Short answer: there is no single “import permit”. Depending on the goods, an importer may need a certificate or declaration of conformity, a certificate of state registration, an import licence or other authorisation, a notification of cryptographic characteristics, a veterinary or phytosanitary certificate, or medical-device registration—sometimes several at once. Requirements are determined from the EAEU Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity code (TN VED EAEU), description, composition, functions, intended use and shipment conditions. TN VED is the Latin rendering of the Russian initials ТН ВЭД. The full document set should be checked before the contract is signed and before the customs declaration is filed.
Published · Updated
Current as of 6 October 2026
In brief: this is a practical umbrella term for documents and data used to show compliance with prohibitions, restrictions and mandatory requirements. Legally, it covers several distinct regulatory regimes rather than one type of document.
Article 7 of the EAEU Customs Code requires compliance with prohibitions and restrictions when goods cross the customs border and are placed under customs procedures. Compliance may be evidenced by documents, information from them or completion of the relevant control procedure.
Several questions may therefore arise in one shipment:
An electronic device, for example, may require both a conformity-assessment document and details of a registered cryptographic notification. Food may be subject to both technical-regulation requirements and veterinary control. One document does not replace another where they prove compliance with different requirements.
In brief: identify the goods and determine the TN VED EAEU code first, then examine every applicable list and special rule. Searching by the code alone or the trade description alone produces an incomplete result.
A practical sequence is:
The code starts the analysis; it is not the final answer. If a list contains both a code and a written description, both criteria and any notes must be applied. Technical functions are particularly important for equipment; composition and intended use for chemicals and food; and purpose and quantity for samples.
For the classification process, see TN VED code: how to classify goods and avoid errors.
In brief: a certificate, declaration, certificate of state registration, licence, authorisation and notification have different legal functions. The number alone is insufficient: check the applicant, the issuing or registering authority and whether the document covers the supplied goods.
| Document or data | What it proves | Who issues or registers it | Where to verify it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Compliance with a particular technical regulation | Accredited certification body | EAEU unified register and national register section |
| Declaration of conformity | The applicant's assumption of responsibility for compliance under the prescribed scheme | Adopted by the applicant; details are registered | EAEU unified register and Rosakkreditatsiya |
| Certificate of state registration (SGR) | State registration of products in the prescribed cases | Authorised authority of an EAEU state; Rospotrebnadzor in Russia | Unified SGR register |
| Import licence | Right to import goods subject to licensing | Authorised national authority; for many Russian categories, the Ministry of Industry and Trade | Register or service of the issuing authority and customs-declaration data |
| Authorisation (permit document) | Compliance with a special import condition for a particular category | Authority named in the relevant regulation | Issuing authority and document details |
| Cryptographic notification | Registered information on the goods' cryptographic functions | Prepared by the manufacturer or authorised person and registered by the competent authority | Unified EAEU notification register |
| Veterinary certificate | Veterinary and sanitary status of controlled goods | Competent veterinary authority of the exporting country | Competent-authority systems and documents; import control |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Compliance of regulated plant products with the importing country's phytosanitary requirements | Plant-quarantine authority of the exporting or re-exporting country | Document and information exchange between competent authorities |
| Medical-device registration entry | Admission of a medical device to circulation under the special rules | Roszdravnadzor or an authorised authority under EAEU rules | State register of medical devices |
The applicable instrument—not the importer's preference or the supplier's customary practice—determines the form of document. Senateks arranges certificates, declarations, state registration, licences and notifications through the relevant authorities and specialist partners → Certification and permits.
In brief: it is required where the products fall within mandatory regulation and the applicable instrument prescribes that form of confirmation. The form is not optional; it is determined by the technical regulation or applicable list.
EEC Decision No. 293 approves the forms of certificate and declaration but does not itself determine whether a particular product requires one. That question is answered from the technical regulation's scope, product lists and the import procedure under EEC Council Decision No. 130.
