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Yekaterinburg

The capital of the Urals

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The capital of the Urals: skyscrapers, Ural rock, street art and the Europe–Asia border 17 km from the centre

A big city on the border of Europe and Asia: the Church on the Blood, the Plotinka dam on the Iset, the Yeltsin Center and the Vysotsky skyscraper viewing deck.

For foreign citizens

Entering Russia

Buses from Uralsk cross the Russian border. If you don't hold a Russian passport, here's what to know in advance.

  • VisaKazakhstan citizens don't need a visa and can stay up to 90 days in every 180. Citizens of other countries: check whether you need a Russian visa before booking.
  • Gosuslugi RuID appIn 2026 Russia is introducing advance registration through the RuID app for visa-free foreign visitors — at least 72 hours before the border, with a QR code issued after the check. Sources differ on exactly who it applies to, so check in advance.
  • Migration card and registrationFor longer stays, a migration card is filled in at the border, and your hotel or landlord registers you with the migration authorities.
  • ChildrenA child needs their own passport. If a child travels with one parent or without parents, bring a notarised consent to travel from the parent(s).
  • Debts can block your exitIn both Russia and Kazakhstan, debts under enforcement proceedings (loans, alimony, fines, taxes) can lead to a ban on leaving the country — and you only find out at the border. Check a couple of days before your trip: it takes a minute.
Check debts — Kazakhstan citizens

Information as of November 2026, collected from open sources. Rules change — check them on the foreign ministry and border service websites before you travel.

Who will love it here

  • Students and applicantsUral Federal University — one of Russia's largest — plus medical, economic and mining universities. A huge choice of subjects.
  • Young peopleThe home of Ural rock: Nautilus Pompilius, Chaif, Agatha Christie. Clubs, bars and the Stenograffia street-art festival.
  • Athletes and fansAvtomobilist in the KHL, Ural in football, and UMMC — a multiple women's EuroLeague basketball winner.
  • Families with childrenThe zoo, the Plotinka, the Yeltsin Center with interactive halls and the 52nd-floor viewing deck.
  • Older travellersThe Church on the Blood, the opera house and the fine arts museum with its Kasli cast-iron pavilion.
  • Nature loversDeer Streams park, the Uktus hills for skiing and the lakes of the Urals — all within an hour of the centre.

Sport and outdoors

  • Avtomobilist — hockeyA KHL club — loud games at the UMMC Arena.
  • UMMC — basketballThe women's team is a multiple EuroLeague winner.
  • Ural — footballThe Yekaterinburg Arena — the one with stands outside the stadium at the 2018 World Cup.
  • Mountains nearbyUktus and Mount Belaya — skiing and snowboarding.

What to try

  • Ural pelmeniLocal pride — young and old make them here.
  • ShangiOpen-faced potato buns — a Ural classic.
  • Food cultureHundreds of cafés, from Ural cuisine to chef-driven restaurants.

Arenas, stadiums and sport

Water parks, parks and fun

Evenings and nightlife

Sights

Museums and parks

Universities

There's no scheduled route here yet, but we can take your group on a chartered bus.

Charter a bus