The limit on parcels is 22 euros. Customs duties and duty-free purchase limits (Belarus, Russia, Ukraine). Where to pay duties and fees

The reason for tightening the limits on duty-free import of goods was a significant increase in the volume of import of goods on a commercial scale to individuals without paying customs duties. Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belarus Vladimir Orlovsky spoke about this in the “Contours” program on the ONT TV channel, TUT.BY reports. The representative of the State Customs Committee provided statistics on the volume of international postal items imported into Belarus.

“90% of Belarusians do not receive parcels. More than 250 thousand Belarusians received about 10 parcels a year, and 2.5 thousand Belarusians received more than 100,” he noted.

Orlovsky also emphasized that the limit of “22 euros for parcels, 300 for imports” is similar to the norm applied in a number of EU member states.

“This is an established practice in the European Union. Most EU countries have established standards of 22 euros for duty-free import of goods transported by international postal mail. These are countries such as Germany, Italy, Czech Republic. Moreover, there are stricter standards - in China only 7 euros. In some countries - France, Sweden - there is no duty-free import at all; any parcel implies payment of tax,” he emphasized.

The deputy chairman of the State Border Committee also announced the date when Presidential Decree No. 40 of February 11, 2016 will come into force.

“This will happen on April 14 this year,” he said. He noted that the two-month period between the publication of the decree and its entry into force was made so that Belarusians could receive the ordered goods without paying duties.

Let us remind you that Decree No. 40 established a reduction in the rate of duty-free import of goods for personal use sent in international mail and (or) express cargo to one recipient, from 200 euros and 31 kg to 22 euros and 10 kg per calendar month. The decree also determines that if goods are imported into Belarus more than once every three months, goods costing more than 300 euros and (or) weighing more than 20 kg will not be classified as goods for personal use. At the same time, the norms for duty-free import of goods of 1,500 euros and 50 kg continue to apply. At the same time, the popular Russian site ShopFans offered Belarusians a Moscow address to order goods from the Internet (from China, Europe, the USA, etc.) without paying duty in the amount of up to 1000 euros. The service for receiving/processing orders is 3-5 dollars, depending on weight, and then you will need to pay for delivery to Minsk.

The cost of delivery from Moscow to Minsk depends on weight: delivery of a parcel weighing 0-7.5 kg will cost 4-20 dollars, up to 15 kg - 21-32 dollars, up to 22.5 kg - 33-43 dollars, 22.5- 30 kg – 43-50 dollars. The limit on the cost/weight of parcels is 1000 euros/31 kilograms.

Let us remind you that from April 14, there are limits on international parcels for personal use - the maximum order amount will be no more than 22 euros and weighing no more than 10 kilograms. Today, Belarusians can receive duty-free parcels from abroad for personal use worth up to 200 euros per month (regardless of the number of purchases) and weighing up to 31 kilograms. If this volume is exceeded, then you need to pay import customs duty on the excess amount and customs duty.

What will happen to parcels ordered before April 14?

Question: Is it possible to order several parcels per month for one person, so that the total cost is no more than 22 euros per month, or will it be possible to order only one parcel?

— The duty-free limit on value (22 euros) and weight (10 kg) reflects the total value of all international postal items (IPO) per calendar month. In other words, several parcels can be imported within the specified norms.

Question from Yulia: At what point will it be considered that the parcel has arrived from abroad - at the moment it arrives at customs or at the post office? After all, these are sometimes completely different periods. And you can receive goods at the post office at the same time, ordered in different periods, and not meet the limit, although each parcel individually did not exceed it.

— The customs authorities take into account the date of registration of the parcel at the temporary storage warehouse. The specified date cannot be changed. In accordance with paragraph 4 of Article 160 of the Customs Code of the Customs Union, parcels are placed in temporary storage within 3 hours after their presentation to the customs authority upon arrival at places (institutions) of international postal exchange.

