Bringing Goods Across the Border

Customs regulations of the Customs Union, which consists of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, apply to all foreigners.

 

Goods allowed into Russia free of duty:

 

  • Goods for personal use worth up to EUR 1,500 (or up to EUR 10,000 if you arrive by plane) and weighing up to 50 kg;
  • Alcoholic beverages and beer: no more than 3 litres per one person over 18 years of age;
  • Tobacco and tobacco products: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars weighing not more than 250 grams per one person over 18 years of age;
  • Used goods brought in by refugees and displaced persons;
  • Goods which are inherited, and the inheritance of which is confirmed by documentary evidence;
  • Goods worth up to EUR 5,000 brought in by individuals who temporarily lived outside Russia for at least 1 year;
  • Goods brought back after being exported temporarily, on condition that they have not been modified and the prior exportation of them is confirmed by documentary evidence;
  • Urns with ashes, coffins with bodies (remains) of the dead;

 

Goods to declare:

 

  • Goods worth more than EUR 1,500 (or more than EUR 10,000 if you arrive by plane) and weighing more than 50 kg;
  • Cash and/or travellers’ cheques of more than USD 10,000;
  • Bills of exchange, cheques, securities;
  • Precious metals and jewels;
  • Cultural property, Russian Federation government awards;
  • Endangered animals and plants species and related products;
  • Weapons and ammunition (written authorization required);
  • High-potent pharmaceutical products (prescription required);
  • Alcoholic beverages in amounts greater than 3 litres;
  • Radio-electronic devices, including built-in ones;
  • Encryption tools;
  • Urns with ashes, bodies (remains) of the dead;

 

Goods for personal use prohibited for export:

 

  • Precious metals and jewels worth more than USD 25,000;
  • Seafood and fish in amounts greater than 5 kg;
  • Sturgeon caviar in amounts greater than 250 g.

 

Goods allowed across the border only by permits

obtained from the relevant permit issuing authority

 

  • Weapons, their parts, ammunition – a permit issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation;
  • Cultural property – a permit issued by the government agency that controls the trafficking of cultural property (Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation);
  • Endangered animals and plants species – a permit issued by the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources;
  • High-frequency and radio-electronic devices – a permit issued by Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications;
  • Healthcare products for personal use – allowed across the border only if included into the list issued by the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation;
  • Encryption tools – a permit issued by the Center for Licensing, Certification and Protection of State Secrets of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.