If you’re landing at a Russian airport in 2026, the process looks very different from what it was a few years ago. The paper migration card has disappeared from the big airports, they’ll photograph you and take your fingerprints at passport control, and the whole procedure is now digital. In this guide I’ll walk you through, step by step, what happens from the moment the plane hits the tarmac until you walk out into the arrivals hall — with the points where it pays off to come prepared so you don’t waste time (or nerves) at the border.
What changed at Russian airports since 2024
If your last experience at a Russian airport was before 2024, it’s time to update your mental picture. Three things have fundamentally changed:
- Biometric checks. Since December 2024, Moscow’s airports (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky) are running the Decree 1510 experiment, which builds a digital profile of every foreigner entering the country. In practice, that means at passport control they’ll take a high-resolution photograph and your fingerprints — even if you’re traveling on a valid visa and your details are already in the consular system.
- Goodbye to the paper migration card. The two-part card (A and B) that the passport-control officer used to hand you, and which you had to keep until you left the country, is no longer in use at the big airports. The record is digital: the officer enters your data into the system and, instead of a card, you get either a stamp in your passport (at some checkpoints) or nothing physical at all (at others). At land border crossings the paper card still shows up, but airports have moved ahead.
- If you’re traveling visa-free, you’re supposed to carry a QR code. Since June 2025, citizens of visa-exempt countries (Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, and many others) have to register through the ruID app, upload a photo and their passport details, and obtain a QR code to show at the border. In practice the system is still in an experimental phase (extended until December 2027) and many travelers complete the registration but never receive the code. The Russian Ministry of Digital Development has confirmed that during this pilot phase nobody is being denied entry for not carrying the QR code.
Understanding these three changes before you set foot in Russia saves you from surprises. If you want a deep dive into the biometric checks and the digital profile, I cover it in this guide on Russia’s digital profile for foreigners; and if you’re entering visa-free, the step-by-step is in the guide to the ruID app and electronic authorization.
Before you land: what you need ready
Before stepping off the plane, make sure you have three things at hand:
- A valid passport with at least six months of validity from your planned departure date from Russia.
- Your regular visa, e-visa, or electronic authorization. If you’re entering on a regular visa, it’s a sticker in your passport. If you’re entering on an e-visa, you can carry it on your phone or printed out.
- Travel medical insurance
Some flight crews hand out a short customs form before landing, asking whether you have anything to declare; others don’t. If nobody gives you anything, don’t worry: you’ll make that decision directly at customs by choosing the green or the red channel (more on that below).
Step 1. Passport control and biometrics
This is the first thing you’ll do once you land in Russia. There are two separate lines, one for Russian citizens and one for foreigners (the foreigners line is always slower). If you arrive at peak summer hours, expect to wait between 30 and 90 minutes; in low season, it’s usually under 20 minutes.
When it’s your turn, the officer will ask for your documents: passport, visa, etc. From there, what happens depends on the airport.
At airports inside the experiment (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky)
- They’ll take a high-resolution photograph of you in front of the booth (you’ll be asked to remove sunglasses, hats, or anything covering your face).
- They’ll scan your fingerprints.
- The officer will check that the passport details match the visa. If everything checks out, they stamp your passport and wave you through.
Your biometric record is linked to your passport and stored in the state system. The pilot phase has been extended until December 31, 2027 (originally it was supposed to end in June 2026), so the protocols may evolve during that window.
At airports outside the experiment
The procedure is the classic one: the officer reviews your passport and visa, asks a quick question or two about the purpose of your trip, and if everything’s in order, stamps your passport. No fingerprints or photo are taken, unless you’re entering visa-free (in that case biometrics are mandatory at any border crossing since June 2025).
The most typical questions are: where are you staying, how long are you staying, are you traveling alone or with someone, and sometimes the purpose of the trip. Answer calmly and with concrete details (hotel name, exact dates) so the check goes quickly.
Step 2. The migration card
The migration card (миграционная карта) is the document that records your entry into and exit from the country. You’ll need it for your accommodation registration and to leave Russia at the end of your trip.
At the big Russian airports, the migration card is now electronic: the passport-control officer enters your details into the system and the document is stored digitally. In some cases they’ll print you a copy or give you a stamp on your passport; in others, you won’t receive anything physical and your entry is registered only in the system (your passport is enough).
The reality is that at the airports you’ll see all three situations depending on the booth and the officer: a printed copy, a passport stamp, or nothing visible. If they hand you a printed copy, hold onto it carefully (hotels may ask for it when registering you). If they don’t give you anything, the hotel will look up your entry in the system using your passport number.
I cover how the migration card works now, what details it contains, and what to do if you lose it in the dedicated guide to the Russian migration card.
Step 3. Baggage claim
Once you’ve cleared passport control, the signs (Багаж — baggage) will lead you to the baggage claim area. The carousels are numbered by flight, so you just need to find yours on the screens. If your immigration check went fast, your bag may take a few minutes to appear; if it was slow, your suitcase is usually already going around.
If your luggage doesn’t show up, there’s a Lost & Found counter in the same baggage hall, usually tucked into a corner. Bring your boarding pass and the baggage tag they gave you at check-in; without those two papers they can’t file the claim. The odds of losing a suitcase at a Russian airport are no higher than anywhere else.
Step 4. Customs control
Once you’ve grabbed your luggage, there are two channels:
- Green channel: for travelers with nothing to declare. That’s the case for the vast majority of tourists.