Question from Evgeniya: Will duties be charged on parcels that were sent, for example, in March, but will arrive after April 14?

— Yes, they will, if the customs value of the goods sent exceeds the established duty-free import standards of 22 euros.

Example. Three parcels have been ordered, their cost is 22 euros, 5 euros and 1 euro respectively. All parcels arrive at different times, but within the same month. We pick up a parcel worth 22 euros without any problems. What will happen to the rest? What duties and fees will I have to pay when receiving the remaining two? Specifically, I am interested in the issue of the customs fee of 5 euros and payment for postal services. Savchenko Evgeniy.

State Customs Committee's response: Let's assume that the total weight of three parcels is up to 10 kg. After the duty-free release of a parcel worth 22 euros, subsequent parcels received by the same individual are subject to payment of customs duties and customs fees for customs operations for each parcel.

For the second international postal item, customs duties of approximately 6.5 euros will be payable: 5 euros (customs value of goods) x 30% + 5 euros (customs duty). The amount of customs duties for the third parcel will be about 5.3 euros: 1 euro x 30% + 5 euros (customs duty).

Question from Nikolai: Let’s say that before the decree came into force on April 5, I received an international postal item in the amount of 30 euros. Under the previous rules, there is no need to pay a fee. And after the 14th in April I will receive another MPO worth 10 euros. Will there be a duty charge on it? After all, the law cannot have retroactive effect and MPOs received before April 14th should not be taken into account in the amount of 22 euros.

— Subclause 1.1 of clause 1 of Decree No. 360 stipulates that the period for recording the facts of sending goods to an individual for personal use is a calendar month. This approach was not changed by Decree No. 40.

In the situation under consideration, before Decree No. 40 came into force, you had already received goods worth 30 euros in April. Consequently, after decree No. 40 came into force, you have already used the monthly norm of 22 euros and 10 kg for April.

“I didn’t buy anything myself, my relatives sent me a gift.”

Question from Marina: How will parcels (gifts) from abroad (in our case from the USA) from close relatives be assessed with duties and taxes? How much can they send us gifts for and how often?

— Decree No. 40 has not established any specifics (separate norms) for sending this category of goods (gifts).

Question from Igor. Let's say my parents live in the USA, won a Green Card, send me a package (clothing, dishes, etc.), the cost of the items is not indicated anywhere. Do I need to pay a duty, since I didn’t buy anything myself, and no currency was exported from the country?

- Yes, in case of exceeding the norms established by Decree No. 40. In accordance with part two of paragraph 1 of Article 316 of the Customs Code of the Customs Union, the calculation of the amounts of customs duties and taxes is carried out on the basis of information about the cost of goods specified in the documents provided for by acts of the Universal Postal Union and used in for customs purposes.

At the same time, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 361 of the Customs Code of the Customs Union, if an individual moving goods for personal use does not have original documents confirming information about the value of the gift, and the customs authority has reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided and (or ) the documents are not reliable, the customs value of such goods will be determined by the customs authority independently on the basis of the price information at its disposal for similar goods, including on the basis of data indicated in the catalogs of foreign companies engaged in retail sales of similar goods.

How will items purchased at sales be priced?

Question from Anton: The promotional item was purchased for 20 euros. The parcel arrived in two weeks or a month, the cost of this product on the seller’s website is already indicated at 35 euros. How will customs act upon the fact of assessing the value? What information do I need to provide?

— An individual has the right to prove the accuracy of the information presented to determine the customs value. To do this, he must submit documents confirming the declared value (contract, specification, invoice, sales receipt, payment receipt).

What to do if the seller incorrectly indicates the price of the goods?

Question from Sergey: Sometimes it happens that a Chinese seller overstates the value of goods in the declaration. For example, I buy an item worth 22 euros, i.e. actually paid 22 euros - an amount not exceeding the limit, and the declaration indicates the value, for example, of 40 euros. How can I prove that this package costs exactly 22 euros? Is it possible to provide screenshots?

