What does the concept of “temporary import” mean?
The concept of “temporary import” means crossing the border in a car that has a foreign registration. Unlike the customs clearance procedure, such movement between states does not oblige the driver to pay mandatory duties and complete a package of documents. But the time of stay of a foreign vehicle on the territory of the Russian Federation will be limited.
Who is allowed
Temporary import of vehicles into Russia for personal use, without paying a duty, is permitted only to those people who have a permanent residence permit in another state. But it is possible not to customize a car when crossing the border under other circumstances provided for by law. Namely:
- The person is a citizen of the Russian Federation, but not a resident of this country. This phenomenon is possible if you have dual citizenship, which allows you to legally stay in the territory of foreign states;
- The motorist does not have foreign registration, but lives outside of Russia. In such a situation, a person is obliged to register with the consulates of the Russian Federation, as evidenced by a special note in his international passport.
It is important to know! In other cases, the driver will have to prepare for the customs clearance procedure for the car, since no one will give him a temporary permit to import the vehicle. But Russians have the right to transport foreign equipment only if they pay a tax.
Duration of preferential treatment
In accordance with the customs code, foreigners can travel by private car across the territory of the Russian Federation for no more than one year, after which they will again need to cross the border checkpoint. At the same time, during the allotted period, owners of unregistered cars are prohibited from engaging in commercial activities or transferring their cars to other persons for this purpose.
The same applies to citizens of the Russian Federation. But for them, the temporary permit is valid for only 6 months, after which documents for legal import will need to be renewed or reissued for a separate payment.
What cars are allowed
It is allowed to drive a vehicle from Europe to the Russian Federation only for personal use, without obtaining financial benefits. And this does not apply to all types of transport, but only to the following categories:
- Cars;
- Minibuses with a total capacity of less than 12 people.
At the same time, the rules for the temporary import of cars into Russia do not prohibit drivers from putting up their unregistered movable property for sale.
But its purchase can only be carried out after a complete re-registration of the vehicle title, with the obligatory replacement of the Euro license plate. It is not possible to transfer ownership of a car to another citizen using a power of attorney.
Procedure for temporary import of vehicles
Temporary importation also allows the delivery into the customs territory of one car owned by a foreign individual without paying taxes, fees or duties. In this case, the car can be placed under this procedure for a period of no more than 1 year. After this period, it is not necessary to export the vehicle; the customs regime can be expanded under the conditions established by Russia. If it is necessary to temporarily import more than one car by one declarant into the territory of the EAEU, before the expiration of the period for temporary import of the first vehicle, then you will have to provide security for the fulfillment of obligations to pay taxes and duties.
Temporary import of a vehicle is accompanied by the preparation of an international customs document on the temporary import of goods, equivalent to a customs declaration - ATA Carnet.
The Customs Union stipulates that cars imported into its territory can be used exclusively for personal purposes by the declarants themselves or members of their families, as well as other persons, a full list of which is indicated in the EAEU Customs Code. At the same time, in certain situations, it is possible to transfer a car that is under this regime to a third party - citizens of the Union and other persons, for example, for repairs, maintenance and other purposes.
After the regime for the temporary import of cars ends, they can be placed under other customs procedures in a certain manner established by law.
Required documents
Everyone knows that before starting the procedure for registering a car, the driver must prepare a package of documents. The list of mandatory papers attached to the customs declaration includes:
- Technical passport of the machine (European standard);
- A document certifying the identity of the car owner (necessarily indicating permanent registration);
- Photocopies of the above documents.
Attention! Without these certificates, temporary import of a car into Russia is not available to citizens of any category. If a vehicle is illegally delivered from abroad, the person will face an impressive fine (this mainly applies to brokers involved in the sale of foreign cars in the Russian Federation).
Basic list of documents for temporary import
To register temporary import, the declarant is required to provide a declaration in the required form, as well as add to the application a certain package of documents, which include:
- information that confirms the purpose of transporting the goods;
- technical description with detailed parameters and characteristics of the cargo (required to identify the cargo according to the Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity);
- a document confirming duty-free import;
- the obligation of the declarant to export the cargo to the territory of the producing state upon completion of the specified time;
- an action program that specifies the use of imported cargo;
- a written application for temporary import from the declarant, made in any form;
- a certificate that confirms the fulfillment of the required conditions of the customs regime; other documentation (as required by the customs service).
Is it possible to transfer a car to another person?
