Russian Brides: Statistics, Cost & Legality in 2023

If you know anything about foreign mail order brides, then we probably don’t need to explain that they can be very diverse. Overseas mail order brides are usually rather exotic and distinctively foreign.

However, there is a special type of foreign bride known as Slavic mail order brides, who have standard features but an entirely different mindset. Russian mail order brides are probably the most famous ones of Slavic women for marriage.

There are hundreds of Russian brides legally entering the US to marry American men every year. 778 of them did it in 2010, and in 2019, that number grew to 815.

❤️ Success rate	80%
🇷🇺 Popular Russian cities with brides	Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan
💰 Average cost of a Russian bride	$5,000 – $20,000
⌛ Average age of Russian brides	23 y.o.
💔 Divorce rate	20%

6 Best Russian mail order brides & Dating websites in 2023

4.9

Russian wives: International marriage statistics

Wondering why are Russian mail order brides so popular? Want to understand why Russian girls want to meet Western men? Looking for information about how much it costs to get a life partner from Eastern Europe to your own country?

We’ll provide the answers to all these questions about Russian women here—but first, we’ll talk about statistics. For example, did you know that hot Russian women don’t mind the large age gap between a husband and a wife?

The top 5 facts about Russian mail order wives are right here.

Most Russian women searching for Western gentlemen on mail order bride services are 18-25 years old. However, there are many success stories about Russian singles in their 30s and 40s who successfully found a Western man—so even if your ideal woman must be, say, 40 years old, it’s not a problem with all those mail order bride sites.
The age gap is not a problem for Russian women. Most Russian ladies on international online dating platforms don’t care about it—so if you’re focused on younger Russian ladies, it’s not a problem at all.
The divorce rate is lower in marriages between American men and Russian women for marriage.
Russian women are extremely popular among Western men. In 2019, almost 900 Russian mail-order wives entered the US on a K-1 visa!
Russian girls are not into early motherhood—it’s a false stereotype. The same is about the fertility rate (1.5)—modern Russian women don’t want to be stay-at-home wives with 3 or more children.

Russian bride — Russian woman Source: BravoDate

Why do Russian women become mail order brides?

There are many reasons why Russian ladies have started using international dating sites.

Here, we’ll talk about the three most popular ones:

Russian women want to find caring, loving, and respectful foreign gentlemen. These beautiful ladies believe American men are family-oriented, serious, and perfect for serious relationships.
The quality of life is better in the US. This has nothing to do with gold-digging, of course—many Russian women simply would like to enjoy a better health care system, education, and a higher level of life.
Slavic girls have more opportunities in the US than they have in Russia. Even the language barrier isn’t a problem for them! Russian ladies are smart, ambitious, and strong, and they believe they can achieve more in Western countries.

2 Success stories from Russia

Aleksander and Katarzyna

via SofiaDate

Aleksander is 38 years old—his parents emigrated from Russia at the beginning of the 1990s, so he has always had special feelings for his motherland.

He met Katarzyna (Kate) on a service for American-Slavic dating in 2017—she is a 26-year–old English teacher from Russia, so they certainly had no problems with the language and cultural barriers.

They met twice in 2017 and three times in 2018—after that, Aleksander proposed to her, and of course, she said “yes”! Today, they live in a small home in Atlanta—they’re raising two children, and they are extremely happy with their life.

Ryan and Anna

via JollyRomance

A Russian student from Moscow and a heating engineer from Chicago—if they hadn’t signed up on a dating website, they’d never have met each other.

The good news is that they live in the world with Jolly Romance—a dating service they signed up a year ago, in 2021. They haven’t married yet—basically, they only met once since 2021, so it’s too early to speak about marriage right now, taking into account their age (she is 22, he is 24).

They meet, chat, and have fun together—Ryan and Anna are a perfect example of a successful long-distance relationship.

