Going from 'Stans to Russia? Please Read!
 

I wanted to post this, so maybe it wont happen to someone else.
Kaz is now part of some trade zone with Russia, and if you go thru Kaz to Ru, they should give you a temp import document for your bike when you enter Kaz from another country (this happened to me coming from Kyrg, at the Bishkek border)
Well, Kaz gave me nothing, and as I went from Kaz to Ru, the guys at the Ru border probably assumed I had it, & didnt give me one.
I'd been to Ru before, but thought maybe it was just some new system, as they put the bike license number in the computer.
BUT, without this paper, you are riding in Ru ILLEGALLY! and if stopped, they can impound your bike til its straightened out!

Once I found out I needed this paper, I went to a customs office, but they said it could only be fixed at a border. Even at the border, there is possibility for impoundment. So I'm riding 3000km across russia, being careful not to get stopped!

Anyhow, I knew someone who knew a customs bigwig, and he called to the mongolian border, & got it fixed to where I could get everything sorted.
So I went to the border, had to write a letter explaining what happened, that the Kaz idiot gave me nothing. They made copies of all my passport stamps, and let me go (luckily, no 'fines' were involved)
Then I had to leave Ru, get a MGL stamp, & re enter Ru, this time I was given the proper docs. Other than costing me a couple days time, riding to the border, & 5 hours AT the border, it worked out. But be careful! I've heard of 2 other people this has happened to also

the paper is a full white sheet, you fill it out yourself, then they put some pretty colored stamps on it, and a bar coded sticker.

Doug

hi,

dont care about it, in russia nobody will spop you and see some papers...

we cross kaz twis, but we only ha
ve the doune declaration..so, really dont care!

cheers from russia,,
bernd and heidi

united customs territory
 

Russia Belorussia and kazahstan is a united customs territiory, so all temp import docs made on every entry point is valid in all 3 coutries.
So you do not need to worry.
Just put an entry stamp on russian visa on the dorder and ride further.
(passport (border) control and customs control are different people from different employers)
:oops2:

Dean
as it says in my post, kaz gave me NO FORM

had they given me the form they were supposed to, it would have been fine. I know of 3 others this happened to, entering at the same border.

I only posted the warning, as it caused me a big headache, and I was trying to save someone else from the same problems.

Doug

Hi,

I entered Kyrgyzstan on 19th July 2011 at Torugart and I received no paperwork other than a stamp in my passport.

I crossed from KGZ-KAZ at Korday on the 9th August where I was asked repeatedly about a "vehicle passport" by both sides and just shrugged. They let me through.

I returned to KGZ on the 11th August (a successful repair at MyMotoTown) where I was asked for my "vehicle passport" by the KAZ people who eventually gave up but this time the KRG people went through the motions and gave me some form in Cyrillic (eventually filled out by them as I didn't have a clue) which I mustn't lose and/or must give to someone in Osh (where I am now).

The point being that the KAZ people were keen on some "vehicle passport" but eventually gave up on me both inward and outward.

I shall pay more attention in future as I have to go through KAZ to get to RU in a few weeks time.

Cheers,

Ian

IDF ... you are talking about a different document

What CIS countries call a vehicle passport or "TechPassport" is the registration docs of the vehicle. A V5, or Carte Gris or ICMV ... Its your standard registration document from your country of origin.

The customs form is a slip of paper you get at the border of Kazakhstan Russia or Belarus to the single customs zone of those 3 countries, which allows you to temporarily import your vehicle, without paying duty. It is issued at the border as is a bar code that is put on the paper, and an expiry date.

In your case, you need to have received that piece of paper, with a stuck on bar code, at the KG-KZ border when you entered Kazakhstan.

Doug's point, is that its too late at the Russian border. They will not issue the paper at the Russian border when you enter from Kazakhstan. You had to get it when you entered the customs zone. Which was when you crossed from KG to KZ.

This caused us major problems when we tried to enter Russia from Kazakhstan a few months ago. We weren't given the cutoms form when we entered Krygystan, and were consequently held up at the Russian border for 14 hours! They wouldn't let us through without it. It was a nightmare. Eventually after lots of to-ing and fro-ing between the borders, we managed to get the Kaz customs to get a form faxed through from Kyrgh which we then filled in and were eventually permitted to enter Russia - by this time it was about 2am and we were knackered and well frustrated.

So make sure you ask for a customs form in when entering Kyrgh. It will make life a whole lot easier.

Just to clarify this guys, its nothing to do with Kyrgyzstan ... you get it when you enter KAZAKHSTAN ... from Kyrgyzstan. The Kazakh customs guys should give it to you on entry to Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyzstan is not part of the customs union

Thanks for these informations!

so this problem can happen as well when entering Kazakhstan from Ouzbekistan, I'll go in Beyneu?

Maybe yes ... just make sure you get the customs import form on the Kazakh side of the border before you ride off

Thanks
 

Hi,

When we entered fron Kirgistan to Kasachstan (Bishkek to Almaty) we did not get the requiered form for the bike automaticly. Having the info from Doug we had to ask several times for the form. It seams to me, that most of the bordestaff there just do not know about this form. Finaly we get the form in a little bureau witch is in the main buildung behind the pasport Control for the pedestrains down a little stair.

Entering Russia nowbody asked for this Form, but when I left to Mongolia they asked for it, and I was happy to have it.

Thanks Doug for the Information.

Greetings Heiko

custom form
 

hi crossed from kazakhstan to uzbekistan in june and got the form and bar code sticker automaticaly , crossed form bishkek to almaty in july went down the stairs to the little customs office (forgot all about this form ) filled in normal customs decleration form and put the bike in the space for your vehicle ,,,, exit russia to latvia NO PROBLEMS (mind you the did have a load of yanks to play with)

zebb

I entered Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan in the Beyneu border, the automatically gave me a custom form, but not one with sticker bar code.

Fair dos. Thank you for the heads up.

I've had some sort of document entering (somewhere) and Tajikistan which costs US$10 and you get a tear off portion of an A5 slip. I've been told not to lose them but no-one asks for them.

This bar-coded thing needs some more attention, then, as I'll be entering KZ from UZ in a few days.

Cheers,

Ian

I entered from Tashkent straight into Kazakhstan about two weeks ago - they gave me temp import paper without asking for (I knew about this problem by then - thnks Doug!), but they don't have printer for the barcode sticker yet. It wasn't a problem when leaving Russia into Georgia though - they asked for sticker, I explained and they were cool with that.
Bart