As a general rule, transferring an unregistered vehicle into the hands of another person is strictly prohibited. But if you delve into the law, then this restriction applies only to persons of a different nationality. That is, if the documented owner of the vehicle is a German or Frenchman, then he has no right to give his car into the hands of a Russian.
This principle also applies in reverse. Therefore, if a person has dual citizenship, then the law will not be broken when transferring a car to his compatriot. This aspect is especially important for intermediaries who transport equipment from the border point to the point of sale (including when selling a car for spare parts).
How to renew your permit
We looked at how to import a car without customs clearance into Russia. Now let's find out what to do if the car's legal stay on the territory of the Russian Federation has expired. According to customs regulations, in such situations the driver must leave the country in an unregistered car and re-enter it, going through the same procedure for obtaining a temporary certificate as when crossing the border for the first time. The legislation does not provide for other ways to extend the grace period.
Alternative to temporary import
In some cases, the previously described method is not suitable for drivers. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned option of importing cars into Russia without customs clearance, there are at least three more alternatives:
- Transportation of a car according to the rules of the EurAsEC (in accordance with this regulatory act, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to import vehicles from Belarus and Kazakhstan without a temporary permit. But this procedure will be free only for motorists whose movable property is equipped with a EURO 4 or higher engine, and its age is not exceeds 8 years old. For other drivers, a single rate of payment for crossing the border applies);
- Driving a car under the resettlement program (to receive this benefit, a person must register in the federal project and receive the appropriate certificate. With its help, you can cross the border checkpoint without following customs clearance rules);
- Import of an unregistered car that is the subject of an inheritance (according to the law of the Russian Federation, movable property passed on by inheritance is not subject to taxation, including by the customs service. Moreover, this applies to both gasoline and diesel cars, for which a larger amount of duty is charged ).
But any of the listed options will require official confirmation in the form of certificates, certificates and other documents. Without them, regulatory authorities will reserve the right to track an illegally driven vehicle using GLONASS satellite navigation and arrest it at its current storage location.
How long does the temporary import regime last and how can it be increased?
The maximum validity period of the temporary import regime in accordance with the rules of the EAEU Customs Code is 24 months. In some situations, this period may be shorter or longer, it all depends on the type of cargo and the purpose of its transportation to the country. If the same products are imported by different persons, then they must remain in the country for no more than 2 years.
The period is set by the customs authority based on the declaration of the declarant, based on the purposes and circumstances of import.
The extension of the period is carried out on the basis of an application by the declarant submitted before the expiration of the temporary import period or no later than 1 month after its expiration within the deadline for the procedure.
It is possible to increase the period of permission for the placement of foreign products on the territory of the state through the same customs authority in which the goods were placed under the customs procedure of temporary import. The period for consideration of an application for extension is 5 working days.
Refusal of temporary import
Checkpoint officials at the Russian border may well refuse foreign citizens the temporary import of cars into Russia. And this happens when there are reasonable assumptions on the part of customs officers that the vehicle or its owner will not comply with legal requirements for operating the vehicle. In such cases, a foreign motorist will be allowed through only if he pays a single fee (the price depends on the type of vehicle registration, its volume and the age of the vehicle), or makes a deposit with the border authority.
Where is temporary import of a car processed?
What to do if it is impossible to export a temporarily imported car? If, for any reason (repair, theft, accident, etc.) the vehicle cannot be exported from the territory of the Russian Federation within the time period specified in the UVTS, the person who imported it must, in advance, before the expiration of these terms, contact the customs authorities to take measures established by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
If a car temporarily imported by a foreign or Russian person is not exported from the Russian Federation after the expiration of the established period or the period of its temporary import is not extended, customs duties are levied in respect of this car (PLAINLY SPEAKING: CAR WANTED)
Responsibility for breaking the law
If the generally accepted procedure for importing unregistered vehicles into the territory of the Russian Federation is not followed, the driver will face penalties in the amount of customs duty. The offender’s car itself will go to the traffic police parking lot, where it will remain until its owner pays all financial penalties.
Advice! Therefore, if you want such a punishment to cost you as little as possible, it is better to pay the state duty on the very first day the car is seized. After all, for every day the car is parked, you need to pay an additional 300-600 rubles (depending on the region).
We looked at how the temporary import of cars from Europe to Russia takes place in 2021 for Russian citizens and foreigners. Moreover, these transportation rules are no different for right-hand drive vehicles, whose owners are accustomed to driving on the other side of the road. The only nuance in the entire procedure of crossing the border by personal transport is compliance with time restrictions on the validity of the customs permit.
