A car without customs clearance from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in 2021 – how to register?

The Lithuanian automobile market is one of the largest markets in Europe, represented by the sale of both new and used (used) cars and spare parts for them! On it you can find cars imported from the American market (USA), Asian market (South Korea, in rare cases China), and of course from European countries: Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Switzerland, Holland and many others . Lithuania is no less famous for the dismantling of spare parts cars imported from the UK, Japan and the USA, where used cars, including damaged ones, are cheap.

Brands of cars presented on the Lithuanian market:

AC, Acura, Alpina, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Genesis, Honda, HTM, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Iveco, Jaguar, Jeep, KIA, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Ravon, Renault, Skoda, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Venturi, Volkswagen, Volvo, VW and many others.

Both new and used cars are in demand. If the age of the car does not exceed three years, it is considered to be new. Among new cars, the leader in sales is the Fiat brand, especially the Fiat 500, Fiat Doblo models, followed by Toyota, Jeep; Volkswagen, Dacia, Skoda. The leading brands in the premium segment are BMW, Audi and Mercedes. Both new and used cars are brought from Lithuania to Russia; most often they buy cars whose age ranges from 3 to 5 years, since this category of car age is optimal for customs clearance. In Lithuania, you can buy a car at specialized car markets in Siauliai, Kaunas, Klaipeda and the largest in the city of Vilnius. Another popular way is to find the desired model on the Internet and contact the seller to discuss the terms of purchase. Car delivery from Lithuania is somewhat easier than from European countries; Lithuania is located much closer to Russia and has common borders with the Kaliningrad region and Belarus. These are important points to consider if you plan to buy an inexpensive car. Despite fluctuations in the ruble exchange rate, car prices in Lithuania are lower than in Russia. A car wears out significantly less on European roads, which allows you to be confident in its quality.

Not only cars, but also auto parts are imported from Lithuania to Russia. Spare parts include all elements of cars, which, as a rule, have individual serial numbers:

• gearboxes (automatic or manual transmission);
• diesel and gasoline internal combustion engines;
• bodies and their elements;
• chassis and cabins;
• elements of car interiors;
• suspension elements;
• brake elements;
• and many other auto spare parts.

Customs clearance of spare parts for a car can be done at regular (non-excise) customs.

Vintage cars over 30 years old, which are of cultural and historical value, are imported from Lithuania to Russia. The technical condition of such vehicles must meet special requirements. Customs clearance of vintage cars should be carried out at customs posts specifically designed for cultural property, and not at posts for vehicles. PTS is not issued for such cars! Vintage cars are not intended to be driven on public roads; they should be treated like museum pieces.

Car buyers must select a car, purchase it and deliver it to Russia. At the same time, it must be cleared through customs, receive a PTS and register with the traffic police.

Important! Cars whose environmental class is lower than Euro-4 cannot be imported into Russia! With the exception of cultural values!

Methods for importing cars to Russia from Lithuania:

1. At your own pace, you can either personally drive or be an accompanying person. Often used by individuals. This method is considered the most accessible and cheapest;
2. By a motor carrier on a car carrier or in the back of a truck;
3. By sea in a container from the port of Lithuania to the ports of Russia: St. Petersburg, Novorossiysk, Vladivostok. The method is not fast and not always cost-effective;
4. Air delivery. The method is fast, but expensive;
5. By rail, in a carriage or on a platform, this method is not the most popular.

The delivery method is selected individually, taking into account: the buyer’s wishes, the cost of the car, and the risk associated with delivery.

Cars imported from Lithuania to Russia must be cleared through customs. Passing customs clearance is a mandatory stage of importing a car, after which you can obtain license plates (numbers). Customs clearance of a car is carried out at customs posts specially designed for this purpose. To ensure that customs clearance is not long and does not require unnecessary costs, you need to know customs rules well. If you do not have the necessary knowledge and experience or you feel unsure, then it is better to contact our specialists who will help you complete customs clearance without delay!

Do you need to clear your car through customs? – We will help you!

Features of customs clearance of cars (vehicles) from Lithuania to Russia in 2020 by individuals

A special feature of customs clearance of cars imported by individuals from Lithuania to Russia is the need to connect to the GLONASS system. Connection documents must be presented to customs along with the submission of the customs declaration. When clearing customs, individuals must pay customs duties established by Decision of the EEC Council dated December 20, 2017 N 107, which consist of customs duty, recycling fee and a single duty rate, the amount of which depends on the age of the car, its cost and engine size. Individuals do not pay excise tax!

Documents and information for customs clearance of a car in Russia by an individual:

1. Contract of sale;
2. Passenger car buyer's passport;
3. Technical certificate;
4. Payment of a deposit at customs in advance (if the car is planned to be imported under its own power);
5. Documents for installing GLONASS;
6. OTTS or SBKS depending on the age of the car;
7. Payment of recycling fee.