The risks and challenges associated with finding a Russian mail order bride in 2023

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Today, there’s a full-scale war initiated by Russia on Ukrainian soil—with missiles, tanks, jets, and nuclear threats. The whole situation is intense, and the prospect of getting a Russian bride may seem questionable.

So what exactly are the challenges associated with getting a Russian bride today? Here are the answers.

Meeting your partner in Russia is strongly not recommended.
The country is safe to visit war-wise (well, the majority of it) and it’s technically possible to get a tourist visa, but the travel advisory level is 4, which means the risks are so high it’s not recommended to travel there.
It may be dangerous for an American citizen to visit this country—you may be harassed there, and the Embassy will have limited ability to assist; you may become “undesirable,” which might lead to detention and even a criminal investigation; you may be abused just because you’re an American citizen, etc.
But even if we’re not talking about the risks, it’s a total logistical mess—there are no direct flights to Russia anymore (only through Turkey or Kazakhstan) and a bus trip from, say, Poland to Russia is definitely not the experience you want to have, just trust us. And you can’t use your credit card there, so it’s one more reason against this idea.
It’s, however, not impossible for a Russian citizen to get a visa, be it a fiancé(e) visa, a spousal visa, or any other one.
The number of sanctions against Russia is large, but the visa restrictions were only introduced against Russian government members, propagandists, military leaders, etc. But even without official restrictions, the process of getting a visa for your potential Russian bride is now even more complex, expensive, and time-consuming. The point is, it’s now impossible for a Russian citizen to get a visa within their country—to apply, they need to go to other countries. So if you are going to bring a Russian mail order bride to the US, you will need to put a lot of effort and time into it.
If you’re potentially interested in Ukrainian brides, too, and think you’ll want to go to Ukraine in the future, here comes another challenge:
you will probably have problems with entering Ukraine after the war. We believe that the border guards will have a lot of questions for a foreigner who visited Russia during the invasion.

These are not all the problems and risks, obviously. But in general, these three factors are the main reasons why getting a Russian bride in Russia is definitely not a good idea in 2023.

Is it legal to buy a Russian bride?

In short, yes—you can get a Russian mail order wife legally.

But it’s not that simple, you can’t “buy” a Russian wife, of course. Then there is a question – How to buy a Russian wife? You chat with Russian ladies on dating sites, meet them in person, choose the Russian girl you like most, propose to her, and get her to your country. It’s legal, but it’s not the same thing as “buying” a Russian wife.

After arrival, your Russian mail order wife will get a green card. Then (in 3 years), she will be able to apply for US citizenship—that’s why the answer to the question “are Russian brides legal?” is “yes”.

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Try to calculate the cost of a Russian mail order bride

❗ Note, to calculate the cost of a Russian bride, select the Slavic region ❗

How much does it cost to buy a bride from Russia?

Getting a Russian girl to the United States might cost you around $5,000 or more than that. What actually will you pay for?

Dating sites
Meeting a Russian woman in person
Wedding
K-1 visa

Russian brides cost — Source: The prices are based on BudgetYourTrip and SkyScanner data

So, first of all, you’ll need to pay for the dating site. The absolute majority of mail order bride sites are not free for male members—you can view photos and browse the sites for free, but you’ll need to pay to send messages on (almost) any mail order bride’s service.

Most Russian mail order platforms cost around $100 per month, but it depends on—you can spend more than that if you prefer spending hours in a video chat or sending expensive gifts to foreign women.

Then, it’s time for offline dating—you’ll have to meet a Russian mail order bride in person if you’re going to bring her to the US later. Well, it’s not only about legal requirements, of course—you’ll get to know your bride’s character better, you’ll be able to hear her voice and understand what kind of woman she is after the real-life date.

Here’s how much it costs:

Tickets from the US to Moscow/St Petersburg cost $500-$1,000, depending on the season and booking time.
Hotels in Russia cost around $45 per day ($630 for 2 weeks)
Food—$15 per day ($210 for 2 weeks)
Transportation—$10 per day ($140 for 2 weeks)
Entertainment—$30 per day ($420 for 2 weeks)

The wedding in Russia might cost you anything from $5,000 to $20,000—but if you’re going to bring a Russian woman to the US upon a K-1 visa, you will get married in the United States, not in Russia.

