What changed for marketplace sellers on 1 October 2026

What actually changed on 1 October 2026?#

The law has been in force since 1 October; it is no longer merely awaiting commencement. Common requirements now apply to intermediary digital platforms, their contracts with partners, verification of sellers and product listings, complaint handling, and liability for infringements.

The duties imposed on an operator by Federal Law No. 289-FZ apply to a platform included in the register of intermediary digital platforms. However, Article 11¹ of the Law on Trade directly prohibits a seller from publishing certain unlawful offers, irrespective of whether the relevant platform is in the register.

Which platforms are already included in the official register?#

The official register was launched on 1 October 2026. On the same date, the Ministry of Economic Development reported 13 verified platforms: Ozon, Wildberries, Avito, AliExpress, Lamoda, Kuper, Yandex Taxi, Yandex Market, Yandex Travel, Yandex Delivery, Yandex Eats, Yandex Smena and Delivery Club.

As of 6 October 2026, the Ministry's dedicated resource is available at platform.economy.gov.ru. It allows searches by platform name, domain, the operator's taxpayer identification number and register entry number.

The register may change. Before signing a contract, submitting a complaint or relying on a platform's legal status, record the date of the check and save an extract or screenshot of the entry. Do not treat the deadline of 2 November 2026 as evidence that no register exists: Resolution No. 504 set the final deadline for creating it, but the Ministry published the resource earlier.

Who is covered by the new rules?#

An importer that sells goods through a platform included in the register is a seller-partner and is covered by the rules governing interaction with the operator. A foreign organisation may also be a partner if it meets the statutory conditions and the platform's admission requirements.

The parties have different duties:

• the platform operator verifies the prospective partner and product-listing data and follows the statutory procedures for contracts, notices and complaints;
• the seller provides accurate information, publishes required links and product data, and must not offer goods that are prohibited from circulation or lack mandatory documents or marking.

When a contract is entered into on or after 1 October, the operator verifies information about the prospective partner through state registers, the Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA), or another permitted method. The time limit depends on the verification route: up to five business days when state registers are used, or one calendar day when ESIA or another identification system is used. A separate procedure applies to certain foreign persons.

What does a marketplace check in a product listing?#

The platform does not check “every document”; it checks the information that is mandatory for the specific goods. The scope of verification is determined in part by the ten-digit EAEU Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity code (TN VED EAEU) and the nine-digit Russian Classification of Products by Economic Activity code (OKPD2).

Depending on the goods, the platform checks:

• a link to the register entry for a certificate or declaration of conformity;
• the document's status in the state register and whether it covers the goods;
• a link to the entry for a certificate of state registration (SGR);
• state registration of medicines, dietary supplements, medical devices, pesticides and agrochemicals where required;
• the seller's registration and product data in the applicable mandatory marking system;
• the manufacturer, model, codes and other features used to match the listing with the register entry.

A listing that lacks a mandatory link or mandatory information is not admitted. If a specialised check fails, the operator states the reasons; the seller may correct the information and undergo the check again. Listings published before 1 October 2026 are also subject to verification: Resolution No. 821 allows 180 days from the rules' commencement for that exercise.

Checking only that a document number exists is risky. The record may have been terminated, or the document may cover a different manufacturer, model or code. Classify the goods first, determine the applicable mandatory requirements, and only then complete the listing.

See also: how to determine a TN VED EAEU code and which import permits and compliance documents may be required.

Must the customs declaration for goods be provided to the marketplace?#

The platform economy legislation reviewed for this article does not impose a general duty to provide the platform with the customs declaration for goods (Russian abbreviation: DT). Federal Laws No. 289-FZ, No. 290-FZ and No. 295-FZ and Resolution No. 821 regulate product-listing, conformity, state-registration and marking information, but do not require every listing to be matched against a customs declaration.

Do not confuse the documents:

• the customs declaration for goods (DT) is used for customs declaration of the goods;
• a certificate or declaration of conformity confirms compliance with technical-regulation requirements;
• a certificate of state registration (SGR) confirms state registration where it is mandatory;
• marking data confirms compliance with a separate traceability and circulation regime.

A particular platform's contract or review may nevertheless allow it to request additional documents. It would therefore also be incorrect to say that “a marketplace has no right to request a customs declaration”: the law creates no general submission requirement, but the offer terms and the stated reason for the request must be examined separately.

Keep the customs declaration in the internal shipment file together with the contract, invoice, transport and permit documents. The file is relevant beyond the marketplace: it supports the classification, origin and lawful import of the goods in an audit or dispute.

Parallel-imported goods require a separate review. A marketplace accepting a listing does not establish that all conditions for importing the branded goods have been met. Before purchasing, check authenticity, whether the effective list and its exclusions cover the particular goods, shipment documents and mandatory product requirements. A customs declaration or conformity certificate cannot substitute for an intellectual-property review. See the practical guide to parallel imports into Russia.

What changed in marketplace contracts?#

The law introduced procedures, but it did not set one commission, logistics tariff or payment period for every platform. Those terms remain contractual; the law requires the method for determining them to be disclosed and restricts unilateral action by the operator.

The principal changes are as follows:

• a seller-funded discount requires the seller's consent; the seller may set a minimum price or prohibit such discounts;
• refusal to fund a discount must not become grounds for sanctions against the seller;
• as a general rule, the operator must give at least 45 days' notice of changes concerning liability, remuneration, acceptance, storage, delivery, handover and returns;
• at least 15 days' notice is required for other contract changes;
• at the seller's request, the operator provides a reconciliation statement;
• paid services that affect search ranking must be offered on equal terms.

Save the version of the offer terms that applied on the date of the event, the new notice and the state of the account. A link to the current webpage alone does not prove which terms applied earlier.