Tips on importing cars from the Baltics

In order to legally use a car imported from the Baltic states or any other country, it is necessary to register it according to all the rules at the customs authorities, which will issue a PTS, after which you can obtain Russian license plates from the traffic police. The final cost of the vehicle, taking into account all registration costs, will directly depend on the chosen model and its age. You should find out in advance how much customs clearance costs.

Whether to carry out complete customs clearance of your foreign “iron horse” or arrange temporary import is something everyone decides on their own. When it comes to a small car no older than 5 years old from Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia, it is better to immediately register it in accordance with all the rules and register it with the traffic police.

To legally use a car imported from the Baltics, you must register it in accordance with all the rules with the customs authorities.

Registration of temporary import makes sense only if you intend to import an expensive model and are ready to comply with all restrictions on its use. With foreign license plates, you will still need to get used to the close attention of traffic police inspectors. Only risk lovers can decide to bypass customs clearance using gray schemes.

Penalties for violation of customs legislation

Punishments for violation of customs legislation are set out in Chapter 16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and Article 194 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Administrative liability occurs in the following cases:

• Violation of deadlines for filing a declaration for an imported vehicle – 1000-2000 rubles;
• late payment of fees and charges – 500-2500 rubles;
• untimely return export of a car that came to Russia under temporary import - 1500-2500 rubles.

Criminal liability arises for failure to pay fees and charges in the amount of more than 1 million rubles. When it comes to premium-segment models, payment amounts can easily exceed this threshold.

The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in this case provides the following penalties:

• failure to pay a duty of more than 1 million rubles. punishable by a fine of 100 to 500 thousand rubles, forced labor - up to 480 hours, or imprisonment for up to 2 years;
• failure to pay a fee of more than 3 million rubles is punishable by a fine of 300 to 500 thousand rubles, forced labor for up to 5 years or imprisonment for the same period.

Sources: https://autofemida.ru, https://vodi.su, https://bibiguru.ru, https://1avtoyurist.ru

Features of customs clearance of cars (vehicles) from Lithuania to Russia in 2020 by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs

One of the features of customs clearance of cars from Lithuania by legal entities or individual entrepreneurs (IP) is checking the presence of the manufacturer’s mark in the ROIS (register of intellectual property). Copyright holders enter trademark names into the ROIS to protect their interests; if a car trademark is included in the ROIS, then you need to obtain permission - a power of attorney from the copyright holder in the Russian Federation.

Register of Intellectual Property Objects (ROIS)

The amount of customs duties paid by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs is significantly larger than those paid by individuals. They consist of customs clearance fees, import duties, excise taxes, VAT and recycling fees.

Documents and information for customs clearance of a car in Russia by a legal entity or individual entrepreneur:

1. Contract of sale;
2. Invoice for payment of the vehicle;
3. Registration of a legal entity or individual entrepreneur with customs;
4. Technical certificate;
5. Payment of a deposit at customs in advance (if the car is planned to be imported under its own power);
6. Documents for installing GLONASS;
7. OTTS or SBKS depending on the age of the car;
8. Payment of recycling fee.

How to buy at the Lithuanian car market

There are four large car dealerships in Lithuania:

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They are all outdoors, but work according to a specific schedule. You need to go there when the market is open and choose the right car. Its windshield usually bears the price, mileage, owner's contact information, and a phone number. By calling it, you can arrange a meeting and discuss other important details.

Typically, sellers require a deposit of 100-200 euros, after which they deregister the car. They also help check vehicles at service stations; there are police stations near the markets where they check the car for legal purity. Further:

1. a purchase and sale agreement is concluded with a notary and a customs declaration is drawn up;
2. buy car insurance;
3. register the vehicle in the state institution “Regitra” (like the Russian traffic police) to obtain a Lithuanian vehicle title and transit numbers.

Car market in Lithuania

Customs payments for customs clearance of a car by an individual

The amount of customs duties for customs clearance of a car by an individual is determined by Decision No. 107 of December 20, 2017, and there is no need to pay excise tax.

Table 1 shows the uniform rates of customs duties and taxes payable.

Table 1. Customs duties on cars from Lithuania for individuals

From the table we can conclude that customs clearance of used cars from Lithuania, aged from 3 to 5 years, is most profitable!

The recycling fee when importing a car is paid once. It is intended for disposal of the vehicle after removal from service. For individuals, the size of the recycling fee depends on the age of the car.

Table 2. Recycling fee for cars from Lithuania for individuals

Customs duty is paid for processing the customs declaration; its amount for individuals depends on the value of the car.

Table 3. Customs duty on cars from Lithuania for individuals

Cars from the Baltics

You can buy a used car in the Baltic countries much cheaper compared to the European part of Russia. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are members of the European Union, and local enterprising dealers bring cars here from all over Europe. Lithuania is very popular among Russians who want to buy a used car from the Baltics.

