First Time in the Metro

Everything you need to know as a first-time passenger on the Moscow underground

How to pay

Troika card 75 ₽ Top up at ticket offices, vending machines, the «Metro Moscow» app and MFC centres. Deposit — 150 ₽, refunded when you return the card.
Bank card or phone 83 ₽ Contactless payment — Visa, Mastercard, Mir, Apple Pay, Google Pay directly at the turnstile.
FacePay 71 ₽ Pay by face — register your biometrics in the «Metro Moscow» app. The cheapest fare.
Single «Unified» ticket 90 ₽ Paper ticket at the ticket office. Valid 5 days from purchase. Convenient for a one-off trip without a Troika card.

More about fares, passes and discounts — on the Fares 2026 page.

Children

Free
Children under 7 travel free when accompanied by an adult. There is no limit on the number of children. A ticket inspector may ask to see a birth certificate.

Escalator rules

→ Stand on the right, walk on the left
→ Hold the handrail, do not step on the boundary lines
→ Hold small children in your arms or by the hand
→ Do not linger when stepping off the escalator
✗ Sitting on steps or handrails, running, or sliding down the sides is prohibited

Hand luggage

Size (L+W+H sum) Condition
Up to 120 cm Free
120–150 cm, long items up to 220 cm Paid, max 2 items
Over 150 cm or longer than 220 cm Prohibited

Exception — prams and wheelchairs: no restrictions. Bicycles (except children's) and personal mobility devices (scooters, hoverboards, unicycles) — only in a cover or packaging.

Animals

✓ Animals and birds — only in a cage or special carrier (bag)
✓ Guide dogs — free of charge on a leash, with documentation of special training
✗ Animals outside a cage or carrier — prohibited

What is prohibited

Smoking and using e-cigarettes, vapes, or heated tobacco devices
Consuming alcohol or appearing intoxicated
Riding scooters, bicycles, rollerblades, hoverboards, or unicycles
Using a tripod for photo/video without permission (including selfie sticks)
Listening to music or watching video without headphones
Putting feet on seats, lying on benches (except children under 7)
Leaving hand luggage unattended
Crossing the safety line at the platform edge before the train has fully stopped
Using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Photography and filming

✓ Photos without a tripod — allowed without permission
!
Video and professional photography — written permission from metro management required

Applications are processed in 2–4 business days. Permitted times: weekdays 12:00–16:00 and 22:00–00:30, weekends 06:00–00:30. Send requests to metro@transport.mos.ru

✓ Press/news filming — free of charge, but permission is still required

Help and contacts

Moscow Transport Contact Centre
3210
From mobile (free). Or +7 (495) 539-54-54. Daily, 24 hours.
Alexandra's Assistant
Online chat at mosmetro.ru — answers questions about payment, routes, and the Troika card.
Moscow Transport Service Centres

Open daily 08:00–20:00 at Big Circle Line stations: Tekstilshchiki, Kuntsevskaya, Vernadsky Prospekt, Savelovskaya, Petrovsky Park, Sokolniki, Kashirskaya. They can help with your Troika card, ticket exchanges, and compensation for incorrect charges.