Customs clearance of cars - is it worth it?

While the Russian leadership is desperately struggling to support the domestic automotive industry, consumers, for example, are looking askance and looking for ways to acquire a quality car at an affordable price. Customs clearance of cars "due to" various restrictions becomes more and more expensive and troublesome business.

However, if half of the Far East is engaged in the distillation of second-hand foreign cars from Japan, many residents of Central and Western Russia prefer to drive cars to the West.
All is explained simply: even if the customs clearance of cars will cost almost half (and even more) of the cost of the car, still the quality of even used German cars far exceeds the quality of the new domestic "bucket with nails". Thanks to excellent road surfaces, German cars of ten years ago ride flawlessly, and the automation remains in good condition for many years and does not require repair even after active operation.

So, in order to use a second-hand foreign car in Russia, you first need to purchase it, and then go through the customs clearance procedure. According to the Customs Code, the customs clearance of cars in Russia, if it is a question of the procedure for registration, is the same in all regions.

Buying a car on your own, remember the following points: you need to get an invoice, a receipt from the seller with his passport data (you need to do this for your own safety, since sometimes scammers, when selling a car, immediately declare his hijacking). In addition, the car must be insured, issued for themselves, get transit numbers, transported. At the border, it will be necessary to undergo the procedures of "customs clearance" - or clearance.

Customs clearance of cars from Germany is carried out in several stages. Registration at the border, the settlement of customs duties, processing of documents at the place of destination and only after all these procedures - registration of the vehicle in the traffic police. It is possible to entrust customs clearance to an agency specializing in the delivery of cars to the address of the residence of the buyer and assuming all the procedures, but in this case the costs will increase by approximately 1600-1800 euros.

Transit declaration, indicating the term of customs clearance of vehicles, is issued by a customs broker. At the border, the owner or carrier (they must have a document that allows them to stop the car - Ausfuhrerklaerung - it is issued in electronic form) must declare the import of the car to the customs officer and issue a customs passenger declaration. This is a form of TD-6, which will need to be submitted to the customs at the place of residence to complete the procedure. In addition to the passport, you will need to provide: a car's technical passport , a purchase invoice or an invoice (invoice), documents that ensure the payment of customs payments (guarantee certificate, guarantee agreement , etc.).

The total cost of customs clearance will depend on several factors: the cost of the car, its age, engine size, customs valuation, as well as on who is the owner - an individual or a legal entity. At a minimum, customs clearance will cost 48-54% of the cost of the car, and, the older the car, the more expensive the procedure. It is most advantageous to import cars no older than 5 years, and best of all - up to 3 years, otherwise the cost of payments may exceed the cost of the car.