Will I be detained if I visit Moscow?

There are some people who are a bit scared of traveling to Russia because they are not sure if they would be safe or not. To be on the safe side, tourists should stay within the big cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg. There are some areas in Russia that are a bit risky to get into.

You might also become arrested if you are not supposed to be in a certain place at a given time. If you are not too familiar with what you can do while you are in Russia, it is best that you stick with more tourist-friendly areas. You are on a vacation to have fun and not to become detained by the Russian authorities.

At the time of this writing, the 2018 World Cup is happening in Russia with games being played in several cities including Moscow. The US government has issued travel advisories based on the fact that Americans are often subject to harassment by officials as well as locals. The warning is also due to the fact that large crowds are often targets for international terrorism.

While it is unlikely that you will be detained just for arriving or being in Moscow, certain rules must be followed like not exploring restricted areas. Generally speaking, Moscow and Russia as a whole are safe areas for the well-behaved and documented tourist. It is advisable to use common sense and stay away from potential trouble.