Before passing through customs, a declaration must be filled out to indicate what you are transporting. This includes, (but is not limited to) currency, traveller's checks, jewellery, and expensive electronics. A foreigner may also bring one car, duty-free, for the period of their stay. The car cannot be sold or transferred to any other person. No customs duty is required for your personal belongings under the value of $2,000 U.S. Goods priced up to $200 are duty free, if sent by international mail. The amount of some items brought into Russia is limited by the local customs regulations, like alcoholic beverages. It is prohibited to import narcotics, toxic and radioactive items, explosives, explosive devices, or weaponry. These requirements can change frequently so check with the Russian Consulate when getting your entry visa.

When shipping goods, the vast majority of household goods shipments to Russia are subject to import duties. The amount of import duties will not be included in the original quotation from your moving company in your origin country. The reason for this is that it is impossible to calculate the exact amount of import duties in advance because the final amount depends on the exact weight of the shipment. In order to calculate the amount of import customs duties, your moving company must supply its office or agent in Russia with information on the total weight of your shipment and a copy of the packing list.

Import customs duties are calculated as follows:

1. The first 200 kg of the shipment are charged at 4 Euros per kg.
2. The remainder of the shipment costs approximately 1 - 2 Euros per kg - depending of what kinds of items are in the shipment.

In addition to that, customs will charge 20% VAT based on the declared total value of the shipment