As for the visa, it’s simple. A K-1 visa (the most popular one in the Russian mail order bride industry) will cost you around $2,500. In comparison, a CR-1 visa (your Russian mail order bride can get it if you get married in Russia before the arrival) costs approximately $1,500.

You shouldn’t expect to get real Russian wives for sale as a foreign husband. What’s more, you need to be prepared for additional expenses. A 30-minute consultation with an immigration lawyer might cost you $100-$300, and permanent resident assistance by a lawyer might cost up to $20,000—you need to create a financial cushion to be ready for the unexpected bureaucratic expenses.

Why Russia is one of the best countries to find a wife?

Russian females are extremely popular in online dating. Tens of thousands of them search for a foreign man on dozens of legitimate Russian bride sites—there must be a good reason for such popularity.

The fact is, there are at least 4 reasons why Russian females are perfect for marriage.

Here they are:

There is a stereotype about beautiful Slavic women, and Russian/Ukrainian ladies are a perfect example of why this stereotype is 100% true. We’ll talk about the beauty of hot Russian women later, but you need to know that they are really extremely attractive.
Sexy Russian brides love dating foreign men. There are many sites with women from other countries, but when it comes to women from Russia, there are probably hundreds of such sites! These women are very open-minded, and they are genuinely interested in dating a man from the US.
Russian mail order brides are very traditional. It’s about Russian culture—these women are taught to be perfect wives from an early age, they are very respectful, loyal, and caring.
At the same time, a modern Russian woman is a strong, educated, and ambitious woman. Yes, the family values of such a woman are quite traditional (as if it’s a bad thing!), but they are well-educated, they want to work and make money, and they are really independent.

The natural appearance of Russian brides for marriage will steal your heart

The impressive elegance of Russian females makes them one of the most desirable partners to pop the question and create a strong family that is so important in the life of an average Ukrainian wife. When you arrive in this country, you will see many ladies with slim figures, big eyes, long legs, and thin waists.

You will be fascinated by a lush, fresh-lipped blond and skin glowing gold. Straight or curly long hair will float in the air and gain your attention.

Beautiful Russian brides also have an astonishing sense of style

Russian wife can not only raise their kids and maintain the household but also be 21st-century big fashionistas. Due to their amazing fashion sense, they will look gorgeous when you invite them to a café, theater, or respectable event. You’ll undoubtedly be the most enchanting and interesting couple at any party!

There exists a stereotype that these ladies always wear fur coats and high heels. Even in case, they go to the supermarket. It is not true. Nowadays, they dress for each event properly, so you’ll not look silly with such a woman.

No doubt, your perfect match will look her best when she is accompanying an essential communicative role with you. If you go to an everyday meeting, your special lady will choose something comfortable but absolutely fashionable. When Russian mail-order wives are out in public, she dresses in an exquisite manner. Like a Polish girl for marriage, she frequently prefers being in high heels despite the rain or even snow.

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Attractive and sexy figure of the Russian bride

The extensive number of Russian brides for marriage has the shape of an hourglass that will catch your imagination. They like to emphasize a narrow waist and wide hips with a tight dress and a pair of heels. You will be absolutely charmed by the low neckline on the dress, which they prefer to wear on dates. Unlike a low percentage of some shy Asian brides for sale, brides from Russia are not afraid of looking feminine and sexy.

The shape of an hourglass is supposed to be an ideal type of female figure. The hips and shoulders are equal in width, and thanks to this, the lower and upper parts of the body look proportionate. Narrow waist makes her the image like a fairy princess that waits for her ideal prince. And this prince is yours! So, don’t waste your time, and go ahead!

