Russian Customs Extensions

[colebatch]

Information for anyone looking to extend duration of customs import documents.

I have now done it twice on the one entry. I initially entered Russian with 2 months on my customs form. I had it extended for another 2 months in Irkutsk. I have since had it extended for another month in Krasnoyarsk. Its not necessarily the simplest procedure in the world, but its totally feasible and as I detailed in another post, they even have forms for it. There is NO COST to extend the duration.

You need to find the Tamozhennie Post. In both Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, it was way out of the city. Go to the main customs office in the city (ideally with a local) and ask for the location of the Tamozhennie Post that issues the customs form you require - called a "Udostovereniye - Vvosa Transportnovo Sredstva".

Once you find the right customs post, its a simple matter of getting a few photocopies, filling out one form (including the reason why you want the duration extended), and coming back a few hours (Irkutsk) or a day (Krasnoyarsk) later.

GPS co-ordinates of the Krasnoyarsk customs post is: N56.02484 E93.06894. I dont have the co-ordinates of the Irkutsk post, but it was easier in Irkutsk if that helps

[sashadidi]

Thanks very much for the info, will be useful next year guess it is helpful if you know Russian as you do it may also may speed it up

[Fastship]

Hi - absolutely love your website, the best journey and a total inspiration! You're keeping me going here.

Re. the post, how about a visa extension? My understanding is that a three month is currently the best available. Can you get this extended in country too?

Cheers.

[ilesmark]

Hi - very interesting to read about the customs extension. Wish it had happened for me when I was there! But I was on a tourist visa, and I was told categorically I couldn't get either the visa extended or, therefore, the customs clearance. No doubt you got your customs extension because you are on a business visa?

[Tony P]

Russian Customs clearance extention for a vehicle is quite different from a Visa extention for a person. The two are not linked apart from a passport/visa is needed as proof of identity for authority to use the vehicle.

Vehicle extentions/renewals are quite a normal and regular process - as Colebatch outlined above and he and Motoreiter have posted on other threads. I would add this should be done before the existing Customs clearance expires.

Personal Visas cannot be extended. (Full stop!)
Staying beyond the overall validity of the visa can cause problems, although going over the '90 days in 180' does not - or at least not for me a few days ago! My multi-entry visa still has 7 months remaining.
You cannot apply for a new visa while within Russia. You must exit the country and apply from outside. But this can be through any Russian Embassy, not necessarily in your 'home' country.
The fact your passport shows a car on the entry stamp only indicates you entered Russia at a road border crossing and not at an air or sea port. It does not mean you must leave with or in a vehicle.

[colebatch]

Originally Posted by Fastship

Hi - absolutely love your website, the best journey and a total inspiration! You're keeping me going here.

Re. the post, how about a visa extension? My understanding is that a three month is currently the best available. Can you get this extended in country too?

Cheers.

Cheers for the compliment.

Re visa ... 12 month is the best I (and I guess most westerners) can get ... get a 12 month business visa, multi entry ... then you are always covered on as many bases as possible. Dont play cute with visas ... thinking you only need 1 month to cross the country. If you think you need one month, then get 3. If you think you need 3 months then for a small bit extra just get a 12 month multi entry and feel secure.

There is much that can go wrong in Russia ... and its best to expect it and have plenty of room inside your visa. As Tony said above, you CAN NOT get visas extended. You would need to leave Russia and re-apply outside of the country .

Mark: I dont believe customs extensions has anything to do with the type of visa. Customs didn't even look at my visa, its type or expiry date. I suspect you just got dud information from the embassy.

[Nath]

Just to add to the thing about visas, you can't always rely on being able to get a new Russian tourist visa on route.

One guy on the HuBB had to get his passport sent home to London from Bishkek because the embassy there wouldn't play ball. I met a Brit a few days ago who was having similar trouble in Almaty but got pointed to a dodgy agency who agency who somehow produced a visa for him in 24hrs for $300US without him even filling in a form. And I'm currently stuck in Mongolia awaiting my passport being sent back from London - The Russian embassy here initially said yes, then changed their minds and said the official position is that Brits can only get a visa in London. Despite me and my Russian travel companion getting pally with one of the embassy staff they were having none of it.

So basically I'm agreeing with Colebatch - It would have been cheaper and easier for me to get a 6 or 12month business visa than getting the cheaper 3month tourist visa and then being in a mess when my plans changed.