Rules for the Import and Export of Vehicles

CAR IMPORT. CUSTOMS CLEARANCE.

General Information

✅ If you have a temporary residence permit (TRP) in Belarus, a car with foreign license plates can be imported under the temporary import regime for a period of up to 6 months by filling out a standard passenger customs declaration at the border.

Before the 6-month period expires (the date will be specified in the declaration), it is necessary to: either exit the country with the car and then re-enter to reset the period; or once a year it is permitted to apply to a regional customs authority and arrange an extension of the temporary import (but for no more than an additional 6 months).

If you do not exit or extend, it will be a violation of customs regulations (fine, vehicle detention, or forced removal).

☝️ Don’t forget to pay your foreign annual car insurance on time (if you plan to travel outside Belarus) and also pay for Belarusian insurance (and it is not cheap).

☝️ Remember! A vehicle registered outside the Republic of Belarus (with foreign plates) cannot pass the mandatory technical inspection in Belarus within the national inspection system. Technical inspection in Belarus is intended exclusively for vehicles registered in the RB.

A foreign car temporarily imported into Belarus is exempt from the need to undergo a technical inspection in Belarus. It must comply with the requirements of its country of registration, including having a valid technical inspection.

✅ If you have a permanent residence permit + have received an ID card “residence permit”, then when moving to the RB for permanent residence, a foreign citizen of a state that is not a member of the Customs Union will have to clear their car through customs and pay the recycling fee when crossing the Belarusian border.

Otherwise, the car is allowed to be imported with foreign plates without customs clearance, provided that security for the payment of customs duties and taxes is deposited in the amount of the sum that would be payable upon release of the car for free circulation. This amount is deposited by the individual upon importing the car (in Belarusian rubles) and is returned upon its export. This is described in more detail on the website of the Customs Authorities.

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🚗 Car Import (Delivery)

If BEFORE obtaining a residence permit you have been the owner of your car for at least 6 months (the countdown starts from the date on the residence permit card), you can import it duty-free into the territory of the RB within 18 months.

If you have been the owner of the car for less than 6 months BEFORE the date your residence permit was issued, or if you have missed the import deadline under the residence permit (more than 18 months have passed since the issuance date), then customs clearance will be paid.

Let’s give an example based on a car from Latvia:

In Latvia, you deregister the car, put on transit numbers (valid for only 5 days!), and take out new insurance for them (valid only in Latvia). At the border, you arrange new insurance for the same numbers, but this time for Belarus.

Also, please note that Latvia has now started to require an export declaration for car removal! This must be arranged in advance with a customs broker (in Riga or Daugavpils). There are many brokers; they can be found on ss.lv (Muitas brokeru pakalpojumi). We advise you to consult in advance by calling the checkpoint you plan to cross.

Also, we ask owners of cars with an engine displacement larger than 1.9L to take note (export from the EU is prohibited due to sanctions). But do not rush to get upset—read below.

Customs Clearance

At the border, you need to fill out a declaration, go through customs clearance (it is free if you have a residence permit) and pay the recycling fee. Within 10 working days, it is necessary to register the car, get new insurance for the new Belarusian plates, and pass a technical inspection.

⚠️ If you leave the car on European plates while holding a residence permit, you can no longer import the car under temporary import as before. That is, now it is either only customs clearance upon entry into Belarus, or you will have to leave a deposit. The deposit amount depends on the year of manufacture, its value, and engine displacement—this is approximately the price of full customs clearance. Upon leaving the RB, the deposit is returned to the owner. Also, note that the deposit for a car with European registration is paid only in Belarusian rubles at the exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus on the day of registration of the passenger customs declaration.

If you plan to move things back and forth and have no desire to clear the car (as Latvia will not let it back in on Belarusian plates), put someone else behind the wheel so they can bring the car in (and out) under temporary import.

What to do if the engine displacement is larger than 1.9:

Due to EU sanctions and the ban on the release of cars with an engine displacement of more than 1.9 from there, you can skip the procedures described above and, directly on your European plates while holding a residence permit card, enter the Belarusian border and state that you need to clear the car in connection with importing it under a residence permit. They will process you there. Customs clearance will be free if the conditions described above are met; you will only pay the recycling fee.

If you received your residence permit while staying in Belarus, you can clear the car without leaving the country, directly at a local customs office (usually in regional cities and the capital).

If you have more questions, head over to our Telegram chat in the “Auto” thread, where we will be happy to consult you absolutely for free🤗.