Ease of doing business2/5 | - The Federal Customs Service of Russia tends to be strict. |
- Russia’s World Trade Organization membership adds some ease to doing business in the country. | |
Landed cost fairness3/5 | - Russia has a relatively high duty and tax de minimis and a relatively low duty rate, which are beneficial for those importing into the country. |
The Zonos grade for this country is based on the scores earned in the above categories.
Population | 146 million (2022) |
GDP | $1.483 trillion USD (2020) |
GDP per capita | $10,126.72 USD (2020) |
Internet penetration | 85% of the population use the internet. (2022) |
Ecommerce users | 52.4% of the population shop online. (2022) |
Leading product categories | Household appliances, electronics, fashion |
Preferred online payment method(s) | Debit card, eWallet, credit card, bank transfer, cash upon delivery |
Language(s) | Russian, Tatar, Cechen, Bashkir, Ukranian, Chuvash, Armenian, Avar, Azeri, English, German, French, etc. |
Currency | Russian ruble/RUB/₽ |
CIF: CIF (cost, insurance, freight) is a method for calculating import taxes where the tax is calculated on the cost of the order, plus the cost of freight, insurance, and seller's commission.
Value-added tax (VAT) | Average duty rate | Duty and tax de minimis |
| - Standard rate: 20%
*Goods such as children’s clothing, medical products, printed publications, and certain basic foodstuffs qualify for the reduced VAT rate.
Duty and tax will be charged only on imports into Russia where the total CIF value of the import exceeds Russia’s minimum value threshold (de minimis), which is €200. Russia also operates a weight de minimis of 31kg. Anything under the de minimis value and weight will be considered a duty and tax-free import.
If a package exceeds the de minimis value or weight, it will not be allowed to enter Russia unless the recipient hires a customs broker to clear the package.
It is strongly recommended that you do not exceed these thresholds because some carriers will restrict entry into the country due to the concern of the recipient having to self clear the shipment with their own broker.
Value-added Tax (VAT) is a 20% tax that is applied to all imports into Russia valued at greater than the tax de minimis (€200). VAT is calculated on the CIF value (cost of goods plus freight and insurance) plus any applicable duty.
Certain goods being imported into Russia are subject to an excise tax (extra tax) and are regulated per Article 193 of Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Like VAT, duty is charged on the CIF value of the item, which means that duty is calculated based on the price of the goods, plus the cost of packing, freight, and insurance. Duty is only applicable to shipments where the CIF value is greater than the duty de minimis (€200).
Below are sample landed cost breakdowns for [country name] (one below and one above the de minimis threshold) calculated using Zonos Quoter:
Landed cost for a shipment below the de minimis value:
Note that the item type field is null. This is because the order is below the de minimis and is duty free, and therefore, the item type is not needed because duty is applied based on the type of good and its corresponding HS code. The item type is specified in the example below because it is above the de minimis.
Landed cost for a shipment above the de minimis value:
Russia has at least 12 trade agreements that offer a zero or highly discounted duty rate for goods made in a participating country. The most prominent trade group of which Russia is a member is the Eurasian Economic Union.
Russia is part of the Eurasian Economic Union and has minimal trade allowances between the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. The union was launched between all five members on January 1, 2015, and since then, it focuses on multiple trade aspects.
Russia is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Therefore, Russia must abide by the most-favored-nation (MFN) clause, which requires a country to provide any concessions, privileges, or immunities granted to one nation in a trade agreement to all other WTO member countries. For example, if a country reduces duties by 10% for one country, the MFN clause states that all WTO members will have their duties cut by 10% into that country.
Talk to your carrier about customs refunds.
DHL Express
FedEx
UPS
USPS
Depending on the courier, additional shipping fees may include tracking, insurance, fuel surcharge, remote delivery charge, chain of signature fee, overweight or oversized fee, special handling fee, or dangerous goods fee.
Product description from the manufacturer (catalog, user manual, etc.)
Country of origin certificate (when applicable)
Cargo insurance document
Price list (official offer from seller)
Export declaration of the seller’s country with translation
If previous goods were released from customs and fall under this contract, a document that includes those previously-released goods for accounting purposes
Declaration of conformity
Sanitary certificates (when applicable)
Check with your carrier to find out which documents are needed.
Many various government agencies may be involved in regulating imports.
Restricted items are different from prohibited items. Prohibited items are not allowed to be imported into a country at all. Restricted items are not allowed to be imported into a country unless the importer has approval or a special license that allows them. Controlled goods have military or national security significance.
Russia has regulations in place to protect its consumers when shopping via ecommerce with respect to the following:
Consumers' personal data
Consumer rights
If the consumer rejects a shipment within their rights, the seller must refund all costs paid to them by the consumer under the contract and deduct the cost of return shipping, all within 10 days of the consumer’s claim.
Advertising
Competition
Unfair competitive practices that mislead consumers or damage other businesses' competitive edge are unlawful, including the following:
While Russia does not require foreign companies to have a location in Russia or any special licensing to sell to Russian consumers, the following is required on your website for your online business to legally sell into Russia:
Following all of Russia’s import regulations does not guarantee a smooth release into the country through customs. They are strict and may take a while to release the shipment, or they may still reject it if they feel it does not perfectly meet their standards.
Do I have to translate my website to Russian when selling to Russian consumers?
While it is not required, it is recommended. Zonos Hello welcomes and provides customs and duty and tax information to your customers in their language.
A cross-border guide to Russian ecommerce, shipping, and importing goods
DHL, FedEx, and UPS have ceased shipping services to Russia until further notice. Additionally, the information in this guide may not be up to date due to the conflict in the area.
If you are looking to grow your ecommerce business into Russia, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide, created by Zonos' cross-border experts, you will find up-to-date duty and tax rates, landed cost breakdown examples, and detailed information on restrictions, trade agreements, required import documentation, and more.\