"New Customs Declaration Form" & "Overweight Baggage" Customs

Russia has issued a new customs declaration form for travelers coming into the country. Old declaration forms, as well as forms issued from airlines, are not accepted.

The new customs declaration form requires travelers to declare a long list of items, including: medicine; mobile phones; jewelry; printed matter and other information materials; plants; animals; radioactive materials; drugs; weapons; works of art; and, of course, cash.

Regarding medicine, the Moscow Times quoted an official from the Russian Customs Service as saying that anyone taking prescription medicine should only be carrying enough for personal use, and that they should have their prescriptions with them when they leave the country.

Regarding printed material, the Customs official said that what Customs officers are primarily concerned with is pornography and propaganda materials promoting fascism or racial or religious intolerance.

The issue is somewhat more complicated in regards to mobile phones. The Customs Service says that non-resident mobile phone holders must receive special permission to carry their phone into Russia, or risk relinquishing it at Sheremetyevo, or wherever else they enter the country. The Customs Service says that permission to carry the phone must come from Gossvyaznadzor (the State Communications Inspectorate).

But the Moscow Times were unable to find anyone at Gossvyaznadzor who knew anything about this new requirement. Gossvyaznadzor officials told the Moscow Times that "according to Russian law, foreigners may freely carry in mobile phones, as long as they are then carried back out." Officials from Vimpelcom, Russia's largest mobile phone company, agreed with the position of Gossvyaznadzor. The Vimpelcom officials said that the customs declaration in and of itself is a kind of authorization to use the phones in Russia.

But it turns out, according to the Moscow Times, that customs officials are typically reluctant to stamp the side of the declaration form where travelers declare their phones. So, as it currently stands, travelers attempting to bring in a mobile phone will find themselves in a Catch-22. If you bring in your mobile phone but do not declare it, then you may be in violation of Russian law and if you are caught you may be fined. If you do declare your phone, customs officials will not let you take it with you unless you can provide documentation from Gossvyaznadzor authorizing you to do so. But Gossvyaznadzor will not and cannot provide you with that documentation because they do not know what such documentation is supposed to look like.

The best advice the NMLO can offer to travelers is not to bring your mobile phone.

The NMLO encourages travelers to declare all items, which should be declared, including the amount of money the traveler is bringing into the country, regardless of amount. Travelers should ensure that a Customs official stamps their declaration forms when they enter the country. Travelers are also reminded to keep their stamped form with them during their stay in Russia so that they can present it to customs officials when exiting the country. The recommendation is for everyone to go through the red line. This ensures that you get a stamped declaration every time.

Questions concerning "Overweight Baggage" Customs Fines.

Please be aware that Russian Customs Authorities has begun enforcing the "Overweight Baggage" customs fine. As you pass your luggage through the x-ray machine, while you are having your customs declaration form reviewed, your luggage is also being weighed. Travelers are only allowed a "total" weight of 50 kg (2.2 pounds per kilo) for their entire luggage.

This is NOT the airline check on number and weight of pieces of luggage, but Russian customs checking on the weight of things being brought into Moscow, by incoming travelers. In fact, if you stayed just within the airline weight limits for total number of allowed pieces of luggage (i.e. 2 carry-on bags plus 2 checked bags); you stand a good chance of exceeding the Russian customs limit by a large margin. Other airlines may also have an additional charge upon check-in.

There is no customs fee for less than 50 kilos. One additional kilo over 50 kilos equals to 4 EUR; the rate of EUR/USD of today is $1.06. So, for every kilo over 50 kilos you will pay 4 dollars and 24 cents.

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