The State Revenue Committee, taking into account the public interest in the temporary import of personal vehicles registered in non-EAEU member states by individuals, recalls that these vehicles are imported into Armenia in accordance with the legal regulations of the EAEU Customs Code.
“In particular, the temporary import of personal vehicles registered in a non-EAEU member state by foreign individuals, as well as individuals from EAEU member states, into the customs territory of the Union, in this case the Republic of Armenia, is permitted for a period of no more than 1 year. In this case, there is currently no other legal regulation establishing other terms for the temporary import of vehicles.
At the same time, the Committee informs that the legislation distinguishes importers of personal vehicles not by having citizenship of the Republic of Armenia or a foreign country, but by being a “person of the Union” or a “foreign person”. If an individual has a permanent place of residence in the customs territory of the Union, in this case Armenia, then he is considered a “person of the Union”. Otherwise, that is, in the case of not having a permanent place of residence in the EAEU, including the Republic of Armenia, regardless of whether or not the individual has RA citizenship, he is considered a “foreign person”.
The State Revenue Committee reports that the “person of the Union” must always ensure the obligation to pay customs duties and taxes arising from the temporarily imported vehicle. For “foreign persons”, such a requirement is not established for the import of the first vehicle. However, for the latter, this obligation will arise,when, without re-exporting that vehicle, he will temporarily import the 2nd and each subsequent vehicle. A “foreign person” will also have a similar obligation in case of arriving in the Republic of Armenia for the purpose of permanent residence. It is hereby notified that by the Government Resolution No. 2060-N of November 30, 2023, the obligation to pay customs duties and taxes for vehicles for personal use imported into the Republic of Armenia is secured by monetary means. At the same time, the amount of security for the established payment obligations is regulated by Clause 6 of Article 271 of the EAEU Customs Code.
The Committee's studies show that there are cases when a vehicle registered in a foreign country, initially imported by a foreign person, is handed over for exploitation to other persons (including citizens with permanent residence in the Republic of Armenia) and, at the same time, the foreign person who carried out the import leaves the country, thus bypassing the requirement to ensure payment. The Committee urges citizens to refrain from such behavior, since from the moment of crossing the border of the Republic of Armenia such a vehicle is under customs control and must be in the actual possession and use of the declarant (importer) in the Republic of Armenia. That is, it cannot be transferred to another person, except for cases specified by legislation. The State Revenue Committee reports that Article 308, Part 2, of the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On Customs Regulation" establishes liability: "The transfer of personal vehicles under customs control by individuals without the written permission of the customs authority shall result in a fine in the amount of 20 percent of the customs value of those vehicles," the statement reads.
