Importing a Car into Russia
When you do a bit of asking around for advice on importing a car into Russia, you tend to get a very definite response over and over. Don’t do it!
There seems to be a definite over riding reason why it is not a good idea to even think of importing a car into Russia. The Russian auto industry is very poorly positioned to compete with foreign made cars. It seems to be almost Government policy to keep out foreign automobiles in order to help them establish their markets without competition. They do this with some of the most outlandish customs fees and registration requirements to be found anywhere.
The complicated and expensive importation process starts with custom taxes. They can run anywhere from 50 to 100% of the value of the vehicle as determined by some Russian version of the “blue book” that is said to have a rather inflated idea of used car values. It is even suggested that the paperwork process is so complicated that it usually takes a bribe to get them to accept the outrageous custom fees and let you bring the vehicle in anyway.
Once inside the country, your troubles have only begun. You will have to pass an inspection to insure that your car meets Russian standards. You can be very sure that it will not pass, and you will have to pay to have it modified. Then, you will have to have it titled and licensed. This process will be a nightmare even for those used to some big city Division of Motor vehicle offices.
It also seems that your chances of having a foreign vehicle stolen are so high that guarded parking areas are common in Russian cities. The scarcity and high prices paid on the black market make foreign cars irresistible to criminals. In fact, it is estimated that the vast majority of foreign vehicles seen on the roads of Russia are illegal and most likely were stolen cars imported into the country for sale in the black market. So, you have the additional worry that your importing effort will put you in competition with some criminal group with the lack of respect for honest competition that marks a country with a tradition that did not encourage it.
It is true this is a very pessimistic outlook on the idea of importing a car into Russia. There are a small handful of pro-Russian voices in this issue that say it is not all that bad or that things are improving. At the present time, however, it seems that selling your car before you leave home, and buying one of those cute little box like Russian cars might make more economic sense in the long run.