— If the recipient does not agree with the cost indicated by the sender, he has the right not to receive such IPO and inform the postal operator about the need to return it to the place (institution) of international postal exchange where the issue took place. After this, the recipient can contact the customs authority in writing and attach original documents confirming the value of the goods being sent.

If you disagree with the customs value determined by the customs authority for calculating customs payments, the recipient of the goods has the right to provide the customs authority with documents on the basis of which the customs value of the goods being sent can be determined (contract, specification, invoice, sales receipt, payment receipt, etc. ).

As additional documents, the customs authority may accept online catalogs with publicly posted information on the cost of goods being sent, printouts of bank transfer pages, etc.

Is it possible to order several parcels to one address for different people?

Question from Yulia: I would like to clarify how the customs authorities plan to differentiate between recipients? By full name, recipient's address, card from which payment was made?

— The duty-free import standards established by Decree No. 40 apply to goods for personal use sent to MPO during a calendar month to one recipient, who is an individual located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. It should be noted that according to subclause 2.2 of clause 2 of Article PE 106 “Conditions for acceptance of parcels” of the Postal Parcel Regulations (Act of the Universal Postal Union), only one individual or legal entity can be indicated as the addressee.

Thus, one individual during a calendar month can receive duty-free IPOs in an amount equivalent to no more than 22 euros and a total weight of no more than 10 kg, or several IPOs per month, if they do not exceed the specified limits.

— The specified norm is calculated for each recipient upon receipt of goods at his address. Including minors.

Question from Oleg: It is possible that one parcel will be delayed and another will arrive earlier. As a result, the cost of parcels per month may exceed 22 euros. Is it possible to somehow avoid paying duties on the basis of payment receipts, from which it will be clear that the goods were ordered at different times and the cost of the ordered parcels does not exceed 22 euros per month?

— The legislation determines that customs authorities take into account the date of registration of documents submitted in accordance with the customs legislation of the Customs Union for placing such goods in temporary storage. The legislation does not provide for any other procedure for calculating this period.

Where to pay duties and fees?

Question from Natalia Sobolevskaya. Please tell me, if the parcel still exceeds the cost of 22 euros, where do they pay the tax on it? At the post office upon receipt or do I have to go somewhere and pay?

— Customs duties must be paid at the post office where the international mail will be issued. The postal operator will inform you about the need to pay customs duties.

Example. I ordered an external hard drive that cost $90 (or 82 euros). What duty will have to be paid in this case?

State Customs Committee's response: If the cost of goods sent to the MPO for personal use is $90 (which is equivalent to 82 euros) and the weight does not exceed 10 kg and no other goods were sent to this individual during the calendar month, then the amount of customs duties payable will be calculated as follows: thus: (82 euros - 22 euros) x 30% + 5 euros (customs duty for customs operations) - and will be 23 euros.

Question from Egor: What happens if I exceed the limit and don’t want to pay and pick up the parcel?

— If the recipient refuses to pay the accrued customs duties, the MPO will be returned to the sender.

Question from Kristina Malinovskaya: If the cost of the parcel is indicated in Russian rubles, then what euro exchange rate will be applied? Will it be necessary to pay duty if during the delivery of the goods the amount exceeded the duty-free limit due to the growth of the Russian ruble against the euro?

— The exchange rates of the US dollar and euro to the currency of the EAEU member state are applied on the day of registration of the customs receipt order.

Question from Olga: Will there be new limits on parcels from the EAEU?

— MPO sent between member states of the EAEU are considered intra-Union postal items and are not subject to customs control. Customs operations are not carried out in relation to them.

Return under warranty. Do I need to pay?

Question: I am interested in a situation when a product arrives in poor quality and the seller resends the product. Will I have to pay the fee a second time? For example, I bought a camera for $100 with a 2-year seller's warranty. It broke before the €22 limit was introduced and was sent to the seller for replacement or repair. The camera returns to Belarus after Decree No. 40 comes into force. Will tax be charged?

