Importing Personal Belongings
Option when the Certificate of a Participant in the State Resettlement Program (resettlement booklet) is activated at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GU MVD) of the region of settlement before importing personal belongings: #
- arrive in the region of settlement;
- upon arrival, register for migration purposes at your place of stay (within 30 + 7 working days);
- appear at the Migration Issues Directorate of the region of settlement of the Russian Federation to activate your participation.
From this point, you have 18 months to import personal belongings for personal use duty-free; customs clearance of the belongings (release for free circulation) takes place at the border.
Option when the Certificate of a Participant in the State Resettlement Program (resettlement booklet) has not been activated at the GU MVD: #
- transport the belongings, arranging customs transit at the border (on the basis of the non-activated resettlement certificate); upon arrival in the region of settlement, you must contact customs.
Your belongings are stored either at customs (in the nearest customs warehouse) or with you at your place of stay (in this case, the trailer is sealed at the border, and you are not entitled to use the belongings until they are released for free circulation). - upon arrival, register at your place of stay (within 30 + 7 working days);
- appear at the Migration Issues Directorate of the region of settlement of the Russian Federation to activate the certificate.
After activation, the belongings are released for free circulation (duty-free); the period for receiving benefits is 18 months from the date the certificate is activated.
Customs transit for participants in the State Program for the Resettlement of Compatriots without an activated certificate #
According to the provisions of the Federal Customs Service (FCS), an individual’s possession of a certificate of participation in the State Resettlement Program may be considered confirmation of that person’s intention to enter the territory of the Russian Federation for permanent residence (PR), including when the certificate does not bear a stamp confirming registration as a participant with a territorial body of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Accordingly, this category of persons is entitled to import goods for personal use into the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) with exemption from customs duties and taxes, using the customs transit procedure.
This means that when relocating to the Russian Federation, you can bring goods for personal use (your property, according to the inventory) into Russia from the region of settlement without paying customs duties, even if you do not have a stamp in your resettlement booklet.
The customs transit procedure means that at a multilateral road border crossing point (MRBCP) on the Russian border, when you submit a passenger customs declaration (PCD) for the import of personal property, a customs officer will add the additional mark “Goods under customs control” and specify the date by which you must bring the belongings to a customs post in the region of settlement.
After arriving in the region of settlement, registering for migration purposes or registering at your place of stay/residence, and having the certificate of participation in the State Resettlement Program stamped at the territorial GU MVD responsible for working with compatriots, you will be able to bring your belongings to the customs post for release into free circulation.
It is important to bear in mind that goods for personal use are goods intended for individuals’ personal, family, household and other needs that are unrelated to business activities. Such goods may be transported across the Union’s customs border in accompanied or unaccompanied baggage, sent in international postal items, or transported by other means.
In addition to the completed PCD and inventory of belongings, you will need to complete an application at the MRBCP to place the belongings under the customs transit procedure.
You should also find out in advance about the nearest customs post to your place of settlement and the conditions for temporary storage of goods on its premises. You can do this by submitting an official inquiry on the website of the Russian FCS.
The car you use to cross the Russian border, whether you carry your belongings in it or in a trailer, is processed for temporary import under a separate PCD (as is the trailer). In total, you must submit 2 PCDs for the belongings, 2 PCDs for the car, and 2 PCDs for the trailer (if applicable).
*Other PCDs may also be required if you are importing goods into the Russian Federation that must be declared (for example, cash exceeding 10 000 dollars or the equivalent in any currency).
The procedure for individuals to transport goods for personal use across the EAEU customs border is governed by Chapter 37 of the EAEU Customs Code and Decision No. 107 of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated 20 December 2017 (as amended on 18.10.2024), “On Certain Issues Related to Goods for Personal Use.”
Chapter 37 of the EAEU Customs Code
Documents required for compensation for transporting personal property #
List of documents required for the government to reimburse the cost of transporting belongings through a motor transport company if you are relocating under the state program:
• contract for cargo transportation;
• cargo delivery application;
• work completion certificate;
• invoice;
• fiscal receipt;
• if you paid through a bank – account statement;
• certificate confirming that the account belongs to you (obtain this certificate from the bank);
• consignment note;
• cargo inventory with declared value;
• document stating whether the carrier is listed in the international carriers registry.
The information was provided by one of our subscribers from Volgograd and is for informational purposes. In any case, all information should be verified and inquiries made specifically for your region of settlement!
Response from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to our inquiry about reimbursement of expenses for transporting belongings by rail, sea, and road:
