North Korea Russia
North Korea 
RussiaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
North Korea and Russia share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Russia
- Drive on the right.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol limit (0.0%).
- Headlights on at all times.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
What to see when you arrive in Russia
- the Red Square and Kremlin in Moscow
- the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg
- Saint Basil's Cathedral
- the Trans-Siberian Railway
- Lake Baikal
Once you're driving in Russia
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
A foreign tourist may drive on a valid national licence for up to 60 days after arrival; if the licence is not in Russian/Cyrillic an International Driving Permit (1949 or 1968 Convention) is required, and rental firms generally insist on an IDP plus passport and credit card.
Tolls & road charges
Most roads are free, but several modern highways (e.g. the M11 Neva Moscow-St Petersburg and M4 Don sections) are tolled; pay cash or card at toll plazas, or use a T-pass/Transponder transponder for the barrier lanes.
Parking in the cities
Central Moscow and St Petersburg have paid zones marked by blue signs, paid via the Moscow Parking app, parkomat machines or SMS; unpaid or wrongly parked cars are ticketed by camera and frequently towed to an impound lot.
Fines & camera enforcement
Foreign drivers face common fines such as roughly 500 RUB for no seatbelt, 1,500 RUB for handheld phone use and 500-5,000 RUB for speeding bands; many are camera-issued, and rental firms deduct camera penalties plus an admin fee from your card.
If you have an accident
Dial 112 (general emergency) or 102 for police; you must call the traffic police (GIBDD, formerly GAI) and obtain their report, and you must not move the vehicles until they document the scene unless a minor crash qualifies for the Europrotokol self-report form.
Driving in the capital
Moscow's MKAD ring road is a fast, heavily trafficked beltway, and the historic centre inside the Garden Ring (Sadovoye Koltso) is congested with strict camera-enforced paid parking.
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org · en.wikipedia.org · remitly.com