Before relying on a document, check:
A certification body issues a certificate. A declaration is adopted by the applicant under the prescribed scheme and supporting evidence, after which its details are registered. It is therefore legally inaccurate to say that an authority “issued a declaration”.
Check the official register entry, not only a PDF or scan supplied by a counterparty. The register may show suspension, termination or invalidation.
Special cases exist for samples, spare parts, components and single units, but the word “sample” does not create an automatic exemption. For example, Decision No. 130 sets conditions and supporting-document requirements for samples imported for testing; these must be checked before dispatch.
In brief: an SGR is required for products subject to state registration under EAEU sanitary instruments or the relevant technical regulation. A certificate or declaration of conformity does not replace an SGR where state registration itself is mandatory.
EEC Board Decision No. 80 approves the common SGR form, issue rules and register arrangements. Product categories and sanitary requirements are also linked to Customs Union Commission Decision No. 299. That instrument is amended regularly, so the current version and the relevant list section must be checked.
When checking an SGR, compare:
A common error is to find a similar product in the register and assume that its entry covers the importer's model. A similar name does not prove identical composition, intended use or manufacturer.
In brief: a licence or authorisation is required where the goods fall within the relevant section of the common list and the applicable import regulation prescribes that document. There is no universal rule that every licence is issued by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.
EEC Board Decision No. 30 combines lists and regulations for different categories, including hazardous waste, ozone-depleting substances, radio-electronic equipment, cultural property, cryptographic goods and other items. The category-specific regulation, exclusions and national-authority competence must be read in each case.
In Russia, the Ministry of Industry and Trade provides the state service for issuing licences and other authorisations for the export and import of particular goods. The current administrative regulations were approved by Order No. 3109 dated 11 July 2024. For some categories, however, approval or issue falls within another agency's competence.
In practice, answer four questions:
A licence held by a supplier in another country does not transfer automatically to the Russian importer.
In brief: a notification may be required for encryption equipment and goods with cryptographic functions covered by the relevant section of the common list. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, a secure channel or another function triggers a check, but does not by itself answer the question.
The rules are in Annex 9 to EEC Board Decision No. 30. The manufacturer or a person authorised by it prepares the notification in the prescribed form and submits it to the competent authority of an EAEU state for registration. After registration, the details appear in the unified register.
The common phrase “the FSB issues the notification” is therefore imprecise: in Russia, the competent authority registers a document prepared by the manufacturer or its representative. A notification is also not a licence to conduct cryptographic activities.
For the particular model, compare:
A new notification is not prepared for every shipment if a current entry already covers the goods and import conditions. A number for a similar model must not be reused.
In brief: controlled goods are subject to separate veterinary and phytosanitary quarantine rules. A technical-regulation certificate or declaration does not replace documents required for those controls.
For imports from a third country, the competent veterinary authority of the exporting country issues the veterinary certificate for controlled goods in the agreed form. The Russian importer must additionally check whether imports from the particular country and establishment are permitted, whether an import permit is required and through which border checkpoint the consignment may enter. The common veterinary requirements and lists were approved by Customs Union Commission Decision No. 317.
Rosselkhoznadzor controls import into Russia and issues documents within its competence, but it does not replace the exporting country's competent authority when that authority issues the export veterinary certificate.
The authorised plant-quarantine authority of the exporting or re-exporting country issues the phytosanitary certificate. It confirms that regulated plant products comply with the importing country's phytosanitary requirements. The control arrangements and principal lists are linked to Customs Union Commission Decision No. 318.
Before dispatch, check the product type, phytosanitary-risk level, country and place of origin, applicable restrictions, packaging requirements and entry checkpoint. Exclusions may apply to some products, but must not be carried across from one category to another.
In brief: circulation of a medical device in Russia generally requires state registration under the special rules. First determine whether the manufacturer's intended purpose makes the product a medical device, then match it precisely with the registration entry.
