,000 rubles ($1,250), criminal charges don’t apply. In those cases, the person might be fined, and the undeclared item may or may not be confiscated.