I am Spaniard but now I am studying in Russia and due to sanctions I can no longer transfer money between my accounts. Does anyone know how I can send money from Spain to Russia?
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1What did your bank(s) say when you asked them?– TravellerCommented Mar 10 at 22:37
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@Traveller I I simply used a mobile application where I put my bank card information and you could send the money, I didn't have to go to the bank or tell them anything.– MarcCommented Mar 11 at 11:04
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1 Answer
Due to the sanctions, the only safe method I have found to work right now is, to physically travel outside of Russia (I use Turkey for these purposes; but unless you are a Muslim or can speak Turkish, I would really suggest using a different country), get the money you need, and travel back.
One other (risky) option I use is, find a person in Russia who wants to send money outside of Russia (usually to the US, in my cases), vet them to make sure they are honest (I haven't rejected anyone yet, so can't offer advice there), and then make an arrangement where you will send that money from your bank account to their recipient, and they will give this money to you in Rubles. I am a little surprised that I haven't been scammed the entire time I have done this, but as long as I am the one who initiates the transaction, the odds of stumbling upon a scammer seem pretty low.
Again, I am not recommending this second option, since I myself still feel uneasy when I send the money without receiving anything until my money clears their bank; however, knowing that both sides are affected by the sanctions right now, I can attest to not having been scammed even a single time when doing this.
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3The second option sounds as if you could get into trouble for money laundering.– o.m.Commented Mar 11 at 16:11
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o.O. Didn't think that it was. Any source for me to read to see whether what I'm doing is indeed wrong? In Wikipedia definition of money laundering, an essential component is that the money is illegally gained (or gained as a result of an illegal act, depending on the country) -- which is not the case here.– AlexCommented Mar 14 at 19:19
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For a money transfer service, money laundering legislation requires them to know their customer, to document things, and so on. You do not think of yourself as a money transfer service, but from the viewpoint of your 'customers' you are -- you help them to move money. And you also help them to circumvent sanctions, which is another factor.– o.m.Commented Mar 14 at 19:32
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but with that definition, any time I send money to anyone abroad this would make me a transmitter -- I am helping Western Union move money from the abroad into Spain. You might say, Well, you're the one who contacts Western Union for the transfer -- this is also the case in Russia. You might say, Well, Western Union is a business -- so are these entities in Russia. You might say, They clear your money before they pay -- this is also the case here. This whole concept of me being a transmitter is new to me, so I'm finding it hard to reconcile with a legal transfer.– AlexCommented Mar 14 at 20:08
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1I cannot stop you, of course. But if Western Union would offer a service like yours, between Russia and the West, then the OP wouldn't have the problem. Russia is heavily sanctioned.– o.m.Commented Mar 15 at 5:33