Roszdravnadzor states the general requirement for medical devices to be registered in the prescribed manner before circulation in Russia; any statutory exception requires a separate check. Since 1 March 2025, Russian state registration has been governed by the Rules approved by Russian Government Resolution No. 1684 dated 30 November 2024.
Check:
Samples imported specifically for state registration follow a separate procedure. Before import, the applicant sends an electronic notice to Roszdravnadzor under Russian Ministry of Health Order No. 201n dated 2 May 2023. This must not be confused with ordinary commercial import of an already registered device.
In brief: a technical passport, foreign certificate, supplier letter or Russian “exemption letter” may contribute to the analysis, but does not by itself replace a document expressly required by mandatory rules.
No. An “exemption letter” is not listed in EAEU instruments as a form of mandatory conformity assessment alongside a certificate or declaration. It may state an organisation's opinion that the described goods are outside mandatory confirmation, but the legal conclusion must still be checked against the technical regulation, list and product characteristics.
If the law requires a document, the letter does not replace it. If no document is required, the basis is the absence of a duty under the applicable rules, not the mere existence of the letter. It is particularly risky to use a letter for a different name, model, composition or intended use.
The following are also not interchangeable:
Mandatory identification marking is a separate traceability regime for the circulation of goods. It may apply alongside conformity assessment, but does not establish product safety in place of a certificate, declaration or SGR.
In brief: identify the requirement before contracting; the mandatory document or active register entry must be ready by the time prescribed by the applicable rule. For an electronic customs declaration, the document details are normally declared; customs may request the document and supporting materials.
The EAEU Customs Code treats documents proving compliance with prohibitions and restrictions as documents supporting the declared information. As a general rule, the declarant must hold them when the declaration is filed. Filing an electronic declaration does not normally mean physically submitting the entire document set: the relevant data are stated, and the documents are produced where required by EAEU law, national legislation or the customs authority.
For products subject to mandatory conformity assessment, Decision No. 130 prescribes the cases and procedure for confirming compliance with technical-regulation measures. The document must be valid and cover the products at the time specified in that procedure.
Postponing the check until the goods arrive is risky. If a mandatory document is missing, possible consequences include refusal of release, a request for additional information, storage charges, return or re-export and, where the elements of an offence exist, administrative proceedings. The actual consequences depend on the goods, procedure and infringement.
Senateks LLC is entered in the Federal Customs Service register of customs representatives under No. 2123. We check the document set and declaration data before filing → Customs clearance.
In brief: verify authenticity, status and applicability to the goods. Where a register is provided for that document type, check its entry; otherwise use the prescribed verification procedure with the issuing authority. Then compare the document against every commercial and technical detail of the shipment.
If a supplier sends a document, check more than its existence: compare the manufacturer, model, annex and applicability to your shipment. To identify the authorisation and conformity documents for a particular product, prepare a product description and a list of the documents already available.
Red flags include: the number cannot be found in the register in which this document must be registered; the entry is suspended; the document names a different manufacturer; the model differs by one letter or index; an appendix is missing; the document covers a specific batch but the shipment is outside that batch; or the supplier provides only a screenshot that does not allow verification through the procedure prescribed for that document.
Review documentary requirements alongside the shipment estimate: customs value and import charges. For questions about an electronic enquiry, start with preparing to use the FCS personal account.
Parallel imports do not replace mandatory import documents. Eligibility to import genuine goods without the right holder's consent and compliance with safety requirements are separate questions. For the particular shipment, still check the applicability of conformity certificates or declarations, other authorisations and marking requirements. A conformity document does not itself establish the right to import a brand, and inclusion in the parallel-import list does not establish compliance with technical regulations. See the separate parallel-import guide.
The quotation names fictional model A, while the document received names model B. Before deciding whether the document applies, clarify:
| Item to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Is the same organisation named in the quotation and document? |
| Model | Does the document or its annex cover model A? |
| Annex | Is it available and does it belong to this document? |
| Intended shipment | Which product and configuration will be imported? |
| Document status | What does the relevant official register show? |
The models are fictional and no registration number is supplied. This example does not establish whether a real shipment is permitted or whether a document is sufficient for import.
