• The "24-hour currency exchange office on every corner" of the 1990s and early 2000s no longer exists in Moscow. This isn't a temporary problem — it's how the market is built now: retail cash currency exchange in Russia has been moved entirely inside the banking perimeter, and there are virtually no 24-hour bank FX desks in the city.
• The only genuine 24/7 option is the FX desks at Moscow's three airports (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo). With one serious caveat: the rate there is noticeably worse than in the city.
• Inside the city itself, a round-the-clock cash exchange is virtually nonexistent. Some large banks run "extended-hours" branches that stay open late and on weekends, but that's not "all night."
• If you need the exchange urgently — but not literally "in the middle of the night" — there are options: an online conversion through your bank's app to a foreign-currency account followed by a cash withdrawal in the morning, an exchange-traded deal on a brokerage account, or a private-party exchange through a peer-to-peer service (with the obvious risks).

Below is a detailed look at each option and what to do if you need the cash right now.

Why 24-hour currency exchange offices are gone from Moscow

A few years ago, Moscow and other major Russian cities had independent currency exchange offices — small operators with 24-hour cash desks, usually on busy streets and near railway stations. Between 2010 and 2016, this industry was effectively shut down by the regulator: cash foreign-currency operations were left only to banks and authorised credit institutions. First came minimum-capital requirements, then broader regulation of FX operations.

For a Moscow resident in 2026, the upshot is simple: the "currency exchange office" — a standalone outlet with a rate board, open at night — is essentially extinct. What's left are bank FX desks, and bank FX desks run on bank hours. For most banks, that means weekday evenings, with short hours on weekends — or closed.

It pays to know this in advance — otherwise the plan of "showing up on Tverskaya at night to exchange 200 euros" won't pan out.

Where 24/7 is genuinely available: the airports

Moscow's three airports — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo — are the traditional zone for round-the-clock exchange. Several banks and FX operators run desks there; some are open 24 hours, others operate "until the last flight" (which in Moscow is almost the same thing).

There's one drawback: the rate. Airport FX rates are consistently worse than city rates — that's the nature of a sales point catering to transit demand. The spread at an airport FX desk can be 1.5 to 2 times wider than at a city branch. On 100 dollars, the difference is negligible. On 1,000, it hurts.

So a simple rule of thumb: if you need a night-time exchange of up to 100 USD/EUR, the airport will do — and it's a perfectly comfortable solution. If you need to exchange more, wait until morning and head to a city bank branch. For more on the price gap, see airport vs. city: where it's better to exchange currency in Moscow.

Extended-hours bank branches

Some large Moscow banks run branches that stay open late or on weekends. That isn't "24/7," but it does beat the standard 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Monday-to-Friday schedule. In practice, it works out roughly like this:

• Branches inside large shopping centres — usually open until 9:00–10:00 PM, including Saturdays and Sundays.
• Flagship offices (on Tverskaya, Kutuzovsky Prospekt, in Moscow-City) — extended hours, with some open until 11:00 PM.
• Branches at railway stations — some banks run desks there, occasionally with extended hours, but not around the clock.

The widget at the top of the page shows rates by bank and branch addresses. Before heading out, check the specific office's hours on the bank's website — schedules often change around holidays.

Compare rates right now

The widget below lists Moscow banks with current rates and branch addresses:

Don't pick by who posts the biggest number — pick by who's open in your time window and within easy reach. An extra hour of sleep is worth more than 0.5 rubles per dollar.

What to do if you need an exchange right now, at night

There are a few practical paths here.

If the amount is small (up to the equivalent of 100 USD/EUR) and you need it urgently for current expenses. Head to the nearest 24/7 location — usually an airport, or a round-the-clock FX desk run by a large operator in central Moscow. Treat the poor rate as the "price of urgency" and don't overpay beyond what you need — exchange just enough to get you through to morning.

If the amount is mid-sized or large. Wait for morning. A few hours of sleep aren't worth the 1,500–3,000 rubles you'll pay for the "urgent" rate. In the morning, head to a normal city branch, pick a rate from the widget, and exchange at your leisure.

If you need the exchange on a weekend. It's not "night," but the problem is similar — banks run shorter hours or are closed altogether. For the full breakdown, see weekend currency exchange in Moscow.

If the conversion can be non-cash. Any Moscow bank lets you convert rubles into USD/EUR/CNY in a foreign-currency account through its mobile app, at any time of day, at the bank's rate or the market rate. It isn't a cash exchange, but if the goal is to lock in an FX position overnight, this works.

Comparison table: what's available, when

The main takeaway: the only truly round-the-clock place to get cash in Moscow is the airport — and you pay for it in the rate.

An alternative to everything: online conversion plus a morning pickup

The most practical approach, if you need the exchange done by the next day rather than this second:

1. In the evening, open your bank's app and convert the rubles you need into USD/EUR/CNY in your foreign-currency account.
2. Place a cash withdrawal request at your chosen branch for the next morning. Most large banks ask for one to three business days to release large sums, but smaller amounts (up to a couple of thousand dollars) are often handed out "on demand" within a few hours.
3. In the morning, you pick up the cash.

The upside: the non-cash conversion rate in the app is usually better than the cash-desk rate for the same currency. The downside: if you need the money tonight, this approach doesn't work.

What you definitely should NOT do

A few common mistakes when exchanging at night:

• Exchanging currency with strangers via a messenger ad. Beyond the obvious risk of counterfeits, it's a legal grey zone: FX transactions between private individuals are allowed, but "the street" is always a risk.
• Hauling all your cash to a single airport without checking first — airport FX desk schedules change, and not every desk actually operates round the clock.
• Exchanging the entire sum at the airport at its worst rate. Exchange the minimum you need to get through to morning, and do the rest at a normal FX desk.

Where to read next

• Currency exchange at Moscow airports — a detailed look at SVO, DME, and VKO.
• Weekend currency exchange in Moscow — what's open on Saturday and Sunday.
• Airport vs. city: where it's better to exchange currency — on the price gap.

Frequently asked questions

Are there any genuinely 24-hour currency exchange offices in central Moscow?

Full-service cash desks open round the clock are virtually nonexistent inside the city. Retail currency exchange in Russia is fully inside the banking perimeter, and 24-hour bank FX desks in the city are a rarity. Real 24/7 service is found mainly at the airports.

What are the hours of the FX desks at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo?

Each of these airports has FX desks open round the clock, tied to the flight schedule. Check exact locations and hours on the airports' own websites before you go — schedules do change.

Can you exchange currency at an ATM at night?

No, multi-currency cash exchange via ATMs isn't a widespread practice in Moscow. An ATM can give you rubles from your card, but it won't accept cash dollars or hand you cash dollars in return for rubles.

What's better: exchanging at the airport at night, or waiting for morning?

If the amount is small (50–100 dollars for current expenses), exchange at the airport — the markup is tolerable. If it's more than 200 dollars, wait for the morning; the difference can add up to real money.

Are bank FX desks open on New Year's Eve or public holidays?

On major holidays, FX desk hours are even shorter than on a regular weekend. On New Year's Eve, plan to use the airports only. For public holidays in general, check the specific bank's website ahead of time.

Can you buy currency through a bank app at night?

Yes — non-cash conversion of rubles into USD/EUR/CNY through a mobile app is available 24 hours a day. The rate is usually the exchange rate plus the bank's spread. It's the best option if you need the money in an account rather than as cash.