— This decree does not establish any withdrawals in relation to any category of goods, including those resent by the seller in connection with the fulfillment of its contractual obligations for warranty repairs or maintenance.

In this case, the customs authorities will take into account the customs value and weight of goods delivered to an individual at the MPO during the calendar month.

In the case of sending goods for warranty repair or replacement without subsequent payment of import duties, it is necessary to confirm that these particular goods were previously imported and place them under the customs procedure of processing outside the customs territory. After this, the goods can be taken to the post office for forwarding to the seller.

Are courier services for parcel delivery included in the limit?

Question: If you make a purchase through an online store for an amount less than 22 euros (let’s say 20 euros) and weighing less than 10 kg, but delivery will cost 5 euros, and therefore a total of 25 euros, will it be considered that the limit of decree No. 40 will it be exceeded and you will have to pay a fee?

— In accordance with part two of paragraph 1 of Article 361 of the Customs Code of the Customs Union, when importing goods for personal use by individuals into the customs territory of the EAEU, the customs value of goods does not include the costs of transporting and insuring goods before their arrival and after their arrival in such territory.

Example. The package arrived, it says 60 euros: the product costs 32 euros, and delivery is 28 euros, the weight of the package is 8 kg. How much will the duty be charged?

Answer: The weight limit for duty-free import (10 kg) is not exceeded. Delivery costs are not included. The amount of customs duties payable, calculated based on the customs value, will be 8 euros in the equivalent: (32 - 22 euros) x 30% + 5 euros (customs duty) = 8 euros.

Now in 2020, the so-called tax on parcels from China and other countries to Belarus works clearly and is 100% efficient. The only good news is that Alexander Lukashenko signed decree No. 490 “On customs regulation” on December 22, 2018, which slightly improved the situation for shopaholics.

The new law increases the monthly norm for duty-free import of goods into Belarus for personal use in international postal items from 22 euros and 10 kg to 200 euros and 31 kg (in total), while maintaining the one-time norm for one item in the amount of 22 euros and 10 kg.

So how much can I buy from abroad?

The one-time limit for one parcel remains the same - up to 22 euros!!! But in total, you can order 200 euros worth of such parcels in a month without consequences.

Orders that do not meet the established limit are not prohibited, but the amount exceeding this limit is subject to customs tax. In addition, it will become mandatory to pay a fixed customs fee, usually in the amount of five euros.

What will happen to me if I exceeded the order limits from AliExpress and other foreign stores?

Payments for parcels to individuals that exceed the total norm of 200 euros per month are considered commercial consignments of goods and are therefore subject to a customs duty of 30% of the excess price.

And let's not get confused! Additionally, you must pay customs duty. Its value depends on the type of product. For example, you need to pay an additional 5 euros for a telephone (and for most of your orders the additional payment will be exactly that).

Parcel duty calculator

Our customs duties calculator for parcels will easily help you calculate the amount of tax per shipment of 22 euros and 10 kg (not to be confused with the new total monthly limit of 200 euros).

Just indicate the price for the parcel and its weight. Please note that all calculations are provided for informational purposes only.

Also, the calculation of customs tax can be easily calculated manually without a calculator for parcels from abroad:

For example, the price of the parcel: 100 euros and weight: 2 kg (no more than 10 kg);
Excess: 100 – 22 = 78 euros;
30% of the amount received is 23.4 euros;
Customs duty – 5 euros;
The total duty on the parcel will be: 23.4 + 5 = 28.4 euros.

If there is an excess in weight, and not in cost, it will be even easier to calculate: 4 euros per 1 kg in excess of 10 allowed. All these restrictions apply to any foreign online stores: Aliexpress, EBay, ASOS, Amazon, iHerb, Shein and many others.

Where and how to pay tax on parcels in Belarus?

