Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees restricting the export of cash and gold on March 25.
This is the content of a joint campaign to combat the shadow economy and prevent capital flows from Russia from flowing abroad.
According to the decree, the transfer of cash in rubles from the Russian border to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will be prohibited if the value exceeds 100,000 USD (calculated at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Russia), starting from April 1, with certain exceptions.
Another decree bans the export of gold bars weighing over 100 grams from Russia from May 1. This regulation also has some exceptions and does not apply to commercial banks.
Effective from May 1, 2026, individuals, legal entities and individual business households are prohibited from exporting refined gold ingots with a total weight exceeding 100 grams out of the Russian Federation" - the decree stated.
Both decrees have been announced on the Russian government's information portal.
Despite the government promoting digitization, the demand for cash in Russia is still increasing. In January 2026 alone, the banking system recorded a net withdrawal of about 13.2 billion USD.
The main reason for the net withdrawal of money in Russia is that businesses are switching to operating in the shadow economy to evade taxes, especially value-added tax (VAT) and other taxes.
Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev said that gold is increasingly being used as a substitute for foreign currency in illegal transactions, contributing to increasing capital outflows and money laundering.
For cash, the exception only applies when exporting through designated international airports, provided that the cashier must provide bank statements or documents proving that the withdrawal from the account is in accordance with government regulations.
For gold bars, the exception applies when exporting through air border gates at international airports including: Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Knevichi. To export gold through border gates at the above-mentioned airports, a license from the Russian Federal Precious Metals Inspection Agency is required. Legal entities and business households exporting gold bars to countries outside the EAEU are also exempted.
