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Russian Federation

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Still current at: 26 November 2009
Updated: 29 October 2009


This advice has been reviewed and reissued with an amendment to the Summary (removal of reference to CSKA Moscow v Manchester United).  The overall level of the advice has not changed.

(see travel advice legal disclaimer)

Travel advice for this country

Local laws and customs

You should not become involved with drugs.  Penalties are severe and the courts impose long sentences for those found in possession of even small quantities of drugs, regardless of whether they are "hard" or "soft"

It is a legal requirement that you carry your passport at all times in the Russian Federation.  A copy will not be sufficient.  If you are asked for ID and cannot produce your passport, you will be fined.  It is standard practice for Russian immigration services to retain copies of visiting cruise passengers passports for immigration purposes. Information from the photocopied documents is entered onto the Russian Immigration Service computer system at a later date; photocopies are destroyed after 6-12 months.

Homosexuality is legal in Russia and there is a reasonably tolerant attitude to homosexuality in major urban areas.  There is still, a degree of intolerance amongst some sections of the population, and you should be careful about open displays of affection in public.

The photographing of any military installation, establishment or site of strategic importance is prohibited; this includes airports.  You are likely to have your film confiscated, be detained for questioning and possibly arrested if you do not observe this rule.
 
For more general information for different types of travellers see Your Trip.

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Contacts

Russian Federation, Moscow, British Embassy

Address:

British Embassy Moscow
Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya 10
Moscow 121099
Switchboard: (7) (495) 956 7200

Telephone:


Fax:

(7) (495) 956 7201 General
(7) (495) 956 7441 Visa
(7) (495) 956 7430 Press & Public Affairs

Cultural Department/The British Council:
Library for Foreign Literature Nikoloyamskaya 1
Moscow 109189
Tel: (7) (495) 287 1800
Fax: (7) (495) 287 1801

Office hours:

GMT:
Summer: Mon-Fri: 0600-1000 / 1100-1400
Winter: Mon-Fri: 0500-0900 / 1000-1300
Local Time:
Summer: Mon-Fri: 0900-1300 / 1400-1700
Winter: Mon-Fri: 0800-1200 / 1300-1600

Website: http://ukinrussia.fco.gov.uk/en/

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