As with any trip overseas, you should know Russia’s key country codes if you plan to visit. For instance, if you’re flying into an airport here or want to make an international telephone call ahead of arriving, then an understanding of the codes may come in extremely helpful.
Country codes come under various categories in Russia. First, the nation itself has a 2-letter code assigned by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), namely ‘RU’. In addition, the IATA (International Air Transport Association) assigns a 3-letter code to all of Russia’s main airports.
In addition, while in Russia – or even ahead of time – you will need to know about local and foreign phone dialling codes. This way, you make sure you can reach whoever you need to contact in short order.
This guide will explain all about the country codes that you may need.
Meanwhile, if you are considering a tourist trip and you need assistance obtaining your travel documents, visit our visa to Russia page. Fortunately, not all citizens of other countries require a visa, but it is currently a necessity for all of Europe, the USA and Australia.
Read on to learn more about Russia’s country codes to get informed before you go!
Contents
- 1 What Country Codes for Russia Should I Know for My Trip?
- 2 Useful Information About Airport Codes in Russia
- 3 What Are Russia’s Airport Codes?
- 4 Guide to the Telephone Country Codes in Russia
- 5 What Is Russia’s Phone Country Code?
- 6 How to Dial Russia from Overseas
- 7 How to Dial Another Country from Russia
- 8 What Is Russia’s Country Code for Mobile Phones?
- 9 Introduction to Russia’s Landscape
- 10 How to Travel to and Around Russia
- 11 Things to See and Do in Russia
What Country Codes for Russia Should I Know for My Trip?
Before flying here, you should memorise the 2- and 3-digit codes for Russia:
- What is Russia’s 2-letter country code? RU.
- What is Russia’s 3-letter country code? RUS, though it means the same thing as RU.
In addition, you should understand the basic telephone dialling codes for Russia. The generic international country code for Russia is +7. So if you want to call a Russian number from outside the country, 7 will always preface the remaining digits. We will discuss telephone numbers in more detail very shortly.
Useful Information About Airport Codes in Russia
In terms of landmass, this is the largest country in the world. Despite covering 2 separate continents – Western Russia in Europe, and Eastern Russia in Asia – the country codes RU or RUS cover all locations. Asking “What’s the country code for Krasnodar?” would yield the same result as “What’s the St. Petersburg country code?”
However, multiple airports are needed to cover such a sprawling territory. There are over 200 operational airports in this vast nation and, in some cases, more than 1 airport in the same city.
If you ask a Russian national, “What is the St. Petersburg airport code?” they will reply with, “LED – that’s the code for Pulkovo International Airport”.
However, ask for the airport code for Moscow, and the response will be, “Which one? Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo or Zhukovsky?”
For Moscow, most international airlines use Domodedovo for entry and exit. These include BA, Emirates, KLM, Iberia and Aeroflot, the national carrier. There are other airlines, but most of them could include numerous stops.
With so many airports, you really must know the code for the Russian airport that you plan to fly into!
What Are Russia’s Airport Codes?
As discussed, there are over 200 airports here. This is too many to list here, primarily as many are in inhospitable locations within this sprawling country.
Instead, let us focus on the 19 major international airports found in Russia. If you are flying into this nation from overseas, you will almost certainly use one of the following airports:
Airport Code |
Airport |
|---|---|
| AER | Adler/Sochi Airport |
| ARH | Arkhangelsk Airport |
| HTA | Chita Airport |
| SVX | Ekaterinburg Koltsovo International Airport |
| IKT | Irkutsk Airport |
| KGD | Kalingrad Khrabrovo Airport |
| KZN | Kazan Airport |
| KHV | Khabarovsk Novyy Airport |
| KRR | Krasnodar Pashkovsky Airport |
| DME | Moscow Domodedovo Airport |
| SVO | Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport |
| VKO | Moscow Vnukovo Airport |
| OVB | Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport |
| ROV | Rostov Airport |
| KUF | Samara Kurumoch Airport |
| LED | St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport |
| UFA | Ufa International Airport |
| VVO | Vladivostok Airport |
| YKS | Yakutsk Airport |
Guide to the Telephone Country Codes in Russia
Getting to Russia is one thing. Contacting people by telephone is quite another. Telephone dialling codes are an essential part of feeling at ease and understanding these codes in Russia on your trip.
What Is Russia’s Phone Country Code?
Every country in the world has a country dialling code that precedes any personal telephone number. For Russia, this is +7.
So if you call a Russian number from anywhere else, you must always start with your country exit code, then the number 7.
How to Dial Russia from Overseas
As we mentioned above, all Russian telephone numbers from overseas begin with 7. For example, if you are wondering how to call Russia from the USA, you would dial the following:
- 011 to exit the United States.
- 7 to call Russia.
- The remainder of the Russian telephone number.
The same applies wherever you are. In the UK, for example, you would dial 00 to leave the UK, then dial 7. Russian phone numbers are styled as +7, then the telephone number. The + represents the country exit code, which is unique to every starting point.
How to Dial Another Country from Russia
As per our examples above, you will need to enter an exit code while there to call another country. In Russia, the country code to call overseas is 810. So, if calling an American number, you would dial:
- 810 (to notify the intention to call overseas).
- 1 (the country code for the USA).
- The remainder of the telephone number.
What Is Russia’s Country Code for Landlines?
