CC: failure to declare money when crossing the border may be considered a minor offense

Our company carries out customs clearance of individuals of any cargo and goods in various customs procedures at any customs offices of the Russian Federation: at airports, ports, railway stations, automobile temporary storage warehouses, in warehouses of express carriers! We help individuals both with the export (customs clearance) and import (customs clearance) of goods intended for personal use.

Individuals can import across the border only goods repurposed for personal use. In this case, you do not need to pay for the import of goods. Personal goods are goods intended for personal, household or family purposes and cannot be used for commercial purposes. Only individual entrepreneurs or legal entities can import goods intended for commercial purposes, who must pay customs duties, taxes, excise taxes and provide the necessary documentation. If customs turns out that an individual is trying to smuggle a commercial shipment, the goods will be detained and placed in a temporary storage warehouse. An administrative violation report will be drawn up and a fine will be imposed. In order to pick up the goods, you will have to fulfill all customs requirements and you must indicate a legal entity or individual entrepreneur as the recipient.

The customs officer can determine the purpose of the goods:

• From an oral or written statement;
• Based on the properties of the product and its purpose, for example, goods not used in everyday life will be considered commercial unless it can be proven otherwise;
• From the quantity of goods of the same article, size, style (it should not exceed the needs of the family);
• From the frequency of movement of goods.

Useful documents:

1. Decision No. 107 of December 20, 2017 of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission “On certain issues related to goods for personal use” Read >>>
2. List of categories of goods not related to goods for personal use Read >>>
3. Decision No. 263 of May 20, 2010 “On the procedure for using transport (transportation), commercial and (or) other documents as a declaration of goods” Read >>>

Documents and information for customs clearance of goods and personal belongings of an individual at customs

1. List of documents for registration of an individual at customs (View)
2. List of documents for a customs individual “Purchase - Import” (View)
3. List of documents for a customs individual “Personal belongings - import” (View)
4. List of documents for a customs individual “Personal belongings - export” (View)
5. Passenger customs declaration (View)
6. Passenger customs declaration for declaring funds (Watch)

Features of goods declaration

Russia is one of the initiators of the creation of the Customs Union. The peculiarities of declaring goods in the economic union zone are that there are 2 options for declaring:

• goods produced on the territory of countries included in the Customs Union;
• goods of foreign origin.

Material assets are considered goods from the vehicle:

• produced on the territory of states that are members of the Customs Union;
• moved within the borders of the vehicle;
• received the appropriate status.

Such goods move freely throughout the territory of countries that are members of the Customs Union and are not subject to customs formalities.

Any other products that do not meet the above criteria receive the status of foreign goods. And they automatically fall under all formalities and procedures.

Import standards for individuals in 2020-2021

The current restrictions on the weight and cost of imported goods in 2021 are no different from 2021 and 2021 (see Table 1), with the exception of import standards for individuals through express carriers (express mail and IPO, see Table 2).

Table 1. Restrictions on imported goods by individuals

If the cost or weight of the goods exceeds the permissible limit, then for the excess you will need to pay a customs duty - 30% of the value exceeding the norm, but not less than 4 euros per 1 kilogram of weight.

Restrictions on the weight and cost of goods delivered by express carrier or sent by international mail (IPO) within one calendar month to the address of one individual.

Table 2. Restrictions on postal items (MPO) and goods delivered by express carrier in 2019-2021

In 2021, if the value or weight of the goods exceeds the permissible limit, then for the excess you will need to pay a customs duty - 15% of the value exceeding the norm, but not less than 2 euros per 1 kilogram of weight, regardless of the number of postal items per month.

Restrictions on the import of alcohol and tobacco

You can import no more than 3 liters of any alcoholic beverages, including beer, without payment, per person over 18 years of age. When importing from 3 to 5 liters of alcohol, you need to pay 10 euros for each liter of excess. There are also restrictions on the import of tobacco products. You can import no more than 200 cigarettes or 50 cigarillos (cigars) or 250 g of tobacco without payment.

You are allowed to import up to 5 liters of ethyl alcohol, paying 22 euros for each liter.

Restrictions on the export of alcohol and tobacco from the EAEU for individuals have been lifted

According to the new version of Decision No. 157 that has entered into force, individuals over 18 years of age can export ethyl alcohol, alcoholic beverages, beer, and tobacco products from the EAEU countries without restrictions.

Attention! Import standards into the country of destination are determined by its legislation.

Fine and liability for violations

For violating the rules for importing currency into Russia and exporting it from the territory of the country, violators face:

1. An administrative fine in the amount of 1000 to 2500 RUB for failure to declare the currency being transported or indicating false information in the declaration regarding the amount of money being transported.
2. An administrative fine in all other cases in the amount of 500 to 1000 RUB.
3. Criminal liability for importing contraband. According to current legislation, in the Russian Federation, currency smuggling is considered to be the import of funds in the amount of 250,000 RUB or more.

   
   The length of criminal punishment directly depends on the amount of contraband:

• 20,000 USD and above. For smuggling money in this amount, the violator faces restriction of freedom for up to 2 years or correctional labor for 2 years. And also the violator for this can pay a fine in the amount of 24 of his wages.
• 50,000 USD and above. For smuggling in this amount, the violator faces imprisonment for up to 4 years or sent to correctional labor for up to 3 years. The fine for importing undeclared 50,000 USD is equal to 36 salaries of the violator.

Customs control of individuals

Customs control includes:

• Checking documents and information in them;
• Oral survey;
• Observation;
• Inspection and examination of goods;
• Accounting for goods and vehicles;
• Personal customs inspection.

Mandatory written declaration

Mandatory written declaration is applied in the cases specified in Art. 260 of the EAEU Labor Code, for example, if the total amount of cash at the current exchange rate is more than $10,000, if there are prohibitions or restrictions on goods, if the goods are delivered in unaccompanied luggage, if it is delivered by a carrier to an individual, if prohibitions are applied to the goods, etc. listed in the law, cases. In these cases, it is necessary to fill out a passenger customs declaration.

Persons under 16 years of age cannot make independent declarations. In this case, the registration is carried out by the persons accompanying them: relatives, parents, group leaders.

Goods subject to mandatory written declaration:

1. Any goods imported (exported) in unaccompanied luggage or delivered by the carrier to an individual, as well as imported in accompanied luggage, if the individual also has unaccompanied luggage;
2. Goods imported by any means of transport, except air, if their total value exceeds 500 Euro and (or) total weight exceeds 25 kg.
3. Goods imported by air, if their total value exceeds 10,000 euros and (or) total weight exceeds 50 kg.
4. Imported (exported) cash or traveler's checks for a total amount exceeding the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars.
5. Imported (exported) other monetary instruments in documentary form (bills, bank checks, bearer securities, etc.)
6. Precious metals imported temporarily and exported (gold, silver, platinum and platinum group metals - palladium, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium and osmium) in any condition and form (except for temporarily exported jewelry).
7. Precious stones (temporarily imported and exported), natural pearls, amber formations, diamonds, imported natural diamonds.
8. Exported precious stones and metals worth no more than 25,000 US dollars in equivalent.
9. Cultural values ​​recognized as such in accordance with the law.
10. Exported state awards of the Russian Federation.
11. Ozone depleting substances.
12. Collections and collectibles in mineralogy and paleontology.
13. Animals and plants subject to the CITES Convention, their parts, derivatives included in the red books of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, as well as products obtained from them.
14. Service and civilian weapons, main parts of firearms, cartridges and their components.
15. Imported alcoholic beverages and beer in quantities from 3 to 5 liters inclusive per person over 18 years of age.
16. Limited quantities of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the form of medicines for personal use for medical reasons, subject to the availability of appropriate documents, as well as their precursors.
17. High-frequency devices and (or) radio-electronic equipment for civil purposes, including those built-in or included in other goods.
18. Encryption (cryptographic) means, special technical means intended for secretly obtaining information.
19. Vehicles.
20. Indivisible goods weighing over 35 kg.
21. Goods for personal use, imported by diplomatic workers and administrative and technical staff of diplomatic and consular institutions of the Customs Union, as well as members of their families living with them no more than once a year during their stay abroad with documentary confirmation of the purpose of their stay abroad, as well as in case of revocation upon early termination of the employment contract.
22. Goods imported by individuals sent to work in a foreign country by government agencies for a period of at least 11 months, no more than once a year, subject to documentary confirmation of the period and purpose of stay abroad.
23. Goods worth up to 5,000 Euros, imported by individuals of a member state of the Customs Union who temporarily resided abroad and were consularly registered abroad for at least 1 year, upon their return to the territory of the Customs Union with documentary confirmation of the facts of being registered and returned.
24. Inheritance received outside the Customs Union, with documentary confirmation of the fact of receiving these goods as an inheritance.
25. Goods imported back after their export outside the customs territory of the Customs Union in an unchanged condition, except for changes due to natural wear and tear/loss under normal conditions of transportation, storage and operation, subject to documentary evidence of their export.
26. Used goods imported by individuals, recognized refugees, forced migrants, as well as those moving to a CU member state for permanent residence, which belonged to them before receiving such status (import must be made no later than 18 months from this date).
27. Urns with ashes (ashes), coffins with bodies (remains) of the dead.

An individual has the right to declare in writing any other goods if he wishes.

Double corridor system

To declare goods at the customs border, a double corridor system is used:

• The Red Corridor is used when a written declaration of goods is required and the completion of a Passenger Customs Declaration (PCD) is required, which provides information about both accompanied and unaccompanied baggage;
• The green corridor must be chosen for simplified declaration, passage through which implies the absence of goods subject to written declaration.

List of checkpoints across the border of the Russian Federation where a two-channel declaration system is applied to goods transported by individuals

Terms and cost of customs clearance of an individual

The period for customs clearance of goods of individuals at the customs of the Russian Federation takes 1 day!

At the same time, the cost of the customs clearance service for goods of an individual depends on the location of the customs office, the complexity of the procedure, the type and status of the goods being moved (for example: personal belongings when moving; goods purchased abroad, etc.).

Table 3. Cost of customs clearance services for goods of an individual

These prices can be adjusted either up or down and may or may not include temporary storage warehouse (TSW) services.

Also, if necessary, our specialists provide assistance in preparing documents for self-filing a customs declaration, which can significantly reduce the cost of our services!

We are confident that we will become a reliable partner for you!

Assistance in registering a declaration of conformity

In the electronic service of FSIS Rosakkreditatsiya, it is possible to create a project - a draft declaration, which can be filled out by any legal entity, including certification bodies.

To avoid refusal to register a declaration, we advise you to be very careful about the new requirements for declaring goods. This is especially true for the formation of a package of evidentiary materials.

The new procedure for registering declarations (clause 13) establishes the grounds for refusal of registration. These include:

In order to prevent such errors, we offer our assistance: in the electronic service of the Federal State Information System of Accreditation, we will create a draft in which we will correctly fill out all the fields and attach the necessary scanned copies of documents. All you have to do is add a signature and send the finished layout for registration.