The U.S. Department of State says do not travel to Russia, citing the war, wrongful detention and arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Electronic devices are routinely searched at the border. If you go, here is how to arrive with nothing sensitive on the device you carry.
Last reviewed: 23 September 2026 · Sources listed at the foot of this page
The U.S. Department of State places Russia at Level 4, Do Not Travel, citing the war in Ukraine, the risk of wrongful detention, terrorism and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, and U.S. consulates have suspended services. [U.S. State Department] [U.S. Embassy Moscow]
Electronic devices are routinely searched at the border, with fines or arrests for content deemed extremist, and foreigners have been questioned over social media posts critical of the government. The advice is to avoid photographing military sites or discussing sensitive topics online. [on the Level 4 advisory]
This is a short summary for context. Advisories change; read the official advisory for your nationality before you travel. We are a data-security company, not a travel-safety authority.
A device inspection can reach the messages, photos and documents on the phone, and the accounts you can open on it. Devices are searched at the border, and older posts, photos and messages are part of your history.
Content that touches the war, the military or the government can be used against you. The safest phone to carry is one that has nothing sensitive on it. Do any offload before you enter, since access to services outside the country is often blocked.
Set up a SpaceBox on a device that stays home, then send it the files you would not want inspected. They are encrypted on your phone and sealed to the home device, and your phone keeps no copy.
Take photos and write notes in the app itself, and they are encrypted and sent to your home SpaceBox without ever sitting in the clear on your phone. Anyone you invite can send you files the same way.
Your files were waiting at home the whole time. You open them on your SpaceBox once you are back, with keys that never left that device.
Everything is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, under keys exchanged with post-quantum ML-KEM-768. The app on the phone you carry acts only as a sender: it stores no files and holds no account or personal data. SpaceBox keeps the documents, photos and notes you would otherwise carry off the device; it does not hide your public social media, so review your accounts and avoid posting sensitive content while you travel. For larger archives, SpaceBox Ground adds more room.
General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official advisory for your nationality before you travel. SpaceBox is not available to residents of the EU and EEA during the beta.
| Scenario | Without SpaceBox | With SpaceBox |
|---|---|---|
| Device search at the border | An officer can require you to unlock the phone and read the messages, photos and documents on it. | Your sensitive files are on your home SpaceBox, not the phone, so unlocking it shows nothing sensitive to read. |
| Content deemed extremist | Posts, photos or messages touching the war, the military or the government sit on the device and can be used against you. | You capture notes and photos in the app and send them to your home SpaceBox encrypted, so they are not stored in the clear on the phone. |
| Public and hotel Wi-Fi | Data sent over shared networks can be intercepted, and devices are a common target. | Files are encrypted on your device before they leave it, so an intercepted transfer is unreadable. |
| Receiving files while abroad | New documents land in email or cloud apps on the device you carry. | Anyone you invite sends files straight to your home SpaceBox, so they never touch your travel phone. |
| Phone lost, seized or held | Whoever holds the device can reach whatever is on it or signed in on it. | The device holds no account and no sensitive files; your data stays on the SpaceBox at home. |
The protection comes from your sensitive data not being on the device you carry. The app on that phone holds no account and no stored files.
A 30-day add-on bought inside the app; it raises your quota for the trip and stacks with a free voucher.
Advisory levels and local laws change. The links above are the primary sources; check them for the current position before you travel.
Set up a SpaceBox at home, move your sensitive files to it before you fly, and cross the border with a device that has nothing on it. Free to start, no card, no email.