Employees of the Russian Ministry of Finance for the first time received their salaries in digital rubles. The first such transfers took place on October 1, 2026: to receive the money, employees of the department had previously opened digital ruble accounts on the Bank of Russia platform.
It will not be mandatory to switch to the new method of receiving salary. The Ministry of Finance emphasizes that the transfer of payments to digital rubles occurs solely at the discretion of the individual. The ability to use the new form of national currency became available to citizens after its widespread introduction began on September 1, 2026.
Digital rubles are already being used not only for salaries. Since January 2026, federal state-owned, budgetary, and autonomous institutions can freely conduct settlements with them. The new form of currency is also allowed for accepting payment for services and transferring payments to the budget.
The first budget operations with digital rubles began back in 2025 as part of a pilot project. At that time, they were used to pay individual salaries and scholarships, as well as to make settlements under government contracts. The total volume of such operations for the year approached 16 million rubles.
The Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Russia are jointly engaged in introducing the digital ruble into the budget system. Since September 1, major banks and retail companies have also begun to open infrastructure for transfers and payments in digital rubles to clients.
