Kompas Safety RUEN

← All situations

Planning a trip back to Russia

The guides below are drafts: a lawyer has not reviewed them yet. This is not legal advice.

Draft What human rights defenders advise

Travelling back to Russia: assessing the risks
  • Check yourself: a criminal-record certificate via Gosuslugi, the police wanted list, the bailiffs' database, the Rosfinmonitoring list, the draft register, court websites. More in 'Am I on a list?'. Note that the authorities can see when you log in to Gosuslugi.
  • Think about what could be used against you: donations to 'undesirable' or 'extremist' organisations or the Ukrainian army, posts with banned symbols, subscriptions to banned channels.
  • You can be named a suspect at any moment, including at the border. Human rights groups advise travelling with an ordinary phone prepared in advance, with a safe history, and arranging contact with a lawyer beforehand. Agree a check-in call with someone outside Russia.
  • At the border you'll be asked about your trip, job, relatives in Ukraine and view of the war, and devices may be inspected. If detained, ask your status, demand a lawyer, invoke art. 51 of the Constitution.
  • Men of draft age: if there's a summons in the register you won't be allowed to leave again. Get advice before the trip: First Department, Network Freedoms, OVD-Info (bot). OVD-Info is designated 'extremist' in Russia, so contact it from a device you will not take across the border.

Designations of organisations in this guide: OVD-Info (foreign agent, extremist, on Rosfinmonitoring list). Contacting them carries a risk: do not write from a phone that may be seized, and do not repost their materials.

current as of 25 September 2026. More: First Department: assessing the risks of a trip to Russia (foreign agent); OVD-Info: questions asked at the border (extremist)

Whom to contact

4 organisations

Net Freedoms Project

Legal hotline: cases over posts, reposts and comments, website blocking, detentions via facial recognition.

Set up by lawyers from the Agora human rights group, which Russia designated 'undesirable' in 2023.

The only official bot is @nfp_hotline. It never asks for money or SMS codes.

Other ways to reach them: Delta Chat

abroad contact matched to the organisation's site 26 September 2026
Message the bot @nfp_hotline

First Department

Lawyers for treason, espionage, state secrets and extremism cases, including closed trials. Advice on digital security.

The only official bot is @deptonebot. It never asks for money or SMS codes.

Other ways to reach them: website · info@dept.one

abroad foreign agent contact matched to the organisation's site 26 September 2026
Message the bot @deptonebot

OVD-Info

Advice for people who are detained or face administrative or criminal cases over protests and anti-war statements. They can tell you how to behave during questioning.

Since June 2026 it no longer works with lawyers in Russia; it gives advice and refers people onward. For criminal cases and pressure on families, also contact First Department and Prison Lawyer. The 8 800 hotline is switched off; only the bot works. Since 4 June 2026 it is on the Rosfinmonitoring list as 'extremist': do not repost its materials.

The only official bot is @ovdinfobot. It never asks for money or SMS codes.

abroad foreign agentextremiston Rosfinmonitoring list contact matched to the organisation's site 26 September 2026
Get in touch

This organisation is designated 'extremist' in Russia. It says that a consultation is not participation in its work, but messages on a phone that may be seized and reposts of its materials are dangerous. Write from a device you would not hand over if detained.

I understand the risk, continue

Other ways to reach them: legal@ovdinfo.org

@ovdinfobot

What next

Need a lawyer

In Russia, First Department and Solidarity Zone find lawyers. Lawyers abroad known for defending political cases: list of lawyers →

Exit