Do Russian cards work in Malaysia in 2026? Mir and UnionPay cards?

The situation with Russian cards in Malaysia in 2026 is as follows:

• Mir cards: Do not work for either payment or cash withdrawal.
• UnionPay cards: Work, but with important caveats. Only cards issued by Rosselkhozbank (RSHB) and ATB are accepted for payment and cash withdrawal. UnionPay cards from other Russian banks (Gazprombank, Tinkoff, etc.) no longer function.

Tip for using UnionPay: Open a card in yuan (CNY) and top it up before each purchase via the bank's app. This will give you a benefit of a couple of percent compared to using a ruble card. We have collected detailed calculations in a separate guide.

Attention to fees when withdrawing cash with UnionPay:

1. Your bank (e.g., RSHB) may charge a fee (e.g., 3% of the amount for yuan cards under certain conditions).
2. The Malaysian bank that owns the ATM will definitely charge a fee from 10 to 20 ringgit (about 200-400 rubles) per transaction. This fee will be shown on the screen before withdrawal, and you can cancel the operation.

Withdrawal limits at ATMs are usually from 1500 to 4000 ringgit.

General recommendation: Use a bank card (UnionPay) as much as possible for payments in shops, restaurants, and hotels. And get cash by exchanging brought dollars or euros, which is often more profitable.

We have explained in detail all the nuances, security measures, and tariffs in our main article: Malaysian currency, exchange rate, bank cards, checks, tips.

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