You can check with your postal operator about customs duties. The fee is paid at the delivery point of the RUE "Belpochta".

Limits and duties on parcels in Belarus are a kind of protection of the domestic market from the cheapest imports from China, the USA and other countries. Plus a way of taxing citizens who purchase goods for commercial purposes.

These limits are aimed against foreign online stores, so that ordering from Aliexpress to Belarus would be unprofitable. Moreover, all parcels from foreign countries are in this situation (even gifts from relatives from abroad are subject to tax).

Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich spoke about the harm of foreign mail to the country's economy and that this is illegal enrichment. Such statements met with a lot of criticism, because most imported products are not produced or even sold in Belarus.

In the end, they remembered the “transparency” of the internal borders of the Customs Union. Recipients of commercial goods or expensive parcels will order them to Russia or another CU country and pay for shipping to Belarus.

We warn you that deliberately reducing the cost of a parcel is a thankless task. Customs owns the price range of many popular products!

How to track a parcel from China (and other countries) to Belarus? There is such an opportunity on the official website of Belposhta.

All registered foreign and local mail items are tracked using a special track number.

Postal code markings:

R—BY (Rx012345675BY) – small correspondence;
C—BY (Cx012345675BY) – standard package;
E-BY (Ex012345675BY) – international express correspondence EMS;
A—BY (Ax012345675BY) is our internal mail of the Republic of Belarus.

It is very easy to track your parcel on the Belposhta website. Either immediately follow this link: https://webservices.belpost.by/searchRu.aspx, or find the item “Mail tracking” in the left menu and click on it.

On the page that opens there is a form for entering the parcel departure number. We enter the track number received on the website of a foreign or local online store and click the “Search” button.

When do you need to pay the duty?

If the status of the parcel contains the inscription “For transfer to customs, it is necessary to clarify the data,” you will have to indicate detailed information in the “Form to fill out” field, otherwise the shipment will be sent back to the seller. Customs needs this data when recording shipments received by an individual from abroad within a month within the limit of 200 euros.

Information about customs checks and fees (30% of exceeding the limit plus 5 euros for documentation) will be available on a new page.

Watch the video below: How are parcels from abroad checked?

Paid parcel storage

From February 1, 2018, Belposhta branches will charge a fee for storing international items. Information about this was published on their official website.

If any international parcel is not claimed for more than 7 calendar days at Belposhta branches, you need to pay 0.36 BYN. rubles for each day of delay.

As you know, duty-free import of parcels from abroad to Belarus is limited to a one-time rate of 22 euros and 10 kg per shipment. And in total per month up to 200 euros and 31 kg.

There are 3 popular options to avoid this limit.

1. Ask the seller to indicate a lower price for goods

You can just come to an agreement. And the sender will indicate the lowest price for the product. For example, 20 dollars for a Chinese phone with a real cost of $150.

But keep in mind that customs officers evaluate the parcel in their own way. They calculate the average price of the goods in the country from which the parcel arrived and display the current price tag. In this case, an examination will be appointed.

And after it, you will still have to pay customs duties for parcels to Belarus from the same AliExpress or American iHerb. But to do this, they will have to open each package, which will delay processing for years to come. Surely no one will do that!

2. Order parcels for friends in another country

You can also consider an order for a resident (relative or friend) of the Customs Union country (,), who will send it to you from there. And these costs will be much lower than the duty.

Or order a parcel to a Russian office “on demand” somewhere in the border zone of the Smolensk or Bryansk region. Thus, you can bypass the Belarusian limit. A very popular method especially among those who live near Russia.

3. Mail Forwarding came to Belarus together with AlmostPochta

Mail Forwarding (or “Your address abroad”, hereinafter abbreviated as MF) is a service of using the warehouse address of an intermediary company when making a purchase abroad yourself. This is paid, but the price is much less than the fee. Please note that the address is chosen in the countries of the Customs Union in order to avoid paying tax.

