Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in Russia that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
Got lucky with VTB near the Hermitage-machine worked with my UK Union Card and didn’t slap me with a local fee. Max I could pull was 300,000 RUB though. Tried a random machine near my hostel later and my card got eaten. Stick with banks you recognize and always withdraw during open hours in case something goes wrong.
Tried multiple ATMs in St. Petersburg. My MIR card worked at Promsyyanz and Ural Bank, but not Alfa-Bank. Each withdrawal had a 300,000 RUB limit. No extra ATM fees, but obviously my provider had its own. If you're staying a while, best to test a few near your accommodation and find one that consistently works.
Used my UnionPay card at Sberbank , no fees and was able to withdaw up to 300,000RUB. My friend had a Mastercard, and it didnt worked at this ATM.
Honestly? It’s hit or miss now. My US card worked at Sberbank ATMs in Moscow, but only after trying three others. Got 100,000 RUB max per transaction. They didn’t add extra fees, just whatever my bank charged. Avoid Euronet machines-they had garbage rates and high markup fees.