Long-term vehicle registration in Georgia

[Zostran]

For long-term travellers in Europe, especially Russia/Caucasus region: foreigners can easily import and register cars in Georgia, no address or any kind of long-term visa/registration required. I've found this to be a cost-effective solution for many reasons. My notes are below:

Import duties/taxes in Georgia are quite low, especially for vehicles 4-7 years old and very much so for large engines. Check the following calculator for details: Calculator for Customs Clearance | MyCar.Ge

There are no annual vehicle registration fees in Georgia and so far no periodic roadworthy/technical inspections.

Shipping a 4x4 from Germany to Georgia costs about 1100 Euros and takes around 4-5 weeks. I used the following company: Georgian Transport & Shipping, Hamburg
It's also possible to drive out of Europe on transit plates, but they cost about 300 Euros and it isn't possible to enter Russia in an unregistered (including transit) car without paying customs duties. I'm not sure what the situation is in Turkey. It's possible to drive to Romania and take a ferry directly to Georgia, where the car can be imported and registered.

VAT on EU cars (including used ones) can often be refunded, and the rate is around 19-22% (19% in Germany) so quite a saving. To find eligible cars, select "VAT reclaimable" on mobile.de: Car search on mobile.de – find your vehicle quick and easy

If buying in Germany, Dekra offers independent pre-sale inspections. They'll take high-res photos, note any damage and the general condition, check consumables for wear, check the computer for errors and service history, do a compression and diagnostic test, etc. Very useful if buying sight unseen.

International comprehensive insurance with Clements is quite good value - less than half what I would have paid in Russia for the same car. Their policy is valid everywhere except the policyholder's home country (any country that issued him with a passport). Also the following countries are not covered: US, Canada, Iran and North Korea. https://www.clements.com/intl-car
You'll also need mandatory third-party insurance for Georgia, which usually comes with a 'green card' that provides reciprocal third-party coverage for the whole of Europe, including Russia, excluding Kosovo. Details about the green-card system are here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...en_card_system


The following categories of people can temporarily import vehicles into Russia without paying taxes. Note that the person who imported the vehicle has to be in/on it at all times when it's being driven. It also has to be registered in another country to be eligible for temporary import (you'll need to show a reg. certificate at the border).

• foreigners on visas and temporary residence permits (разрешение на временное проживание) can temporarily import foreign-registered cars tax-free for one year (duration of the visa doesn't matter - customs provides a one-year temporary import permit at the border). If you need more time, the car can be driven over the border and straight back to start the clock again.
• Non-resident citizens (i.e. Russian/Belorussian/Kazakh citizens without propiskas) can temporarily import foreign-registered vehicles for up to 180 days of each year. Customs will check when entering or leaving Russia.
• Temporary imports aren't possible at all for resident citizens (including Russians/Belorussian/Kazakhs) and foreigners with permanent residence permits (вид на жительство). I.e. anyone with a valid propiska stamp in their passport cannot temporarily import a vehicle and will have to pay customs duty before entering Russia.

It's also possible to tax-free import a vehicle to the EU for up to six months per calendar year as long as you're a non-tax-resident of the EU. Any non-residents of the EU can drive it.

[crisidsto]

Originally Posted by Zostran

[...]

The following categories of people can temporarily import vehicles into Russia without paying taxes. Note that the person who imported the vehicle has to be in/on it at all times when it's being driven. It also has to be registered in another country to be eligible for temporary import (you'll need to show a reg. certificate at the border).

• foreigners on visas and temporary residence permits (разрешение на временное проживание) can temporarily import foreign-registered cars tax-free for one year (duration of the visa doesn't matter - customs provides a one-year temporary import permit at the border). If you need more time, the car can be driven over the border and straight back to start the clock again.

[...]

Do you know if this works at every border of custom union?
Where did you get this info from?

This 12 months temporary import rule has been discussed before and seems true, but some more confirmation is always welcome :-)

[Zostran]

THe information is from my reading of the law (acts, orders and administrative regulations), the Customs Service website (see below), living in Russia for the best part of a decade, as well as conversations with the border guards at Narva/Ivangorod.

I've temporarily imported my own car at Verhny Lars and Ivangorod, and will probably do so again at Brest (Belarus) later in the year. Someone else will have to report back on Kazakhstan as I'm not terribly interested in Central Asia myself.

If you're fluent in bureaucracy, the following are good pages to being your research:

О правилах временного ввоза транспортных средств иностранными гражданами - Практикум - TKS.RU

Товары для личного пользования, перемещаемые через таможенную границу, с освобождением от уплаты таможенных платежей

[crash-ridr]

I know this is a bit off topic but since your aware of importing vehicle I was curious if you knew of a place you could properly store a vehicle temporary. I would probably only need to do this a little over a month.
Thanks
Dan

[Olee]

Zostran: as you seem to be well informed: is it possible to bring a vehicle into russia - then fly back home without vehicle and to let the bike be driven out by another person - which is authorized by notary permission which I provide.

