OREANDA-NEWS. February 05, 2010. From February 25, 2010 customs clearance of vehicles temporary imported to Russia has been simplified. These changes concern foreign citizens entering Russian by their own motor transport.

These rules are to be carried into effect as prescribed by the Russian Federation Government Regulation № 682 dated August 20, 2009 according to which changes are made in the regulations of customs clearance of goods transported across the customs border of the Russian Federation by natural persons for private use. They are aimed at facilitation of paper work with temporary imported vehicles.

To confirm the legality of presence in the RF of a temporary imported motor transport it will be sufficient to fill in the passenger customs declaration (PCD).
The customs authorities should not register vehicles registered in other countries and temporarily present in the Russian Federation. There will be no vehicle import certificate (VIS) any more. This will facilitate customs clearance and allow to do it within the shorter time.

The forthcoming changes will not concern the period of the vehicle presence in the Russian Federation. Foreign citizens will still be able to import their vehicles without paying customs dues, taxes for the period of their temporary residence but no longer than a year. If there is a need to prolong the stated period, the foreign citizen will have to address the customs authority at the place of his permanent or temporary residence. But the total period of the vehicle presence in the Russian Federation must not exceed a year according to the Russian Federation Government Regulation №718 dated November 29, 2003.

It should be added that when the Customs Code of the Customs Union comes into operation (this is supposed to take place in Byelorussia on July 1, 2010 and in Kazakhstan – on July 1, 2011), persons residing permanently in Byelorussia and Kazakhstan will not have to execute even this declaration (PCD). They will be able to freely enter Russia without executing any vehicle documents.

For reference use:

Currently customs clearance of vehicles for temporary import to the Russian Federation is performed in two stages. Natural persons fill in two copies of the PCD where they state information about the temporary imported vehicle. Then the vehicle is registered for private use through executing the vehicle import certificate (VIS).