10: Travel To Tuva: Money
Description
This article is from the Tuva FAQ, by Kerry Yackoboski kerryy@nortel.ca with numerous contributions by Bernard Greenberg, Bernard Dubriel, Alan Shrives, Kevin Williams, Albert Kuvezin, Dr Oliver Corff, Mike Vande Bunt, Ralph Leighton, Masahiko Todoriki, Alan Leighton, Ken Simon, and Sami Jansson.
10: Travel To Tuva: Money
Bring lots of new bills. Outside of Moscow and a few other large,
western Russian cities, they don't accept American Express. Or
Visa. Or traveller's checks. Or anything. You must have 1990 or
newer dollars, preferably very new, and they must be unwrinkled,
untorn and unmarked if you don't want difficulties.
Although the exchange rate in Kyzyl is theoretically higher than
in Moscow, you may want to exchange at least some money in
Moscow. In previous years Kyzyl's banks sometimes had no roubles
to exchange.
The exchange rate "on the street" in Moscow may be better than
that in the bank in Kyzyl or via official channels in Moscow, but
be careful. Exchanging money on the street is illegal and the
penalty includes a fine as well as confiscation of your money.
You also risk being cheated (robbed or given counterfeit bills)
or you may get a worse exchange rate than that offered by the
banks.
Recent travellers advise that when possible, you should exchange
your money in a bank. Problems with the availability of roubles
do not exist any more.
As of the summer of 1998, there is an ATM in Kyzyl - in one bank
only, for now. It is in a main street backyard establishment (ask
for it, in front of OVIR and Bank of Tuva). It works with Visa
cards.
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