This type of figure you can notice in such famous public persons as Sophia Loren, Monica Bellucci, Marilyn Monroe, and Scarlett Johansson. Agree, their shapes are perfect, and they are so captivating! Be sure your future wife from Russia will have the same attractive features.

Extremely well-kept manners

As you know, Slavic mail order brides have not only received astonishing genetics, but they also understand and can make their physical traits even more attractive. Since an active lifestyle is very popular today, many of them go to the gym.

So, you have the possibility to appreciate her fit and sexy body. They are very fond of caring for their appearance. Bear in mind that she will spend part of her free time in the salon to do manicures, hair cut, or massages.

You want a pretty and tidy girl, don’t you? It’s necessary to mention that a Russian girl for marriage uses makeup skillfully. You will notice her long eyelashes, rosy cheeks, and plump painted lips. Moreover, she rarely goes overboard without makeup on a date or to work, as well as some Latino brides can do.

Hot Russian bride — Hot Russian lady Source: UkraineBride4you

Russian wives scams

When it comes to the Russian mail-order bride industry, two things can spoil your online dating experience. First, it’s choosing the wrong dating service—if a dating service has weak protection systems or a bad reputation, you will most likely not enjoy it.

It’s easy to avoid this problem—just choose a dating platform from our list of top dating sites, and it’s done. The top sites might not be cheap, but they are worth the money.

When it comes to the second problem of Russian mail order bride platforms, it’s much more serious. We’re talking about scams.

An interesting fact is: Americans lost more than $300,000,000 to dating scammers. Thousands of real customers of dating websites lose thousands of dollars every single day—and you surely don’t want to be one of the victims.

Here, we’ll discuss the most popular types of scams you might face when searching for a woman on a mail order bride platform.

❗ Data scam

A data scam is when a scammer (not necessarily a woman and not necessarily from Russia) steals your personal or financial information. For example, if the scammer steals your credit card number and CVV/CVC code, they might try to steal the money from your credit card. If you provide the scammer with your SSN and date of birth, the chances of losing money increase drastically.

The same applies to personal information such as your address, even your job, or the malls you prefer—if a scammer knows everything about you, they can easily pretend to be you at a bank or to a shop, for example.

Here’s how it works: you tell a good-looking lady everything about you and forget about it. Then, in a few months, the scammers from China, Russia, or India buy a brand-new laptop online with your card and get it shipped to their country. Then, the problems begin—you waste days trying to explain to your bank what happened, your credit score falls within the Poor range, and your trust in Russian brides fades away.

That’s not what you want, surely—and the good news is that it’s easy to prevent this type of fraud. Just don’t reveal your credit card/PayPal information to anyone you’ve met on a dating website, that’s all.

❗ “Send money”

We won’t write a lot here because there’s actually nothing to write about here. A scammer tells you about the problems (health, debts, etc.) and wants you to send them money, that’s how it works. Preventing this type of scam is even easier—just don’t send money to women you’ve met on a dating site, and you’re ok.

❗ Fake Russian mail order brides

A Russian girl who looks like a top model sends you kind words and tells her she’s in love even though you haven’t uploaded a photo yet—that’s how a typical fake Russian mail bride looks and acts. To not fall into this trap, you need to google the photos of the ladies you’re communicating with.

❗ Fake Russian mail order bride websites

As if fake profiles weren’t bad enough. Fake websites look like real ones but with one difference—they are, well, fake. No real members, only bots; no protection and security; no customer support—it’s impossible to find a Russian bride on these sites. Buying a premium subscription or credits on such websites is pouring money down the drain.

The bad news is: telling a fake dating platform about Russian brides for sale might be quite difficult with all those fake reviews and stuff. We recommend choosing the websites carefully, reading all the reviews you can find, and trusting only real experts.

❗ Membership fraud

Here’s how it works: you sign up on a website with Russian brides and start chatting with them. Then, you lose all the money from your credit card.

This might sound awful, but it’s all about fine print and auto-renewal. That’s why we highly recommend all our customers and readers turn the auto-renewal service off and read the terms and conditions page carefully.