What should a seller do if a listing is removed or an account is restricted?#

First obtain a reasoned notice and use the platform's pre-trial complaint system. For disputes specified by law, submitting such a complaint is mandatory before commencing court proceedings.

Recommended sequence:

1. Save the notice, product listing, offer terms and register information as at the restriction date.
2. Check which statutory or contractual provision the operator cites.
3. If the issue can be corrected, amend the listing or attach a valid document.
4. If the restriction is unfounded, file a complaint through the platform's designated system and attach evidence.
5. Save the complaint number, date, attachments and the operator's response.

As a general rule, the operator must decide the complaint within 15 days. If the complaint is upheld, the measures are lifted within 48 hours. An exception applies, among other cases, to measures taken to comply with a court judgment that has entered into force or a decision of a public authority.

Which fines have applied to sellers since 1 October 2026?#

Article 14.70 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences has applied to sellers since 1 October 2026. It is incorrect to say that seller liability was postponed until 1 January 2027: that later date applies to Article 14.69(3), which concerns an operator's liability for product-listing verification.

A seller must not publish offers for:

• goods withdrawn from circulation;
• medicines, dietary supplements, medical devices, pesticides and agrochemicals without mandatory state registration;
• goods without mandatory marking;
• goods without a valid certificate of conformity, declaration of conformity or certificate of state registration where the relevant document is mandatory.

For a first infringement of Article 14.70, the fine ranges from RUB 5,000 to RUB 30,000 for officials and individual entrepreneurs and from RUB 30,000 to RUB 70,000 for legal entities. For a repeated infringement, the respective ranges are RUB 10,000–50,000 and RUB 70,000–200,000.

An error in listing text does not by itself establish the administrative offence. It is necessary to determine whether the goods are in a regulated category, which document was mandatory, whether it was valid on the publication date and what information was actually made public.

Rospotrebnadzor hears cases under Article 14.70 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Reporting a possible administrative violation and submitting a seller's pre-trial complaint to the operator serve different purposes; one should not automatically be treated as a substitute for the other.

Which provisions are not yet in force?#

Most of the regulatory framework is already in force, but two dates are still ahead. Article 14.69(3) of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences, concerning an operator's liability for product-listing verification, enters into force on 1 January 2027. Section IX of the product-information verification rules, concerning trademarks, applies from 1 March 2027.

This does not suspend the seller's and operator's duties that have applied since 1 October. In particular, Article 14.70 for sellers and the rules on documents, marking, contracts and complaints already apply.

The law also did not establish:

• one marketplace commission;
• the same logistics price for every platform;
• a universal payment term for sellers;
• a general obligation to provide the operator with a customs declaration.

These points must not be presented as new universal statutory rules: some are governed by contract, while others depend on the goods and the particular verification.

What should an importer-seller check now?#

Review the existing catalogue as well as new listings. Start with goods subject to mandatory conformity assessment, state registration or marking.

• Check the platform in the official register and record the date.
• Match the company details in the seller account against the Unified State Register of Legal Entities or Individual Entrepreneurs.
• Divide the product range by TN VED EAEU and OKPD2 codes.
• Determine the mandatory documents and marking regime for each group.
• Check the status of each certificate, declaration of conformity or certificate of state registration in the official register.
• Match the goods, manufacturer, model, codes and document validity period against the listing.
• Check registration in the mandatory marking system where applicable.
• Download the current offer terms and enable receipt of platform notices.
• Assemble a shipment file containing the contract, invoice, transport documents, customs declaration, permits and evidence from official registers.
• Appoint a person responsible for notices, listing restrictions and pre-trial complaints.

Organising a dispute file

An organisational aid, not a legally prescribed form.

Avoid unnecessary personal data and information unrelated to the dispute in the working copy.

When planning an import, review the Incoterms delivery terms and shipment costs and customs charges.

Frequently asked questions#

Is the law already in force, or must sellers wait until 2 November 2026?

The law has applied since 1 October 2026, and the official register has already been launched. The 2 November date in Resolution No. 504 was the final deadline for forming and publishing the register, not the date on which the law entered into force.

Are Ozon, Wildberries and Yandex Market in the register?

Yes. All three are listed in the Ministry of Economic Development's official notice dated 1 October 2026 among the 13 verified platforms. Check the current status on the register portal before taking a legally significant step.

Must old product listings be checked again?

Yes. Resolution No. 821 also covers listings published before the rules entered into force and provides a 180-day period for their verification.

Must a customs declaration be uploaded to every product listing?

The legislation reviewed for this article contains no general requirement to do so. A platform may, however, request additional documents under its contract or as part of a particular review, so the request should be assessed together with the offer terms and stated reason.

Is the existence of a certificate enough?

No. The register entry's status, the document's coverage of the specific goods and manufacturer, the applicable codes and the information published in the listing all matter.

Do fines already apply to sellers?

Yes. Article 14.70 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences has applied since 1 October 2026. A different provision—Article 14.69(3), which applies to the platform operator—was postponed until 1 January 2027.

Sources#

This material is based on officially published legislation and information from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. It does not replace an analysis of the goods, documents, contract and circumstances of a particular dispute.

Sources

1. Federal Law No. 289-FZ dated 31 July 2025
2. Federal Law No. 290-FZ dated 31 July 2025
3. Federal Law No. 295-FZ dated 4 August 2026
4. Russian Government Resolution No. 504 dated 30 April 2026
5. Russian Government Resolution No. 768 dated 20 June 2026
6. Russian Government Resolution No. 821 dated 2 July 2026
7. Register of intermediary digital platforms
8. Ministry of Economic Development launched the register of intermediary digital platforms
9. Regulation of intermediary digital platforms entered into force in Russia