If making a telephone call outside your local city in Russia, all telephone numbers begin with 8. This is the prefix for a long-distance call. After this, a landline will have 10 digits. These digits include both an area code and the unique telephone number you are trying to reach.
There are almost a hundred different area codes in Russia. Let us focus on the 15 most populous cities in the nation and list their country codes below. As you will see, some of the bigger territories have more than 1 code.
Area |
Dialling Code |
|---|---|
| Chelyabinsk | 351 |
| Kazan | 843 |
| Krasnodar | 861 or 862 |
| Krasnoyarsk | 391 |
| Moscow | 495, 496, 498 or 499 |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 831 |
| Novosibirsk | 383 |
| Omsk | 381 |
| Perm | 342 |
| Rostov | 863 |
| Samara | 846 or 848 |
| St. Petersburg | 812 |
| Ufa | 3472 |
| Volgograd | 844 |
| Voronezh | 473 |
| Yekaterinburg | 343 |
So, let us imagine that you are in Omsk and wish to dial a number in Omsk. The telephone number is 123-45-67. You would simply dial 1234567.
If, however, this telephone number was assigned to a phone in St. Petersburg, you would dial 8 (for long-distance) then 812 (for St. Petersburg) and then 1234567.
What Is Russia’s Country Code for Mobile Phones?
As with landlines, to call mobile phone numbers here from overseas, begin with +7. After this, all mobile phone numbers have 10 digits, starting with the number 9. The first 3 digits will depend on which cellular network the user is contacted to.
- Numbers beginning 910 – 919, or 980-988, belong to Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS.
- Numbers beginning 920 – 931 or 937 belong to Megafon.
- Numbers beginning 903, 905, 906, 909 or 960-964 belong to BeeLine.
So, if a Russian mobile phone number is 914-98-765-43, the user will be contracted to MTS.
What Is Russia’s Country Code for WhatsApp?
If you wish to message a Russian contact using WhatsApp from abroad, their telephone number will begin with +7 as always. The +7 is followed by the remainder of the unique mobile phone number.
If your contact has a mobile phone contract through BeeLine, for example, you will potentially contact them through the number 909-12-345-67.
What Other Useful Russia Country Code Numbers Are There?
Hopefully, you will not need to dial any emergency telephone numbers in Russia. However, in case you do need urgent help or assistance, memorise these numbers.
- 101 – Fire brigade
- 102 – Police
- 103 – Ambulance
- 112 – General emergencies
Introduction to Russia’s Landscape
Russia is vast – there is no doubt about that! Covering a total of around 6.6 million square miles (17.1 million sq. kilometres), good transport is a necessity, so the infrastructure of most major towns and cities is good. Prior to 1991, this country was previously known as the USSR or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Russian landscape is very varied, from huge areas of wilderness to modern towns and cities, and, of course, amazing architecture. Siberia occupies approximately 75% of the entire area and is mainly covered in pine forests, unlike the treeless steppes within Russia itself.
The areas of pine forest in Siberia are known as taigas and are the home of a large population of tarantulas, believe it or not! In spite of the extreme cold temperatures in the area heading from Russia into Siberia, all types of conifers seem to survive, so there is a thriving Christmas tree industry! These trees are known as ‘glass trees’ as they take on the touch and feel of crystal caused by the extreme cold.
How to Travel to and Around Russia
Trains are the most viable mode of transport connecting the big cities and within the cities themselves. Buses and trams are also popular, often being full of people in peak times. In Moscow, trams occupy a lot of Red Square, crisscrossing to and fro, so you need to be careful on foot!
Visitors consider train transportation here to be not only efficient but romantic. Amazing-but-long trips are usually on high-speed trains that speed through the varying landscape. 2 of the most famous trips are those of the Trans-Siberian Express to Vladivostok or the Trans-Mongolian through to Beijing. Just imagine what you will see on those journeys!
If you wish to include other countries in your trip, such as Finland, you can use cruise ships or ferries.
Things to See and Do in Russia
This could potentially be an endless section, as this nation has so much to offer!
Of course, many of the tourist highlights are centred around Moscow and St. Petersburg. They are quite different, however, with Moscow boasting a combination of old and modern architecture, and St Petersburg more picturesque, with ancient buildings and pretty bridges, rivers and canals – hence its nickname ‘the Venice of the north’.
Here are some sightseeing ‘musts’ for both cities:
- Moscow
- Red Square
- Kremlin
- St Basil’s Cathedral
- The Kremlin
- Lenin’s Mausoleum
- Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.
- St. Petersburg
- Hermitage Museum
- The Winter Palace
- Faberge Museum
- Russian Museum
- Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood.
- Many pretty parks.
These are the most obvious and the most loved sights.
If you are an arts lover, particularly ballet, a must is the famous Bolshoi Ballet or the Ballet Russe in Moscow, if either of these is in town.
Meanwhile, the culture local is reflected in objects that you can buy as souvenirs or gifts. The famous doll, the Matryoshka, is probably the most well-known, but other items such as good quality amber and silverware, Kokhlahoma shawls and pashminas and lacquer boxes, are all prized possessions to buy on your trip.
Hopefully by now you feel ready and informed to visit this vast, fascinating country. There is so much to do there, you will never be bored! Find out more on our Visit Russia page and, if you’re a Russian citizen wondering where to visit next, check our Visa Requirements for Russians page.