[Zostran]

Originally Posted by Olee

Zostran: as you seem to be well informed: is it possible to bring a vehicle into russia - then fly back home without vehicle and to let the bike be driven out by another person - which is authorized by notary permission which I provide.

No, the right to use the vehicle cannot be transferred. The importer can be a passenger, but must be in/on the vehicle at all times when it's being operated.

The bike could be exported by a transport company (or anyone with a truck/trailer), just as long as it isn't driven without the person who imported it.

[Olee]

Thank you for this information. So you say that every privat person with a trailer or truck can bring a motorbike over the border? Somewhere I read that importation of 2 vehicles (in this case the trailer plus the motorbike) is not allowed. How about this issue?

[Zostran]

Originally Posted by Olee

Thank you for this information. So you say that every privat person with a trailer or truck can bring a motorbike over the border? Somewhere I read that importation of 2 vehicles (in this case the trailer plus the motorbike) is not allowed. How about this issue?

Each person can temporarily import only one vehicle. If you wish to leave Russia without the bike, it can be exported by any other means, just as long as it isn't driven on public roads without the declared importer.

[Olee]

OK and will it make any difference if the rider enters via Kirgisistan, changes the motorbike there, and the next driver will ride through Kasachstan, Russia to Mongolia?

[Zostran]

Originally Posted by Olee

OK and will it make any difference if the rider enters via Kirgisistan, changes the motorbike there, and the next driver will ride through Kasachstan, Russia to Mongolia?

It can't be changed in Kyrgistan as that country is in a customs union with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia.

It would be easier to do the swap on the Uzbek border.

Also, make sure anyone who isn't the registered owner has a power of attorney allowing them to ride the bike and import it into any countries you're planning to visit.

[Olee]

Originally Posted by Zostran

It can't be changed in Kyrgistan as that country is in a customs union with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia.

It would be easier to do the swap on the Uzbek border.

Also, make sure anyone who isn't the registered owner has a power of attorney allowing them to ride the bike and import it into any countries you're planning to visit.

OK but if if the swap occurs an the Uzbek border - the problem will be the same - but only in Usbek. Because then in Uzbek one driver will enter and another will leave... what is the difference to Kyrgistan?

[Zostran]

Originally Posted by Olee

OK but if if the swap occurs an the Uzbek border - the problem will be the same - but only in Usbek. Because then in Uzbek one driver will enter and another will leave... what is the difference to Kyrgistan?

There isn't a customs border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan/Russia/Belarus/Armenia, so if you import the bike into any of those countries, it doesn't leave the customs union until you enter a non-union country (eg. Uzbekistan).

You'll probably need to do the swap in the neutral zone between two countries. For example, after leaving Kyrgyzstan but before entering Uzbekistan, or after leaving Uzbekistan but before entering Kazakhstan.

Doing the swap between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan isn't an option because both of those countries are Customs Union members - you wouldn't receive a new import declaration when entering Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan.

[markharf]

Originally Posted by Zostran

There isn't a customs border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan/Russia/Belarus/Armenia, so if you import the bike into any of those countries, it doesn't leave the customs....

Armenia doesn’t border any of those countries. Am I missing something?

[Zostran]

Originally Posted by markharf

Armenia doesn’t border any of those countries. Am I missing something?

It's still in the Customs Union, so if something is transported by air and/or bonded truck/rail/container, it won't be subject to customs formalities. Armenia, as such, probably isn't relevant to this situation, but I included it for completeness. It may be relevant to others who are citizens of a Customs Union countries, or who have vehicles registered in them. For example, citizens of Customs Union countries cannot temporarily import a vehicle into any Customs Union member country without paying a deposit to cover the import duties.

To cut a long story short : the bike can't be swapped on the Kyrgyz--Kazakh border.

[Olee]

Originally Posted by Zostran

It can't be changed in Kyrgistan as that country is in a customs union with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia.

It would be easier to do the swap on the Uzbek border.

Also, make sure anyone who isn't the registered owner has a power of attorney allowing them to ride the bike and import it into any countries you're planning to visit.

OK here is another suggestion:
On the entrance to Russia (coming from Georgia) my friend, which has power of attorney for all the countries - including Kyrgistan - will get temporary import documents from Russian customs. So in the view of the custom union - the bike is linked to him. Now to swap the bike to another friend - he can give a power of attorney to the other friend.
So - it's not me to give the power of attorney to the third driver - but it's the driver who entered custom union who gives the attorney. How about this?