Traveller's Yellow Pages Moscow
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CURRENCY EXCHANGE IN MOSCOW (4 listings) File Created: 29-Sep-04
See these related categories: BANKS IN MOSCOW, TRAVELER'S CHECKS IN MOSCOW, CASH MACHINES AND ATMS (AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES) IN MOSCOW
This category contains the following:
Rubles: You will need lots of rubles as most goods and services, by law are sold only for rubles, even to foreigners. US dollars circulate as a second currency only in a few sectors of the economy, although many Russians hold dollars as a hedge against a depreciating ruble. Some elements of the tourist industry, although illegal, demand payment in dollars, and few refuse dollars when offered. Other currencies - Deutsch marks, Swedish kroner and Finn marks - are more difficult to use.

What dollar bills to bring. Bring along all denominations ($1's, 5's, 10's, & 20's) for cash outlays and $100's for changing money. The bills should be in good condition without writing or marks on them, as soiled bills are not accepted.

Traveler's Cheques and Credit Cards. For information on cashing traveler's cheques, see TRAVELER'S CHEQUES; on receiving cash advances on credit cards, see CREDIT CARDS; for wire transfer of money, see BANKS.

Official Currency Exchange Offices, are called "Obmen valyuty". Now there are literally hundreds of official "exchange points" scattered throughout the city, in hotels, stores, and banks, especially if they previously accepted foreign currency. At these official offices - often branches of banks - you can "officially" change money and receive the proper receipts, which may be required to take some types of purchases out of the country.
TYPNote: A passport is usually required to fill out the proper documentation.

Exchanging worn-out U.S. Currency. Many exchanges will not accept worn, torn or old US bills. Here you can change them.

New Ruble Currency and Coins: Starting January 1, 1998, old bank notes were exchanged for new ones at the ratio of 1000 old rubles to 1 new ruble, thereby knocking off three "zeros" from all prices. Everywhere all the prices are given in old and new money, which are supposed to differ by 1 000 points and all cashiers are required to post which monetary units are used for prices - even though it is rather obvious.
During all 1998 old and new bank notes will both be accepted as a means of payments including making bank deposits. After that, old bank notes can be exchanged without any limitations up until the end of 2002.

The following bank notes and coins are currently in circulation:
New bank notes (1997): 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 rbls;
New coins (1997): 1, 5,10, 50 kopeks and 1, 2 and 5 rbls. The 50 kopeck coin is most used.
TYPNote: All pre-1993 bank notes and coins are invalid.

GUIDELINES ON EXCHANGING CURRENCYspacetopTopspaceC indexspaceA-Z Index
The Exchange rate is stated as rubles per dollar and is called the "kurs". In banks the "kurs" can vary as much as 10% between the lower buying rate and the higher selling rate of dollars. On the street it is about 5%. In addition, some places assess a service charge from zero to 5%.
When exchanging dollars officially, shop around for the best bank buy rate. The current "kurs" of The Moscow Interbanking Currency Exchange "kurs" as well as an average "kurs" is quoted on TV every morning.
While changing money with private persons is technically illegal, it is common practice. The principal problems are not having the receipts and the risk of being cheated. There are many "unofficial" places to change money, on the street (dangerous), in hotels(better), etc. This can be risky, especially if changing large sums of money. If you insist on changing money "on the street", go with two friends to watch the transaction.
Watch for the "slight of hand" trick of wrapping small denomination bills in larger ones.

To get the best rate. First, ask someone to sell dollars to you, to get a selling rate. Now, you know the maximum they can give you when they buy your dollars. You should get a buying rate of about 2-5% lower than their selling rate. For November 2000 sell rate is around 28 rubles for $1.
Note, that the spread in the rates on the street varies according to supply and demand and whether or not banks are open. Thus, at night, on holidays and weekends, the ruble/-dollar rate is lower. Also, greater fluctuations in the daily kurs increases the gap between buy and sell rates.

Counterfeit Bills. Counterfeit US dollar bills have flooded Russia, especially $20 and $100 bills, so don't be offended when your dollars are carefully examined. Also, torn or soiled bills with writing or ink stamps will not be accepted. Be careful yourself when accepting dollars. One test for genuine dollars is that the ink rubs off on white paper.

"Old" Pre-1993 Rubles. As of July 25, 1993, all ruble bills issued before 1993 were declared invalid. Do not accept pre-1993 ruble notes when exchanging money unless you want them for souvenirs. New notes in circulation include 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. The new coins include 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 kopeks.

BANK CURRENCY EXCHANGE DEPARTMENTSspacetopTopspaceC indexspaceA-Z Index
Guta-Bank  
bul 5 Orlikov per...................................................................................................................................Tel: 975-6300
   Tel: .............................................................975-6013;    Tel: ..............................................................975-6001
   Tel: .............................................................975-6500;    Fax:...............................................................975-6333
Mo-Fr 9-18; Komsomolskaya +T-Bus: 83; Map
bul 14 Bol. Sukharevskaya pl...........................................................................................................Tel: 207-1327
   Tel: .............................................................207-7994;    Tel: ..............................................................207-8490
Mo-Fr 9:30-18; Sukharevskaya; Map
bul 150 Mira prosp...............................................................................................................................................Map
Daily 0-24; VDNKh
bul 35 Myasnitskaya ul.......................................................................................................................Tel: 204-1726
Mo-Fr 9-18 (13:30-14:30); Turgenevskaya, Chistye Prudy; Map
bul 8 Smolenskaya ul..........................................................................................................................................Map
Daily 0-24; Belorusskaya
bul 24 Smolnaya ul..............................................................................................................................Tel: 451-1334
Rechnoy Vokzal +Bus: 90, 138; Map
bul 5 Teatralnyy pr-d............................................................................................................................................Map
Kuznetskiy Most, Lubyanka
      