Before you use one of the tips, remember a simple rule: any attempt to circumvent the law can result in trouble.

The best online stores with delivery to Belarus

These are the best shopping malls you don't have to worry about! Your parcels will definitely arrive, there will be no fraud with bank cards or unexpected additional fees when placing an order.

Aliexpress.com is the most popular online store among Belarusians! People can order clothes, shoes, gadgets, cosmetics, perfumes, toys, jewelry, dishes, household goods and thousands of other items from Aliexpress. Aliexpress unites hundreds of thousands of sellers from different parts of China and other countries, resulting in insane competition with very low prices for all goods. There are both paid and free AliExpress delivery to Belarus, on average 2-4 weeks.
iHerb.com is the most popular online store from the USA, specializing in environmentally friendly products, vitamins and organic cosmetics of impeccable quality. Regular discounts and the absence of intermediaries during purchases make prices for many goods significantly lower than in local stores. iHerb delivers orders all over the world, including Belarus. Read more about ordering on iHerb.
Shein.com
is one of the world's leading online stores of fashionable clothing and accessories. Shein is an incredible find for girls! Fashionable dresses, tops, skirts, jeans, jewelry - your eyes will run wild at the variety of styles, trends, colors and original design solutions. Delivery from the Shein store to Belarus is very fast and economical. See all the details on the official website in Russian.
eBay.com
is a major global online auction with tens of millions of simultaneously auctioned lots in more than 3 thousand categories. eBay has about thirty branches around the world. The strength of the site is the eBay purchase protection system with payment via PayPal. The buyer will be able to get a refund for everything, including shipping, if the item was received in poor condition.
Amazon.com
is the largest hypermarket offering absolutely everything with worldwide delivery from the USA. In the Amazon online store you can buy both food products and industrial machines for production. Belarusians order Kindle e-books, small household appliances, children's toys, food, household goods, sports equipment and much more.

What do we have? Top 10 popular Belarusian online stores

Among the well-known Belarusian hypermarkets operating online, we can highlight several of the most reliable and time-tested ones. They offer quality products and affordable payment methods without additional fees or customs obligations.

