M O S C O W Interview with Leonid Shishkin - Passport magazine

Non vodka induced
convulsion of fear: Customs
Sherman Pereira,
Crown Relocations,
Regional Director –
Central and Eastern Europe
One of the most frequently asked
questions concerning Expats shipping
household goods to and from Russia
is what Customs duties they will have
to pay. Sometimes, the mere mention
of having to deal with Russian Customs
can send an otherwise normal Expat into
non-vodka-induced convulsions of fear.
As with most things Russian, the issue
is simple in theory, but bureaucratic
in practice due to the sheer amount of
documents and forms that need to be
completed in duplicate, signed, notarized,
apostilled, and sent to Godknows-whom
in some government department
that’s who-knows-where, but
at least seven Metro stops from wherever
you are or intend to reside.
In theory, as a non-resident of Russia,
you may import furniture and personal
belongings without paying any
Customs duties whatsoever. However,
this is contingent on an Export Obligation
that you sign promising to export
those items when you leave. The duration
of an Export Obligation is valid for
the same duration as your visa, at which
point it can be renewed. As long as this
Export Obligation is presented to Customs
upon departure, you should be
free and clear of any duties on your personal
belongings.
You are also exempt from paying any
duties on most personal belongings and
furniture that were purchased in Russia.
The simple reason for this being that as
it was purchased here in Russia, you’ve
already paid your dues to the Russian
government in the form of value-added
tax. Exempt from this, however, are
culturally valuable items such as books
older than 100 years, some national artwork,
military medals, antique coins,
real coal-burning samovars, and other
antiquities.
In practice, however, you should allow
for several weeks’ time at either end
(whether arriving to Russia or departing
from it) to submit the necessary forms to
the company that will be assisting you
with your move. You will normally need
to submit, at a minimum, notarized and
translated copies of your passport, visa,
and registration. A customs declaration
for your non-accompanied items
(that must be stamped by Customs at
whatever airport (or train station) you
arrive(d) at. In addition to the Export
Obligation, you should produce a Power
of Attorney (PoA) form allowing your
broker to import/export your belongings
on your behalf. The right company
should be able to provide you with detailed
instructions as well as templates
for the export obligation and PoA.
A few other items bear mentioning
here. If you’re here for more than a
year, the company that relocated your
belongings here should automatically
extend your Export Obligations for you.
Some charge a minimal fee for renewal,
but it’s a good idea to make sure your
company hasn’t let you fall through the
cracks, as the cost of renewing an expired
one incurs a government fine that
can be several hundred euros.
Also, you are not obligated to use the
same company on departure that you
did upon arrival. Any company shipping
household goods can request the
obligation from the company you arrived
with. Don’t neglect to get more
competitive quotations for your move
simply because your Export Obligation
is being held by the company you arrived
with.
All of the bureaucracy can be a hassle
at a time that’s already potentially stressful
without having to consider Russian
Customs. There are several companies
in Moscow capable of the shipping, so
approach them and save yourself and
your wallet the time and money. P
How to say… I’m
not feeling well
The three most useful verbs are
болеть (to be ill), болит(-ят) (to hurt,
used in the 3rd person form only)
and чувствовать себя (to feel).
Armed with these three, you can
easily talk about how you’re feeling:
Simply not feeling yourself:
Как ты себя чувствуешь?
How are you feeling?
Я плохо себя чувствую.
I don’t feel well.
Я болею. I’m ill.
Я приболел.
I’m coming down with something.
Something hurts:
У меня болит голова.
My head hurts (I have a headache).
У меня болит горлo.
I have a sore throat.
У меня болит живот.
I have a stomach ache.
У меня болят глаза.
My eyes hurt.
If you can be more specific:
Я болею гриппом. I have the flu.
Я простудился/простудилась.
I caught a cold.
У меня простуда. I have a cold.
(interestingly, Russians also say this
to refer to a cold-sore).
Я отравился/отравилась.
I have food poisoning.
Hopefully your symptoms
are short-lived:
Сегодня чувствую себя лучше.
I feel better today.
Сегодня полегче. Today is easier.
Я думаю, ничего серьёзного, через
пару дней буду чувствовать себя
нормально. I think it’s nothing serious,
in a couple of days I’ll feel just fine.
Жить буду! I’m not going to die today!
June 2010
Columns
Courtesy of RUSLINGUA
www.ruslingua.com