The secondary market for used cars in Lithuania keeps prices at the lowest levels throughout the Baltics. Here you can find models much cheaper than in the countries from which they were brought.

Lithuanian resellers are ready to offer their goods even cheaper than, for example, in Germany. They make a markup of 15-30%. Models in high demand are sold at a maximum markup, and those that are not popular can be purchased at a wholesale price or even lower.

Lithuanian resellers are ready to offer their goods even cheaper than, for example, in Germany

Methods for importing cars from the Baltics

Customs clearance according to all the rules is a serious procedure for those who want to buy a vehicle abroad, but operate it in Russia. Registration of documents at the customs point and payment of duties requires time and serious expenses.

If a car is imported into the country legally without customs clearance, its owner has the opportunity to save money and time.

On the one hand, he becomes the owner of a high-quality vehicle, but on the other hand, a lot of restrictions arise:

• a vehicle that has not cleared customs may remain in Russia for a certain period of time;
• Only the person who has issued temporary import can drive the vehicle;
• the car cannot be sold, given away or transferred by proxy;
• It is not allowed to use the machine for commercial purposes;
• You cannot cross the border with other neighboring countries.

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Operation of a vehicle in Russia without customs clearance is carried out only under the conditions of temporary import

Operation of a vehicle in Russia without customs clearance is carried out only under the conditions of temporary import, but not everyone can take advantage of this opportunity. This right is granted to: citizens of foreign states temporarily staying or residing in the territory of the Russian Federation; Russians living in another country.

A foreigner can temporarily import a car registered abroad into Russia without paying customs duties and fees. Registration is carried out at the customs point during border crossing.

The imported vehicle must comply with the environmental standard EURO-4 and higher, and it must not have more than 12 seats, including the driver’s seat. It can only be used for personal purposes. The maximum period of stay in the Russian Federation is one year.

The maximum period for temporary import of vehicles for Russian citizens is only six months

Temporary import of cars from the Baltics by a Russian citizen

To bring a car from another country under temporary import conditions, a Russian citizen must meet the following requirements:

• availability of a residence permit in the EU;
• having a passport of a citizen of one of the European countries (dual citizenship).

The maximum period for temporary import of vehicles for Russian citizens is only six months. Thus, for a Russian, the only opportunity to take advantage of such a legal scheme is to obtain a residence permit in the European Union or obtain citizenship. Going through this procedure only for the purpose of buying a used car in the Baltics is unwise.

To obtain a residence permit, you need to pay about 4,000 euros and another monthly tax of 300 euros, and also meet a number of mandatory conditions - to have real estate in a foreign country and spend a certain time there during the year. If we are not talking about expensive car models, customs clearance will be much cheaper than the cost of official residence in a foreign country.

The price of customs clearance of a car from Lithuania in 2021 by a legal entity

The cost of customs clearance of a car from Lithuania for legal entities is significantly higher than for individuals. The basis for calculating payments is the customs value of the car. Customs payments for customs clearance of a car from Lithuania consist of:

• VAT (value added tax), the amount of which is 20%.
• Customs duty , the amount of which depends on the age of the car, its cost, type and engine size. From 05/04/2020 to 12/31/2021, a zero rate (0%) of import customs duty was established for electric vehicles with the HS code 8703800002, according to the decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 29 of March 16, 2021.
• Excise tax is calculated based on the age and power of the car.
• Customs duty (fee for customs clearance of a car) depends on the customs value of the car.
• The recycling fee depends on the age of the car, power and engine size.

Disposal fee is not paid:

• when importing vintage cars, if they meet the requirements: they have original parts and have been restored;
• for temporary import into Russia, for example, for display at an exhibition.

Table 4. Recycling collection for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs

1 – coefficient ( k ). The base rate of the coefficient is 20,000 rubles. The amount of disposal fee is calculated by multiplying the Base rate by (k) - coefficient.

Customs clearance services for cars from Lithuania in Russia

Our customs broker (representative) offers you prompt customs clearance services for cars of all types and brands. We will help you clear a car during customs when importing or clear customs when exporting at any customs posts in Russia:

• at airports
• in seaports
• at automobile checkpoints (MAPP, DAPP)
• at railway checkpoints

We work with any participants in foreign trade activities:

• Individuals
• Legal entities
• Individual entrepreneurs

Terms and cost of services for customs clearance of cars from Lithuania

On average, customs clearance of a car from Lithuania to Russia takes 1 day!

In our company, the price or cost of “customs clearance of cars” imported from Lithuania to Russia is discussed individually depending on the tasks and place of customs clearance and is the minimum on the market. On average it is:

• for individuals: from 5,000 rubles;
• for legal entities or individual entrepreneurs (IP): from 10,000 rubles.

We are confident that we will become your reliable partner at customs!