Question by Figosny: What is the best comparable bank in Russia?
Hi. I am planning my trip to Russia for a month. Is there any trusted branch of the USA bank in Russia? Any experience is appreciated.
Thank you.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Anatoli
There are plenty of foreign banks operating in Russia: Barklay’s, Citybank, HSBC. Wonder why would you need to limit yourself to a US bank anyway? Any bank (Russian or foreign) and most retailers will accept your VISA or Master card and will not even blink. ATMs are at every second corner.
If you really need an rep office of a US bank, here is a list for you in Moscow:
JP Morgan
115054, г. Москва, Павелецкая пл., 2
8 (495) 937-73-00
Morgan Stanley,
123056, г. Москва, ул. Гашека, 7
8 (495) 785-22-29
Goldman Sachs,
125047, г. Москва, ул. Гашека, 6
8 (495) 645-40-00
American Express Bank Ltd.,
119048, г. Москва, ул. Усачева, 33
8 (495) 933-84-48
Bank Of New York,
107045, г. Москва, Последний пер., 17
8 (495) 967-31-10
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
Mendeleyev says
There is good news and bad news. First the good news–brush up on the English grammar and syntax and anyone who speaks English in Russia will be able to understand you.
But there is some bad news as well. What you are looking for is called a "correspondent bank," in that they provide banking services for each other. Those relationships are usually reserved for corporate or very high dollar private transactions. An example of correspondent banking would be the relationship between JPMorganChase Bank in the USA and Sberbank of Russia. Both are very large banks.
More good news: The vast majority of travelers don't need this type of bank for normal transactions. Contact your existing bank and have them note that you'll be spending time in Russia so that they don't mistakenly freeze your accounts for fear that someone has stolen your cards. Carry some emergency cash in case this happens along with the bank's phone numbers in case you need to call while on your trip.
You will be able to use your cards in ATM machines easily. There is some great info on how to live in Russia (apartments, public transport, restaurants, etc) at http://russianreport.wordpress.com
I'd also recomment that you visit http://ruadventures.com/forum/ for more valuable insights and resources for your trip.