The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade is studying strengthening the consistency inspection of imported cars. According to the draft government resolution being formulated, some vehicles produced overseas and entering Russia through parallel import channels may have additional technical verification of the actual vehicle before applying for an electronic vehicle passport (e-PTS)...

According to Russian media "Tatar-inform", the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) is studying strengthening the consistency inspection of imported cars. According to the draft government resolution being formulated, some vehicles produced overseas and entering Russia through parallel import channels may have additional technical verification of the actual vehicle before applying for an electronic vehicle passport (e-PTS).

Many Russian auto industry experts believe that the new regulations are unlikely to cause a significant increase in the price of imported cars in the short term. However, for auto traders who rely on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) for re-export and use existing model certification documents to enter Russia, in the future,"The model looks the same and the certification documents work" may not be enough. The physical vehicle must truly match the previously approved certified prototype.

Russia wants to check the "gold prototype", VIN is only the first hurdle

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed that the background of this adjustment is related to the certification management of some international automobile brands after they withdraw from Russia. Officials pointed out that after the number of brand representative agencies has been reduced, it will be more difficult for regulatory authorities to confirm whether the actual vehicles entering Russia through parallel imports are completely consistent with models that have been certified in the past.

In particular, although some vehicles continue to use old certification documents and enter Russia through EAEU member states, the actual structure of the same model may differ depending on different production years, sales regions and configurations.

According to the draft, inspectors will conduct a consistency check between the vehicle and the previously certified "gold prototype"(i.e., the standard prototype used for vehicle model certification) before the issuance of the electronic PTS, mainly involving the VIN vehicle identification code, manufacturer's nameplate, lights, glass, rearview mirrors, seat belts and tires.

If necessary, inspections will also go deep into the engine control unit, brake system and other key components. The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that in actual supervision, it has been found that some vehicles are inconsistent with previously certified models, and problems between vehicle structures and certified standard prototypes have also occurred in large-scale imports. Therefore, the core reason for this move remains vehicle safety and certification consistency.

Many international brand models on the China market have China exclusive configurations, such as long wheelbase versions, different power calibrations, lighting systems and tire specifications. Even if the car names are the same, existing Russian model certifications cannot be taken for granted.

Experts expect car prices to increase by up to 1%-3%, but "non-compliant models" are at greater risk

Automotive expert Petr Bakanov said in an interview that the increased inspections themselves will not significantly affect car prices in the short term. The real cost change will depend on what measures the regulatory authorities take after discovering the problem.

His judgment is that even based on a pessimistic scenario, the resulting price increase is roughly 1%-3%. Therefore, there is no need for widespread panic buying in the Russian imported car market due to this draft for the time being.

Dmitry Popov, a member of the Russian government's Road Traffic Safety Committee and an automotive expert, said the new inspections are mainly aimed at parallel imported vehicles entering Russia that bypass the official supply system, rather than all cars through formal channels.

He also pointed out that even if some international brands have withdrawn from Russia, some companies will still maintain their original certifications so that there is the possibility of re-entering the market in the future. At present, the scale of models without corresponding certification documents is not particularly large, so the new policy is not expected to trigger a significant increase in prices across the market.

But for a specific vehicle, the problem may be much more serious than "price increases by a few points." If the physical vehicle cannot match the certification document, it may affect the electronic PTS and subsequent registration. After all, according to current Russian regulations, vehicles without a Vehicle Structural Safety Certificate (С А А С, SBKTS) cannot legally travel on the road.

Parallel imports are shifting from "tax screening" to "tax + technical consistency" dual screening

The proposed strengthening of certification inspections this time must also be viewed together with Russia's previous adjustment of recovery fees.

Starting from December 1, 2025, the calculation method of recovery fees for imported passenger cars from Russia not only considers engine displacement, but also begins to consider engine power. There are still discounts on imports for personal use, but only apply to vehicles of 160 horsepower and below: the preferential recycling fee for new vehicles is 3400 rubles, and for vehicles more than 3 years old it is 5200 rubles.

This rule has significantly changed the structure of Russian imported cars, and a large number of traders have begun to switch to models below 160 horsepower. Nowadays, if the consistency inspection of real vehicles is further strengthened, there will be another screening condition for Russian imported products: not only must the power parameters meet cost requirements, but the vehicle's safety configuration, lighting, control system and even tire specifications also need to be matched with the certification documents.

written in the end 

What really needs to pay attention to in this new regulation is not the "price increase of 1%-3%" predicted by experts, but the fact that Russia has begun to more strictly check whether "certificates" and "cars" are the same version. There are many models and complex configurations in the China market. There may be differences between the China version, the European version and the Russian version for the same Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and even China brand model. In the future, for parallel imports from Russia, it is best to first verify the coverage of the corresponding OTTS/SBKTS and other certifications before selecting a car, and then check the VIN, power, lights and key configurations. In particular, the "same model name" should not be directly equated with the "same certified model". Russia's import business is becoming more and more standardized, and certification and matching capabilities are likely to be more important than simply finding cheap car sources.

Source: Guangdong Good Car

[Disclaimer] The content of this website (including pictures and texts) originates from the Internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author. Respect the rights and interests of originality, and select content is only used for information sharing. If copyright disputes are involved, please contact us to handle them in a timely manner