Lamoda is one of the popular clothing and footwear stores in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The range of products is quite wide - outerwear, underwear, blouses, tops, skirts, trousers, dresses, shoes and much more. The store's catalogs present various collections of inexpensive and premium brand brands. Lamoda offers its customers constant discounts and sends many promotional codes that pleasantly reduce the prices of goods. Free delivery with try-on at home for up to 7 items.
– hypermarket of equipment, electronics, goods for auto, garden and personal hygiene. It has been operating on the Belarusian market for 15 years. Often products can be purchased at attractive discounts. 21st Century provides its clients with a wide range of payment options - cash, non-cash, bank cards and installment cards. Delivery of goods within Belarus is free for orders over 75 rubles. For a smaller purchase amount, the goods will be delivered for a fee, or you can pick them up for free from a pick-up point.
5 Element is a leading home appliances and electronics store with a wide range of products. The bonus program will be interesting for regular customers. The store offers online payment by bank cards, through the ERIP system, cash upon delivery or pickup. You can also purchase in installments or on credit. Goods over 50 rubles, ordered online or by phone, will be delivered free of charge throughout Belarus, or it can be picked up in one of the many offline stores of the 5 Element network.
Kit.by is a large online store of plumbing and related products: bathroom furniture, kitchen products, tiles. There is a nice bonus program. You can pay for the ordered goods in various ways: online, through ERIP, by bank transfer, in cash upon courier delivery, as well as with bank cards in installments. Orders for a large amount are delivered free of charge, for a small amount - for a fee, there is the possibility of self-pickup in Minsk.
Xiaomi Belarus is a mono-brand online store of a popular Chinese brand. It presents a fairly modest assortment of fashionable gadgets, accessories and other Xiaomi products. The ordered product can be paid in various ways - cash, online by bank card or some installment cards, through ERIP and from a mobile phone account. You can pick up your order at a pick-up point, or from a courier - with paid or free delivery.
i-Store is the only official partner of Apple in Belarus with Apple Premium Reseller status. At low prices you can buy an iPhone, Mac computer or iPad tablet, as well as other Apple equipment and accessories for it. Pickup is free from the i-Store store (Minsk, Lenin St., 5 or Pobediteley Ave., 9 or Pritytskogo St., 156), own delivery by courier in Minsk or delivery throughout Belarus by Autolight Express service.
Expedition is an online store of a popular travel brand. Specializes in outdoor products, auto products and original gifts. Payment for purchases is possible with bank cards online, some installment cards, through ERIP, cash or by bank transfer. Courier delivery operates in large cities; in other populated areas, goods are sent via mail.
E-delivery is a popular online hypermarket of food and consumer goods in Belarus. Purchases are selected into the shopping cart on the website, and once the amount reaches 35 rubles, it becomes possible to deliver them free of charge by courier to major cities of Belarus and their environs. You can pay for goods in cash (courier or at the post office), bank cards and installment cards online or upon receipt of purchases. Customers of the store can participate in the “Luck to boot” lottery.
Padarunki BY is an online store of gifts and souvenirs from world-famous brands such as: VICTORINOX (penknives from Switzerland), PARKER (writing instruments), ZIPPO (legendary lighters from the USA) and much more. Delivery by courier in Minsk or pickup from the office-shop at st. Vostochnaya, 133. Orders are sent throughout Belarus by BelPocht or Globel24 courier service.
Sundays is an online store of goods for recreation and gardening. A discount program and cash back are available to customers. Payment is possible online by bank cards and installment cards, in cash and by bank transfer, through ERIP. Goods are delivered free of charge only in Minsk and the surrounding area. Pickup is possible from points in the Minsk region. There is paid delivery throughout Belarus - using special courier services or Belposhta.

It is worth noting that the local Belarusian online sales market does not stand still. More and more new players are appearing, approaching the quality and prices of their foreign counterparts.

Top Russian online stores are also opening their branches, for example, Lamoda.by, whose prices for the same branded clothing are not at all bad. This means that the need to buy new sneakers or panties from the same Chinese Shein.com will gradually disappear.

What will happen to the duty from January 1, 2020?

From January 1, 2020, the customs duty for overweight parcels in Belarus, including in all EAEU countries, will be reduced to 15% of the price of the imported parcel, but not less than 2 euros per 1 kilogram of weight for exceeding the limit.

Do you have any questions? Write in the comments (I answer as quickly as possible). Enjoy your shopping without unnecessary overpayments!

When ordering goods from foreign online stores, the first thing the buyer should know is the customs limits of their country. Although Belarus and Russia are members of the Unified Customs Union, the limits of postal items per recipient in our countries are completely different. This article provides customs restrictions for Belarus, Russia and Ukraine for postal items through state postal services and through courier services.

For Belarus

one calendar month to one recipient goods can be moved for personal use within an amount equivalent to 22 euros (the limit is valid from October 25, 2014). Date X is considered the date of receipt of the postal item in our country (arrival at the temporary storage warehouse - temporary storage warehouse, do not confuse it with the date of receipt of the parcel at the post office).

Goods for personal use, imported into the customs territory of the Republic of Belarus through courier services (DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT, etc.) during one calendar month to one recipient, are not subject to customs duty up to an amount equivalent to 22 euros (the limit is valid from October 25, 2014). However, these shipments must be independently cleared (declared) in the territory Airport Minsk-2 , as well as pay for storage at a temporary storage warehouse and customs clearance fee - 5 euros. You can also entrust the declaration procedure to licensed customs brokers, for example - (the service is provided for a fee).

ATTENTION! On February 11, the President of the Republic of Belarus signed Decree No. 40 on changing the customs limit threshold to 22 euros . The decree will come into force on April 14, 2016.