Russian lady for marriage — Russian lady Source: JollyRomance

Great features you can find in the mentality of a Russian bride

Russian females belong to the top of the most demanded and desired fiancées on over the world, not only thanks to their physical attributes. Their loyal character belongs to a common feature of Slavic brides. There are many stories in history in which such a wife followed her husband wherever he went, and this is still actual nowadays.

Real Russian brides are superstitious

Remember that ladies from Russia have many superstitions that have obtained a traditional character. For example, “knock on wood” that is known and used in different countries.

Don’t be surprised when your beloved will sit down inside your flat before leaving for a trip; or she will spit three times over their shoulders after they knock on wood. They don’t really suppose these actions have an effect, but they used to do it anyway.

Not only beautiful but also well-educated and intelligent

Your beloved foreign lady will impress you not only with her natural beauty but also her flexible mind. Higher education is in demand in their country; thus, many young girls as Swedish wives graduate from universities and have a Master’s degree. It is some sort of obligation in a modern country.

Therefore, your future wife is likely to be willing to work. They are good teachers, doctors, economists, actresses, and instructors. They can devote a lot of time to work and succeed. But it is not a reason to think that the career will be more important for her than household duties. Remember, happy family life is her highest priority.

Family is the most valuable for Russian women

Being a Russian mail order bride is a popular idea among young Russian girls who want to get married but were never married before and didn’t have children. At the same time, you can find plenty of Russian brides who have some marriage history and even children from previous relationships.

Approximately 18% of Russian mail order brides move to the United States with their kids, which is quite close to the statistical data regarding Chinese mail order wives. Depending on what you want your future family to look like, you have plenty of options to choose from.

She will devote a significant part of her life to the carrying and upbringing of your kids. Russians are ideal mothers and friends to their children. A lot of them have the desire to get acquainted with serious foreign men who will present them a boundless love and the opportunity to live in abundance. They make every effort to create a happy family and can even put aside their work until their children reach school age.

Inherited family traditions

The idea of love for the family and kids originates from the childhood of your foreign cutie. Every little girl in this country plays mother-and-daughter games in the yard and imagines a peaceful family with smart and lovely babies.

Love for children is inherited from their mothers, and that’s great. Of course, your potential wife will not tell you about marriage and children on your first date, but remember, it’s always in her dreams.

Man’s status in a family with a Russian bride

You should remember one more thing about family customs in her homeland. All girls from this powerful country are raised with the understanding that man is the head of the family. Like mail order brides from Colombia, they have a classic hierarchy of a family, so you will not face the problem of family leadership.

When we speak about single Russian women who often seem as strong and independent, be sure it’s just a cover. Under it, you will see a tender and sensual woman who wants love. Sometimes it looks like a special game in which you try to melt her heart, but she already knows the right answer.

Some examples of well-known Russian celebrities

Interested in single Russian brides? Want to find or buy a Russian wife? Check this list out, then—we found the top 6 Russian celebrities who are definitely worth taking a look at!

Natalia Vodianova—a 40-year-old Russian model with a perfect body, facial features, and sense of style.
Marina Alexandrova—one of the most popular Russian actresses with Hungarian roots. She is extremely charming and sexy, and she’s a perfect example of Russian beauty!
Anastasia Ivleeva—a 31-year-old blogger and TV host, one of the most popular women in Russia right now, and definitely one of the sexiest girls in this country.
Irina Shayk—one of the hottest and most successful supermodels, the girl who dated Cristiano Ronaldo, and who is the most famous Russian female celebrity in Western countries.
Valentina Zelyaeva—another extremely popular and successful Russian model who worked with such magazines as Vogue. A gorgeous blonde with blue eyes: exactly what one could expect when searching for a sexy Russian bride!
Natasha Poly—a 36-year-old Russian model who’s surprisingly much more popular in the West than in Russia. Fit body, blonde hair, perfect face — it’s all about her.

