Russia has tightened the rules on transferring cash to neighboring countries through a new decree. The regulation, signed by State President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, took effect immediately.
Under the decree, individuals may take up to 1 million rubles in cash to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This amount is equivalent to approximately $11,900.

A previous decree signed in March had allowed individuals to take rubles equivalent to $100,000 out of the country. Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are among the members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.
The new rules introduce a broader ban for businesses. Companies are barred from taking any amount of cash outside Russia, and businesses attempting to transport money will forfeit the entire amount. Individuals caught carrying cash above the limit will have the portion exceeding 1 million rubles confiscated.

The regulation includes exceptions for certain transit and official procedures. Passengers transiting through international airports designated by the government, official diplomatic missions and individuals presenting a bank authorization document are exempt from the restrictions.
In March 2022, after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia also banned individuals from taking more than $10,000 in foreign currency out of the country.