Goods for personal use- these are goods intended for personal, family, household and other non-business needs of individuals.

If these limits are exceeded - 22 euros - you must pay 30%

Not limited number of parcels per calendar month, only their total cost is limited to 22 euros.

Payment of customs duties on postal items via state postal services are carried out at your post office, via courier - at Minsk-2 Airport.

Since the exact equivalent of the cost of the parcel is determined according to the exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus at the time of customs inspection, which is very difficult to predict in advance, highly recommended when making a purchase and calculating the limit leave a small cash reserve to currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Link to the website of the Customs Committee - gtk.gov.by
Addresses and contact numbers of customs authorities - gtk.gov.by
Guidelines for determining the purpose of goods - gtk.gov.by
Restrictions on the import and export of certain types of goods for personal use - gtk.gov.by

For Russia

Duty free from abroad within one calendar month to one recipient in international mail (state postal services and EMS) goods can be moved for personal use(except for indivisible goods) within an amount equivalent to 1000 euros and maximum weight - 31kg. Source - Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 446 of June 17, 2010 (p. 44, paragraph 16).

If these limits are exceeded, you must pay 30% customs duty on the excess amount, but not less than 4 euros per kg.

Regarding courier services, the situation is approximately as follows (it is better to clarify further in the representative offices of these services in the Russian Federation):

UPS courier service- purchase price limit for individuals - 200 euros.
Courier service DHL- suspended delivery for individuals; only a small list of stores remained available to individuals.
FedEx courier service- you can receive for Moscow for an amount up to 200 euros, and for all other cities/regions for $75.

Attention ! To avoid any confusion, we warn you that the news concerns residents of Belarus! But, unfortunately, we suspect that we will soon have to write approximately the same thing for citizens of the Russian Federation.

On Thursday, the Belarusian president signed a new decree No. 40, which changed the limits on duty-free parcels. The amount is reduced by almost 10 times, and the weight by three times. The presidential decree will come into force two months after its official publication. The limit of 200 euros lasted only a year and a half.

“It has been established that customs duties are not paid in respect of goods for personal use sent in international mail during a calendar month to the address of one individual located on the territory of the republic, and (or) or imported into the territory of the country during a calendar month to the address of one recipient as goods delivered by the carrier, if the customs value of such goods in the aggregate does not exceed the equivalent of 22 euros and the total weight in the aggregate does not exceed 10 kilograms (previously 200 euros and 31 kilograms, respectively).”

If the limit is exceeded, the duty is 30%, but not less than 4 euros per 1 kg (levied on the amount exceeding the threshold).

The full text of the decree is not yet publicly available. But it is already clear that, most likely, the new limits will come into effect from mid-April.

Interestingly, the new limit of 200 euros lasted from July 2014, that is, a year and a half. Before this, the maximum cost of a parcel that Belarusians could receive without duty was 120 euros.

Let us remind you that the issue of limiting the volume of parcels from abroad has been discussed in Belarus for a long time. Back in November last year, there was talk about subjecting such parcels to VAT. The lobbyist for this decision was then the Chairman of the Council of the Republic, Mikhail Myasnikovich. He said that parcels from China had collapsed Belarusian trade and created problems for industry.

At the same time, the head of the Customs Committee of Belarus, Yuri Senko, stated that the number of parcels from online stores is growing exponentially: over the past four years it has increased more than 20 times. Customs was also going to limit the number of parcels.

The issue of limiting the number of parcels was even brought up for discussion at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The working group of the EEC Council in the project proposed reducing the threshold for duty-free online trade from 200 to 150 euros, and the total weight of parcels - to 10 kg. But they did not come to a consensus then. Kazakhstan opposed it.

Meanwhile, at the moment in Russia there are: 1000 euros in amount and up to 31 kilograms in weight per month. In Kazakhstan the situation is similar.

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