Vladivostok customs clearance
 

Hi all

My car is now en route from Bangkok to Vladivostok. When it arrives at the other end, it will need to be cleared through Customs and I may also need some sort of shipping agent to receive the car?

I know other people have brought vehicles into Vladivostok. Does anyone know a) is it possible to do the customs clearance by yourself and b) is it necessary to appoint a shipping agent? If so, can you recommend anyone good?

When I shipped my car into Malaysia, I was told categorically that I couldn't clear it through Customs by myself, but I went there in person and it was done no problem at all. I found out the hard way that I'd been told correctly that I had to appoint a shipping agent though!

Thanks

Mark

It is not necessary to appoint a shipping agent. You can do the custom
clearance by yourself. Just it will take a time and some meters
(you'll be going by walk from one building to another one). It can
take 1-3 days, as far as I remember.

Vladivostok Custom
 

Greetings,
I am leaving Sokcho, S. Korea by Ferry to Vladivostok on Thursday may 14th.
I have an agent named Allie, who will help me to clear the custom. I am arriving on Vladivostok on Friday 15th.
I will see how this goes and let you know.
Meanwhile here are two guys who came recommended by guys on HUBB.

Hope this helps.
we meet somewhere along the way. I am heading to Mongolia from Russia.

Good luck

arun


Allie
7 4232 369594
teddyallie@gmail.com

contact Yuri Melnikov at Links, Ltd. Contact information is:

89 Svetlanskaya str., office 34,
690078, Vladivostok, Russia.
Tel/fax: (4232) 22-08-87
Tel: (4232) 22-15-78
Intl Tel: 7 9025 243 447
e-mail:ymelnik@links-ltd.com

Hi Arun

Keep us updated with the custom clearance and the agent you will be using. We will be entering Russia there as well in a couple of months.

Hi all

I had a nightmare getting my car into Russia. First the shipping company decided to deliver the car a week late, then the car was stuck in customs for a further week, so that was 2 weeks gone from my visa which the PVU refused to extend - welcome to Russia. I had to pay over 800 USD local charges when bringing the car into Russia and only 300 USD of this was avoidable.

This was partly the fault of Customs and partly that of the shipping company in Bangkok (Seaswift). To begin with, Seaswift did not bother to check what details were needed on the Bill of Lading. Consequently they omitted to put the engine or chassis numbers, or the contents of the car. The consequence of this was that Customs charged USD200 to 'inspect' the car to check the engine and chassis numbers corresponded to those on my registration documents. A further insult (this may not be totally the fault of Seaswift) came when I was charged USD 100 customs duty for the contents of the car because I'd failed to declare them at Vladivostok airport. I am reliably informed that no other foreign overland travellers have had this problem, so suspect this issue may be Vladivostok Customs making the rules up as they go along. An indication of the calibre of these people came when one of them looked at my immigration card. Russia and Belarus use the same immigration cards, and the names Russia and Belarus appear side by side at the top of the cards. This customs woman thought I was using the wrong immigration card because it said 'Belarus' at the top!

Nevertheless, Seaswift's errors with the BL cost me more money than anything else, and if I was still in Thailand - or if they were in the UK - I would have sued them.

So for your own sakes - if you're shipping a vehicle to Vladivostok
1) ensure the engine or chassis numbers and the contents of the vehicle are on the Bill of Lading
2) declare the contents of the vehicle upon arrival at Vladivostok airport.