Through the «Green Corridor»

On departure from Russia or arrival in our country passengers are able to use a special passage, so-called "green corridor". It is intended for declaration of goods, which are transferred in the accompanied luggage, by natural persons. In case the passenger has chosen "green corridor" for going through the customs inspection there is no need for written customs declaration. But in that case it is necessary to bear in mind that the citizen might fall under selective inspection.

Natural persons that don't have the following goods with them or in the accompanied luggage may go through the "green corridor":

• goods subject to presentation to the customs officers;
• imported goods exceeding established quotas for value and quantity;
• goods liable to the customs duties;
• goods to be imported only by permission of other state bodies;
• goods banned for import.

Unlike "green corridor" while going through the "red corridor" the passenger must enter the goods crossing the border in the accompanied luggage and also the declared information on intention to import goods in the unaccompanied luggage.

Natural persons are entitled to import into Russia in the accompanied luggage the goods, which are not intended for production or business activities. In case the goods' value doesn't exceed SI 000 and their weight - 50 kg, the passenger is to be exempted from the customs duties.

Also there are certain quotas on the quantity. Natural person can import no more than 5 liters of alcohol, no more than 1000 items of tobacco goods, no more than 5 pieces of jewelry. It is also permitted to import no more than 20 liters of petrol or diesel oil per vehicle, excluding the capacity of fuel tanks of the vehicle.

On export from and import into Russia:

Following goods transferred across the customs border of Russian Federation are to be entered in writing:

• foreign currency in cash, in case its amount exceeds $1500 (or equivalent);
• currency of Russian Federation in cash, in case its amount exceeds 500 AMS (Amount of Minimum Salary) established in RP;
• precious metal;
• precious stones;
• all kinds of weapons, ammunition, explosives;
• illegal and hallucinatory drugs;
• antiques and works of art;
• objects of wild nature, their parts and things made of them;
• radioactive means and means of communication;
• radioactive materials;
• printed materials and other data mediums.

Responsibility for violation of customs regulations:

• concealment from the customs inspection;
• transfer of goods across the customs border by false or invalid documents;
• lack of declaration or an unauthentic declaration, involve imposing a penalty in amount i if 100 - 300% of value of the goods that are the subjects of the offence, confiscation of the goods nr recovery of their value. More severe penalties arc also applicable.

"Transfer of articles of art, historical and archeological heritage of peoples of RF and foreign countries across the customs border of RF either without knowledge of or having concealed from the customs inspection, or attended by lack of declaration or an unauthentic declaration, and also the case when such articles were not returned being exported from Russian Federation if this return is considered compulsory" are regarded as contraband (paragraph 219, Customs Code of RF).

According to Criminal Law of RF (paragraph 188) contraband involves a penalty of up to imprisonment for the term of up to 5 years.

Privileges lor goods, not for people

Are there any customs privileges today? Which of legal or natural persons is to be granted with them?

Privileges for paying customs duties are granted in accordance with chapter VI of Russian Federation Law "On customs tariff. The procedure of granting privileges is settled by the Government of RF. It's worth noting that privileges for paying customs duties are granted not to the particular category of natural or legal persons (all the participants of external economic activities and citizens exercise the same rights) but to the goods in case they fall under effect of the appropriate paragraphs of international agreements of RF or Russian Law while crossing a customs border.

The duty is not to be imposed on the goods that are transferred by natural persons, in case they are not intended for production or commercial use, within the quotas established by the Decree '78, dated 10.07.99, for import particularly - value of no more than $ 1000 and weight of no more than 50 kg, and for export — value of no more than $10.000.

Following articles are exempt from duties: vehicles (and other transportation facilities) making international transportation which are imported or exported by legal persons, items of maintenance supply and equipment essential for normal operation of these vehicles or imported for providing operation of Russian (or chartered) vessels working in offshore field, and also products of the offshore work of these vessels which are imported into Russia. Following articles also fall under exemption from duties: goods, which are imported or exported by the representative bodies of foreign states and their employees and which are intended for official or personal use; goods of humanitarian aid; goods, which are transferred to third countries in course of transit; other cases specified by international agreements of Russian Federation.

In addition, there is a system of preferences (tax privileges) that are granted to the foreign states by Russia and concern goods originating either from the countries which form free trade zone or customs union together with Russia, or from the developing countries.

Within customs territory of Russia tariff preferences are to be granted in relation to the following goods: goods imported or exported within the frames of the appropriate customs regulations (for example, temporary import or export, free storage, etc.); goods exported as complete deliveries for construction of investment cooperation objects abroad in accordance with the intergovernmental agreements; goods imported as an investment to the authorized funds of enterprises, which are invested by foreign states, and to the authorized funds of foreign enterprises (tariff preferences also concern some kinds of goods produced and exported by these enterprises in cases specified by the agreements on sharing of the products, or during the period of foreign investments' recoupment).

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