Moscow Business Bank  
   15 Kuznetskiy Most ul....................................................................................................Information:924-3038
   Personnel department:...........................795-2518;    Fax:...............................................................924-0490
   E-mail:........................................mail@mosbb.com;    Web:..........................................www.ts.mosbb.com
Mo-Fr 9-18; Eng, Ger; cc; Kuznetskiy Most; Map
      
Moscow Construction Bank  
   2 Barrikadnaya ul..........................................................................................................................Tel: 255-9500
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................255-9509
Mo-Fr 9-17 (13-14); Barrikadnaya; Map
      
Moscow Industrial Bank  
bul 20 Bol. Cherkizovskaya ul...........................................................................................................Tel: 963-7711
   Tel: .............................................................963-7718;    Tel: ..............................................................954-0244
   Tel: .............................................................954-0292;    Fax:...............................................................161-1020
   Fax:...........................................................................................................................................................161-9146
Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad; Map
bul 2 Gastello ul.............................................................................................................Fax / Telephone:262-7313
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................264-4356
Sokolniki; Map
bul 1 Khromova ul.........................................................................................................Fax / Telephone:168-8788
   Fax / Telephone:....................................................................................................................................168-0106
Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad; Map
bul 20 Klary Tsetkin ul........................................................................................................................Tel: 450-4393
   Fax:..............................................................150-2433;    Fax:...............................................................450-9137
Voykovskaya +Bus: 90; Map
bul 13 Krasnodarskaya ul.................................................................................................................Tel: 350-3558
   Tel: .............................................................353-3339;    Fax:...............................................................350-0125
   Fax:...........................................................................................................................................................351-0541
Volzhskaya, Tekstilshchiki; Map
bul 13 Kuntsevskaya ul......................................................................................................................Tel: 417-4532
   Fax:...........................................................................................................................................................417-5034
Molodezhnaya; Map
bul 28 Leninskiy prosp.................................................................................................Fax / Telephone:952-3606
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................958-5933
Oktyabrskaya +T-Bus: 4, 33, 62; Map
bul 7 Mal. Kalitnikovskaya ul.............................................................................................................Tel: 270-1237
   Tel: .............................................................270-1457;    Fax:...............................................................270-4594
   Fax:...........................................................................................................................................................240-1452
Marksistskaya +T-Bus: 16, 26, 63; Map
bul 13 Myasnitskaya ul................................................................................................Fax / Telephone:924-1222
   Tel: .............................................................928-8674;    Fax:...............................................................924-9411
   Fax:...........................................................................................................................................................925-0329
Turgenevskaya, Chistye Prudy; Map
bul 21 Novokuzminskaya 1-aya ul...................................................................................................Tel: 371-6733
   Fax:..............................................................371-7107;    Fax:...............................................................371-7896
Ryazanskiy Prospekt; Map
bul 57 Novoslobodskaya ul...............................................................................................................Tel: 978-2221
   Fax / Telephone:.......................................978-9694;    Tel: ..............................................................978-4126
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................978-3511
Savelovskaya; Map
bul Panfilovskiy prosp., town of Zelenograd.................................................................................Tel: 530-1385
   Tel: .............................................................530-0433;    Fax:...............................................................530-6986
Rechnoy Vokzal +Bus: 400
bul 27 Parkovaya 6-aya ul.................................................................................................................Tel: 965-7420
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................965-7419
Izmaylovskaya; Map
bul 4 Peschanaya ul............................................................................................................................Tel: 157-3485
   Tel: .............................................................157-3641;    Fax:...............................................................157-3483
Sokol; Map
bul 76 Pyatnitskaya ul........................................................................................................................Tel: 951-6803
   Fax:...........................................................................................................................................................959-5195
Dobryninskaya; Map
bul 2 Saranskaya ul............................................................................................................................Tel: 705-6160
Kuzminki +Bus: 143, Vykhino +Bus: 143; Map
bul 6 Saykina ul..............................................................................................................Fax / Telephone:275-0550
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................275-2617
Avtozavodskaya +T-Bus: 44, 67; Map
bul 57 Shcherbakovskaya ul......................................................................................Fax / Telephone:166-5683
Semenovskaya +Tram: 11, 32, 46; Map
bul 2 Smolenskaya nab......................................................................................................................Tel: 244-7097
   Tel: .............................................................248-0698;    Fax:...............................................................244-0196
Smolenskaya; Map
bul 30 Svobody ul.................................................................................................................................Tel: 492-8180
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................497-0038
Skhodnenskaya +T-Bus: 70; Map
bul 6 Velozavodskaya ul..............................................................................................Fax / Telephone:275-0836
   Fax / Telephone:....................................................................................................................................118-8988
Avtozavodskaya; Map
bul 8 Vladimirskaya 3-ya ul.........................................................................................Fax / Telephone:176-0428
   Tel: ..........................................................................................................................................................305-3934
Perovo; Map
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EXCHANGE OFFICESspacetopTopspaceC indexspaceA-Z Index
There are so many places to legally change money in Moscow that we no longer try to list them. For a start see the branches of the Moscow Saving Bank listed below and the banks listed in BANKS.
Moscow, 103782 Mal. Putinkovskiy pereulok, 1/2 Tel: (095) 229-79-14 and 200-21-10 Fax: (095) 209-54-65