How to Send Flowers to Someone in Another Country
To send flowers to someone in another country, order directly from a flower service that assembles and delivers bouquets in your recipient's city, pay online with a card that works internationally, and give the exact address, a phone number and the delivery date. If the person lives in Russia, you can do all of this on 5cv.ru: we accept foreign bank cards, city delivery costs 500 RUB, and in Saint Petersburg we deliver around the clock.
Pyat Tsvetov (5 Flowers) has run its own flower shops in Saint Petersburg since 2011, on Ilyushina Street, the Obvodny Canal Embankment and Srednerogatskaya Street. Whether you are a daughter in Berlin sending roses to your mother or a colleague in London congratulating a partner in Russia, the same handful of questions tends to come up, so below we answer them in the order customers usually ask.
What to have ready before you order
The first thing customers ask is what information we actually need, and the answer is short but strict. Write down the full address including the building, entrance, floor and flat number, because in Russian apartment blocks a street and house number alone often leave the courier standing outside a locked door. If the building has an intercom code or a concierge, add that too. A working phone number for the recipient is essential: our courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival, and without a number the delivery can stall at the entrance.
Next come the date and the time. Decide whether the bouquet should arrive at a specific hour, in a broad window, or simply as soon as possible, and convert that into the recipient's local time before you place the order. Finally, prepare the text for the card. It is free, it travels with the bouquet, and for many recipients abroad it is the part they keep long after the flowers have faded.
It also helps to think about who else might accept the flowers. If your recipient works long hours or often visits relatives, tell us whether a neighbour or a concierge may take the bouquet. We only hand flowers to someone else with your consent, so deciding this at the ordering stage saves a phone call later.
Paying from abroad without complications
Payment is the second big worry for people ordering from another country, mostly because many Russian websites only accept Russian cards. On 5cv.ru foreign bank cards are accepted, with payment processed through Robokassa, so a card issued in Germany, the UK, Israel or elsewhere can be used directly on the site. Customers who also hold a Russian account can pay by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay.
The price you see in the bouquets catalogue is for the bouquet itself, and city delivery adds 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs our operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order, before anything is sent, so you know the full amount in advance. The delivery and payment page lists the details in one place if you want to check them before paying.
Your bank will show the charge in your own currency after conversion, so the figure on your statement may differ slightly from the rouble amount on the site. That is a normal effect of exchange rates rather than an extra charge from us. If anything in the payment step looks unclear, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 and we will go through it with you.
Bouquets we can deliver
Time zones, dates and delivery windows
Customers abroad often order for the right day but the wrong hour, simply because they forget the time difference. Saint Petersburg and Moscow are on the same time, while cities further east, such as Novosibirsk or Vladivostok, are several hours ahead. A bouquet ordered for the morning by someone in New York can easily be placed for the recipient's evening by mistake, so always state the time in the recipient's local time.
You can choose an exact delivery time with an accuracy of plus or minus 30 minutes, or one of the windows: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. For birthdays and anniversaries an exact time works well if you know your recipient's routine; a window is more practical for working people. In large cities express delivery brings the bouquet 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, which helps when you remember a date at the last moment.
For important dates we recommend ordering 1-30 days ahead, especially before 8 March, 14 February, New Year and 1 September, when demand is at its peak. Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January, a week after New Year, and many families celebrate both; our article on New Year's Eve vs Orthodox Christmas explains which to choose. In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock, so a bouquet can arrive exactly at midnight for a birthday or New Year greeting.
Choosing flowers that fit the culture
Flower etiquette differs from country to country, and this is where customers from abroad ask us most for advice. In Russia a gift bouquet traditionally has an odd number of stems, while even numbers are associated with funerals and remembrance. For large bouquets of 25 or more stems the rule matters less, but for small ones it is still noticed, particularly by older relatives.
Colour carries meaning as well. Red roses speak of love and suit a partner rather than a colleague or a mother-in-law. Yellow flowers once had a reputation for signalling separation, and some people of the older generation still remember it, although most younger recipients simply see them as bright and cheerful. Red carnations are strongly linked to Victory Day and memorials, so they are rarely chosen for a birthday. Our guide on what flowers not to send to a Russian woman covers these nuances in more detail.
For a first gift to someone you do not know well, a soft mixed bouquet in pastel or white tones is the safest choice. For mothers and grandmothers, roses, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria are popular because they last a long time in a vase. For a newborn, light and airy compositions work better than heavy, strongly scented flowers.
The card, the surprise and anonymity
A card with your text is included free with every bouquet. Keep the message short enough to fit comfortably on a small card, two to four sentences, and sign it the way your recipient knows you, whether that is a full name, a nickname or simply your relationship. If the recipient reads Russian better than English, a few warm words in Russian, even simple ones, are always appreciated.
Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. That suits surprise gifts and secret admirers, but it also means that if you leave the card unsigned, your recipient may genuinely not know who sent the flowers. If you want to stay anonymous, our article on sending flowers anonymously to someone in Russia explains how to word the card and what to tell us when ordering.
For a surprise, mention it when you place the order so the courier's call sounds like an ordinary delivery confirmation. The call about 15 minutes before arrival is still necessary to make sure someone opens the door, but it does not reveal what is coming or from whom.
If the recipient is out, and what happens after delivery
One of the most common worries is a bouquet arriving at an empty flat. When the courier calls and nobody is at home, we agree a second delivery the same day or hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge, but only with the sender's consent. This is why a correct phone number and your own contact details matter so much in an international order.
Once the flowers arrive, a little care makes them last noticeably longer. Recut the stems at an angle by one or two centimetres, remove leaves that would sit under water, and place the bouquet in a clean vase with cool water away from radiators and direct sun. Changing the water every day or two and trimming the stems again adds several days to the life of most bouquets.
Many customers abroad add a short care tip to the card for older relatives, or simply call them after delivery to share the moment. If you have any questions before or after the order, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay with a foreign bank card?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted on 5cv.ru, with payment processed through Robokassa. Customers with Russian accounts can also pay by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay.
How much does delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order.
How quickly can flowers be delivered?
In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also choose an exact time, a time window, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead.
Will the recipient know who sent the flowers?
Only if you sign the card. Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender.
Can flowers be delivered at night?
In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock, so a bouquet can arrive late in the evening or at midnight. For other cities, choose an exact time or a window between 09:00 and 21:00.
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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