Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash
🇷🇺 Europe (non-Schengen)
Moving to Russia from the US
Russia for American digital nomads: no dedicated nomad visa, and a heavy tax regime once you become tax resident. Tourist entry for US passports: An e-visa system exists (evisa.kdmid.ru), but sanctions and the war make travel impractical for US citizens; official advisories say do not travel.
Europe (non-Schengen) 🧾 heavy tax
Russia in numbers
At a glance
| 🛂 Tourist entry | 🇺🇸USVisa needed🇪🇺EUVisa needed🇬🇧UKVisa needed🇨🇦CAVisa needed🇦🇺AUVisa needed |
| 🛂 Digital nomad visa | No dedicated digital nomad visa |
| 🏠 Path to permanent residency | Not applicable given current conditions |
| 🌍 What gets taxed | Worldwide, with relief for newcomers Once you are a tax resident it taxes income from anywhere, but a special rule shelters foreign income for some new residents. |
| 📈 Top income-tax rate | 15% Brackets: Flat 13% (up to 15% above ~5M RUB/yr, progressive since 2021) |
| ✨ Special regime | None, not a practical nomad consideration given current conditions |
| 🇺🇸 US tax treaty | ❌ Suspended (Russia suspended most provisions of its US tax treaty in 2023) No treaty, the only protection from being taxed twice is the US Foreign Tax Credit. |
| ⚖️ Family-law exposure (payer) | Obligation 5/10 · cross-border collection 4/10 |
| 🗣️ English | Moderate proficiency (EF index 521) National average from the EF English Proficiency Index 2025; big cities and tourist areas usually run higher. |
| 🏥 Healthcare access | Very high (WHO coverage index 81/100, 2023) How well essential care reaches the population. Most Americans abroad use private care and insurance; this measures the public system. |
| 👩 Women's safety & rights | Moderate (WPS index 0.752) Women, Peace and Security Index 2023/24 (Georgetown GIWPS): safety, legal rights and inclusion. |
| 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ equality | Low (Equaldex index 27/100) Equaldex Equality Index (equaldex.com, CC BY-SA): laws plus public attitudes. |
| 🛡️ Safety (hard stats) | Active conflict zone, not rated on the standard scale; see official travel advisory |
Full detail with ratings and sources: visas & residency · tax breakdown · legal exposure · safety & crime
Data last updated · Source: Compiled from the visas, tax and legal datasets
Cities we cover in Russia
🇷🇺 Moscow
High-quality infrastructure, but sanctions make Western banking/cards largely unworkable for Americans, verify access before any travel
🇷🇺 St. Petersburg
Russia's cultural capital; same sanctions and banking caveats for Americans as Moscow
Photos from Unsplash: Moscow by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash · St. Petersburg by Alekhin Sasha on Unsplash
Month-by-month weather: Moscow climate · St. Petersburg climate
⭐ Russia on our best-of lists
🏰 Other countries in Europe (non-Schengen)
Moving to Russia: common questions
Can Americans move to Russia?
There is no dedicated nomad or passive-income visa, so most Americans need work, study, investment or family routes. Path to permanent residency: Not applicable given current conditions.
How long can Americans stay in Russia without a visa?
A US passport needs a visa before travelling to Russia. Russia has no dedicated digital nomad visa, so living there longer needs another residence route.
Will I pay tax in Russia as an American?
Heavy: once resident, local income tax applies at relatively high rates. What gets taxed: worldwide, with relief for newcomers; the top rate is 15%. As an American you also keep filing with the IRS wherever you live; the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and foreign tax credits usually stop you paying twice.
What does it cost to live in Russia?
About $1,440–$2,191 a month for one person, all-in (everyday costs plus a 1-bedroom city-centre rent), across the 2 cities we cover.
Is English spoken in Russia?
Partly. The country ranks "moderate" on the EF English Proficiency Index: common in tourist and business areas, much less so elsewhere.
Is Russia safe?
Russia is an active or adjacent conflict zone, so it isn't rated on the normal scale. Follow the US State Department's travel advisory.