New Russian Customs Regulations
July 13, 2010New Russian customs regulations are significantly affecting all expatriate shipments to Russia. Previously, household good shipments of non-Russian citizens employed in Russia cleared Russian Customs as temporary imports without paying duty. Duty-free temporary imports of household goods were in accordance with the validity terms of the respective Russian visa and were required to be re-exported prior to the visa’s expiration.
On July 7, 2010, a new law came into effect changing the items eligible for temporary importation. Below is the revised list of items still eligible for temporary importation:
| Jewelry | Typewriters |
| Hygienic items | Binoculars |
| Photo cameras | Mobile phones |
| Video cameras and accesories | Laptops, notebooks, and accesories |
| Portable VCR | Portable musical instruments |
| Slide projectors | Baby carriages |
| DVD players | Child seats (for cars) |
| Phonograph players | Sporting goods |
| CD’s, DVD’s | Air balloons |
| Radios | Pets |
| TV’s (no larger than 42 cm diagonally) |
All other items are subject to duty, including furniture, linen, decorative items, kitchenware, books, clothes, shoes, and all other normal household goods and personal effects.
Currently, duty is being assessed at EUR 4.00/gross kg. For example,
| LBS. | KGS. | EST. EUR | EST. USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,000 | 1,814 | 7,257.68 | 9,144.68 |
| 6,000 | 2,722 | 10,886.53 | 13,717.02 |
| 8,000 | 3,629 | 14,515.37 | 18,289.36 |
| 10,000 | 4,536 | 18,144.21 | 22,861.70 |
| 12,000 | 5,443 | 21,773.05 | 27,434.05 |
Duties are paid on the day of import customs clearance to the bank account of customs authorities and will not be reimbursed.
We will keep you informed as more information becomes available.