From the Netherlands to Saint Petersburg: Ordering Flowers to Russia
Dutch flower delivery services cover addresses in the Netherlands; if the person you want to surprise lives in Russia, you place the order with a service that delivers there and pay online from Holland. The bouquet is made and delivered inside Russia on the date you choose, so it arrives fresh rather than after days in transit. We deliver across Russia and accept foreign bank cards.
We have run flower shops in Saint Petersburg since 2011, and customers ordering from abroad, including from the Netherlands, ask the same practical questions: whether a Dutch card works, what time it is in Russia, and whether a bouquet chosen by Dutch habits will be received well. This article collects the answers we give over the phone, in the order customers usually ask them.
Paying from the Netherlands and what the order involves
The first question is almost always payment. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, so a card issued by a Dutch bank works for an order delivered in Russia. Customers with Russian cards can also pay by card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Everything is paid online on the site, before delivery.
The order itself takes a few minutes. You choose a bouquet in the catalogue, enter the recipient's address and phone number with the country code, set the date and time, and write the card text. The card is free. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender, so sign the card if you want the recipient to know it is from you.
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, which matters for addresses in the Leningrad region outside the city limits. All conditions are listed on the delivery and payment page.
Before you confirm, double-check the recipient's phone number. The courier relies on it to call about 15 minutes before arrival, and a missing digit is the most common reason a delivery from abroad is delayed. If the recipient lives in a building with a concierge, mention it when placing the order.
Time difference and night delivery in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg and Moscow are one hour ahead of the Netherlands in summer and two hours ahead in winter, because Russia does not change its clocks. Further east the gap grows quickly: Yekaterinburg is three to four hours ahead, Novosibirsk five to six. Always set the delivery time in the recipient's local time.
In large cities express delivery takes 1 to 2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also choose an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead. Pre-ordering is what we suggest to customers abroad for birthdays: you settle it when you remember, and the flowers arrive on the day.
In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock. This helps customers in the Netherlands who remember an occasion late in the evening, or who want flowers waiting at midnight for a birthday. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival; if nobody is home, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the flowers with a neighbour or concierge.
Bouquets we can deliver
Dutch habits that do not translate to Russia
In the Netherlands flowers are a weekly purchase, and a bunch of ten tulips from the market is perfectly normal. In Russia the number of stems still carries meaning: living people receive an odd number, and even numbers are reserved for funerals and graves. A bunch of ten or a dozen should become nine, eleven or fifteen. Above roughly fifteen stems nobody counts, but we still finish bouquets on an odd number.
Presentation matters more in Russia too. A bouquet given for a birthday, a jubilee or 8 March is expected to look finished, with wrapping and a balanced shape, rather than a loose market bunch. Older recipients in particular see a well-dressed bouquet as a sign of respect, and they will often keep the card.
Colour also has a slightly different language. Red roses are read as romantic, so for a colleague, a teacher or a friend's mother choose white, cream, pink or mixed seasonal flowers. Yellow once meant separation, and some elderly people still remember that association, though younger recipients rarely think of it.
Visiting customs differ as well. In Russia people rarely arrive at a birthday or a family dinner empty-handed, and flowers for the hostess are a standard gesture. If you cannot be there in person, a delivered bouquet on the morning of the celebration fills that gap, and many families place it on the table for the guests to see. Timing it for the morning rather than the evening gives the recipient the whole day to enjoy it.
Getting a Dutch still-life look in a Russian bouquet
Some customers living in Holland ask for something that feels like the flower paintings of the Dutch Golden Age: loose, generous and slightly wild, with different heights and textures. In Russia the classic gift bouquet is more compact and rounded, so it helps to describe the look you want rather than name a style.
Bouquets built around garden roses, peonies, eustoma and seasonal greenery come closest to that painterly feel, especially in early summer. Tulips work in spring, and in autumn chrysanthemums with warm-toned foliage give a similar sense of abundance. When choosing in the catalogue, look for mixed bouquets with varied flower shapes rather than tight mono-bouquets.
Colour palettes from Dutch paintings translate well: deep burgundy, apricot, cream and dusty pink, set against dark green foliage. A bouquet in these tones looks rich without being loud and suits almost any adult recipient, from a mother to a valued client. Avoid adding too many bright accent colours, which quickly turn a painterly bouquet into a festive one.
If you are unsure which bouquet comes closest, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 and describe the mood, the recipient and the occasion. It is faster than guessing from a photo, and it means the result will suit both your taste and Russian gift etiquette.
Care advice to pass on to the recipient
Flats in Saint Petersburg and most Russian cities are centrally heated from autumn to spring, and the air near radiators is hot and dry. Bouquets last far longer on a cool windowsill or a hallway table than next to a radiator. Ripening fruit nearby speeds up wilting, so a fruit bowl is not the best neighbour either.
The routine is the same for any bouquet: trim 1 to 2 cm off the stems at an angle, remove leaves below the waterline, use a clean vase and change the water every two days. Roses usually last a week or more, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria up to two weeks, tulips five to seven days. Tulips keep growing after cutting and turn towards the light, so a daily turn of the vase keeps them upright.
If the bouquet arrives in a water pouch or a box with wet foam, it can stay that way for the first few hours, but it lasts longer once moved to a vase or once the foam is topped up daily. For big bouquets, ask the recipient to cut the binding cord after placing the bouquet in the vase, so the stems spread out and each one reaches the water. Faded flowers should be removed as they go, so the rest of the bouquet stays fresh and does not pick up bacteria from wilting stems.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order flowers to Russia with a Dutch bank card?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa, and payment is made online on the site. Russian cards, SBP and Yandex Pay also work.
How fast can flowers be delivered after I order from the Netherlands?
In large Russian cities express delivery takes 1 to 2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also choose an exact time, a time window or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead.
Can flowers be delivered at night in Saint Petersburg?
Yes, in Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock. In other cities, choose an exact time or one of the daytime windows.
How much does delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Should I send ten tulips like in Holland?
For a living person in Russia, choose an odd number such as nine, eleven or fifteen. Even numbers are traditionally associated with funerals.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
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