- Red channel: if you’re carrying more than 10,000 USD in cash (or its equivalent in another currency), if you’re over the allowed limits for alcohol, tobacco, animal products or medicines, or if you have restricted goods (artwork, antiques, weapons, protected items).
If you go through green and everything looks consistent, the officers may not stop you; if they want to, they’ll pull you aside and open your suitcase. If you go through red, you’ll have to fill out a customs declaration and, if there are duties to pay, settle them at the counter. Most travelers don’t need to use the red channel, but when there’s any doubt it’s best to go straight through red and declare it: the risk of going through green with something declarable and getting caught is a substantial fine.
The specifics of what you can bring in (limits on alcohol, tobacco, ham, cheese, prescription medicines, electronics, antiques) are covered in the guide to Russian customs. And if your particular question is how much money you can bring, I explain it in how to declare cash when entering Russia.
Step 5. The arrivals hall and what’s available there
Once you’ve cleared customs, you’re in the arrivals hall. This is where most travelers coming from Europe or North America for the first time in these years get their first surprise: your Visa or Mastercard doesn’t work — not in the vending machines, not at ATMs, not at the ticket counters. If you’ve arrived without rubles in cash and without a MIR card, your first stop has to be a currency exchange desk.
The most practical options, in order of preference:
- If you brought euros or US dollars in cash: change a portion at the airport (rates are worse than in the city, so only change what you need for the first day).
- If you have a MIR card: you can withdraw rubles at any ATM in the airport.
- If you brought rubles bought before the trip: you save yourself the exchange step. Here’s how to get them before leaving home.
Beyond currency exchange, at the big Russian airports you’ll find phone shops where you can buy a Russian SIM card, tourist information desks (mainly at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Pulkovo), restaurants, cafés, free wifi, and taxi and transfer counters into the city. I break down what each airport has and what prices to expect in this guide to services at Russian airports.
Differences between the main Russian airports
The general procedure is the same everywhere, but each airport has its own quirks. (If you haven’t booked your flight yet, the guide to air borders to Russia covers which airlines and routes are operating in 2026.)
Sheremetyevo (SVO) — Moscow
The biggest airport in Russia. It’s inside the biometric experiment, so expect a photograph and fingerprints at passport control. There’s a tourist information desk in Terminal D and a direct connection to the city center via the Aeroexpress train (45 minutes to Belorusskaya station). More details in how to get from Sheremetyevo to downtown Moscow.
Domodedovo (DME) — Moscow
Second by traffic. Also inside the biometric experiment. Aeroexpress connection to the center (45 minutes to Paveletskaya station). It’s farther south than Sheremetyevo, so it’s worth checking which airport your airline uses before you book. Here, transfers to the center.
Vnukovo (VKO) — Moscow
The closest of the Moscow airports to the city center. Inside the biometric experiment. Aeroexpress to Kievskaya station in 35 minutes. Detailed connections here.
Zhukovsky (ZIA) — Moscow
The smallest and most distant of the Moscow airports (40 km southeast of Moscow). It mostly handles flights from Central Asia. Inside the biometric experiment. No Aeroexpress, so transfers into the city are by bus or taxi. How to get to the center from Zhukovsky.
Pulkovo (LED) — Saint Petersburg
The only international airport serving Saint Petersburg. Connection to the city by bus + metro or by taxi. Here’s how to travel from Pulkovo.
Sochi (AER), Kazan (KZN) and other regional airports
Regional airports outside Moscow aren’t part of phase 1 of the biometric experiment, but as of phase 2 (rolling out since June 2025) any visa-free traveler has to go through biometric checks no matter which airport they enter through. If you’re entering on a visa, the process at these airports is the classic passport check. Sochi has the additional quirk that the airport is far from the city, in Adler: how to get from Sochi airport into the city and to Krasnaya Polyana.
Frequently asked questions
Does the paper migration card still exist?
At the big Russian airports it has all but disappeared. The record is digital and, depending on the officer, you’ll either get a stamp in your passport, a printed copy, or nothing physical at all. At land border crossings the paper card still appears.
How long does passport control take?
Between 20 and 90 minutes depending on the airport, the season, and how many flights are landing at once. In summer and during holidays it can stretch past an hour; in low season it’s usually under 20 minutes.
Will they take my fingerprints and photo if I’m entering on a visa?
At the Moscow airports (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky), yes: they’ve been inside the biometric experiment since December 2024. At regional airports like Pulkovo, Sochi or Kazan, systematic collection of fingerprints and photos at the border is less common, although since June 2025 every checkpoint is technically inside the system.
Can I pay with Visa or Mastercard at the airport?
No. Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia haven’t worked in the country since 2022. You’ll need to bring cash (euros or dollars) and exchange it at the airport, or have a Russian MIR card opened beforehand.
What happens if I lose my migration card or my passport stamp?
If you have a printed copy and lose it, your hotel can look up your entry in the system using your passport number and obtain a duplicate. For more serious cases (problems with the stamp, doubts at the border on the way out) you’ll need to visit a Russian migration office.
Do I need to declare my phone, laptop or camera when entering?
No. Personal effects (phone, tablet, camera, laptop) go through the green channel without a declaration, as long as you don’t exceed the general limit of 10,000 EUR or 50 kg of personal goods.
What do I do if the ruID app doesn’t generate my QR code?
It’s a fairly common problem during this pilot phase (extended until December 2027). While the experimental phase is ongoing, the Russian Ministry of Digital Development has confirmed that nobody is denied entry for not carrying the QR code, so it’s not a blocker at the border.
Once you’re out of the airport, the next step is to reach your hotel and complete the foreigner registration within the legal time limits.