8 Steps: How to get a Russian wife?

First, choose a reliable site with Russian women for sale. It’s critical to pick a trusted and reputable dating website because if you register on a platform with a lot of fake profiles or with weak anti-scam protection, your experience will be far from perfect.
Test the website’s features and take a look at the profiles. Does it feel convenient? Do the women on this site look real? We recommend choosing the websites with a so-called “welcome bonus” so that you can get some credits for free and chat with ladies without paying anything.
Use the search tool. This way, you’ll find a Russian wife which shares your values.
Buy some credits or purchase a premium subscription. Most international dating services are not free to use so you’ll have to pay to chat with women.
Start chatting with the girls. Use all the communication tools available—if there’s a video chat or a voice call feature, we highly recommend using it.
Ask women on a date and meet them in person. It makes no sense to spend months or years online chatting (unless that’s your goal). That’s why we recommend turning your online relationship into a real thing as soon as possible.
Be respectful, buy flowers, and show that you’re a real gentleman. That’s how you impress Russian girls on the first date!
Make her a proposal and get her “yes.” If you both feel you’ve meant for each other, then ask her to be your wife!

Conclusion

David Wygant

Dating Expert

Find a Russian wife is not a careless task. It requires you to be responsible and open-minded. Making the choice of a partner for the whole life is not an easy thing, especially for women. To steal her heart, you need to build a conversation by considering her national culture and habits.

She will appreciate your care, good manners, compliments, and unexpected cute gifts, certainly. So get a Russian bride, and she will make your future colorful and full of sense.

Video: Explore a story with a Russian wife

FAQ

How to meet Russian mail order brides?

Basically, the easiest and cheapest way to find them is to use niche websites. On such platforms, only Russian women looking for serious relationships with men are accepted. There’s also a chance of meeting them in Russia or using one of the global dating apps like Bumble or Tinder, but it’s significantly smaller.

Should I use free Russian mail order bride websites?

The vast majority of niche Russian sites with mail order brides are premium platforms, which can be explained by the fact that they don’t just accept all girls but choose motivated members who want to marry a foreigner and provide a lot of services including gift delivery. There are free global dating apps, but they do work not as well for those who are looking for a mail order wife from Russia.

How to choose a reliable Russian mail order bride site?

First, it’s important to find a few platforms that meet a basic requirement – have at least a few thousand of Russian brides. Then, you need to check them carefully, paying special attention to the features, costs, and quality of profiles. Ideally, you should also test them using free trial/complimentary credits to make sure the site is worth paying for.

Are Russian brides a real thing?

Yes. There are tens of thousands of real Russian brides—most of them think American men make better husbands than local men, and that’s why they sign up on international dating sites. Hundreds of them get married to Americans every single year!

Can you really order a Russian bride?

No, it’s not that you can really “buy” a bride, of course. The process is similar to online dating in the US—you chat with the girls, meet them in person, and continue the relationship after that.

David Wygant

Expert-Writer

One of the leading dating experts and a professional coach with more than 20 years of experience. David tells his clients how to become successful and how to find love, and is just great at it. David already helped millions of men and women achieve success in relationships — and with this blog, you'll completely change the way you date.

Comments

Man 8y6 says:

December 15, 2022 at 5:38 pm

How to find a Russian wife now? It’s easy breezy lemon squeezy. Thousands of women want to leave the country now the sooner, the better.

Kingsley says:

December 12, 2022 at 4:48 pm

Are Russian mail brides real? I heard it’s just a scam.

- David Wygant says:
  
  December 15, 2022 at 9:32 pm
  
  We realize why people believe it’s just scams—on the web, there are plenty of sites that claim to be able to connect you with “hot Russian brides”, but in the best-case scenario, 20% of them can really do it. That’s why you should choose the site carefully. In this case, you’ll have a good chance of meeting legit girls.
  
AUr 86 says:

December 1, 2022 at 5:18 pm

You should probably update the information about flights. In 2022, it’s not that simple.