No. The code is used to search lists, but many rules also rely on the description, intended use, composition, power, functions, origin or import purpose. The conclusion must combine the code and characteristics.
Only if it is recognised under the applicable regime and covers the goods, manufacturer and shipment. An ordinary national certificate from a third country does not automatically become an EAEU certificate.
The fact that the shipment is free does not itself create an exemption. Special conditions may apply to samples, for example when imported for testing, but the purpose, quantity and supporting documents must be arranged in advance.
The answer depends on the particular model, cryptographic functions, manufacturer and register entry. The device name and wireless connectivity alone are insufficient.
First confirm that the requirement does apply. Then assess a lawful route: obtain the document before shipment, check the right to use an existing document held by the manufacturer or another applicant, import samples under a special procedure, or cancel dispatch. A change of import purpose must reflect the actual circumstances. Do not declare a document number if it does not cover the goods or the importer has no right to use it, or rely on obtaining a document after arrival without a legal basis for doing so.
Yes. Different documents address different regimes. A conformity-assessment document does not displace a cryptographic notification, veterinary control, licence or marking requirement where those also apply.
| Matter | Official source |
|---|---|
| General compliance with prohibitions and restrictions | EAEU Customs Code |
| Licences, authorisations, notifications and lists | EEC Decision No. 30 and EEC registers |
| Import of products subject to conformity assessment | EEC Council Decision No. 130 |
| Certificates and declarations | EAEU and Rosakkreditatsiya registers |
| Certificates of state registration | EEC Decision No. 80 and unified SGR register |
| Veterinary requirements | Customs Union Commission Decision No. 317 |
| Phytosanitary requirements | Customs Union Commission Decision No. 318 |
| Medical devices | Roszdravnadzor |
This guide is for general information. Requirements must be checked for the particular goods and shipment and against the legislation in force on the declaration date.
Treaty on the EAEU Customs Code, Articles 7, 108, 109 and 118 on prohibitions and restrictions, supporting documents, declaration filing and release — https://docs.eaeunion.org/documents/236/2895/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
EEC Board Decision No. 30 dated 21 April 2015 “On non-tariff regulation measures”, common list and regulations for individual categories of goods — https://docs.eaeunion.org/documents/292/1553/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
EEC Council Decision No. 130 dated 12 November 2021 “On the Procedure for Importing into the Customs Territory of the Eurasian Economic Union Products Subject to Mandatory Conformity Assessment...” — https://regulation.eaeunion.org/ofv/3279/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
EEC Board Decision No. 293 dated 25 December 2012 on the common forms and completion rules for certificates and declarations of conformity — https://docs.eaeunion.org/documents/277/9229/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
Unified register of issued certificates and registered declarations of conformity — https://tech.eaeunion.org/tech/registers/35-1/ru/registryList/; Rosakkreditatsiya electronic registers — https://fsa.gov.ru/use-of-technology/elektronnye-reestry/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
EEC Board Decision No. 80 dated 30 June 2017 “On certificates of state registration of products”: common form, issue rules and register — https://eec.eaeunion.org/upload/medialibrary/e30/Reshenie-80.pdf (accessed 6 October 2026).
Customs Union Commission Decision No. 299 dated 28 May 2010 “On the application of sanitary measures in the Customs Union”, including the lists and sanitary requirements — https://docs.eaeunion.org/documents/211/8993/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
Order No. 3109 of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade dated 11 July 2024 approving the administrative regulations for issuing licences and other authorisations for the export and import of particular goods — https://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202411060012 (accessed 6 October 2026).
EEC official non-tariff regulation registers: unified notification register, exclusion lists and electronic notification form — https://eec.eaeunion.org/comission/department/catr/nontariff/reestr.php (accessed 6 October 2026).
Customs Union Commission Decision No. 317 dated 18 June 2010 and the Common Veterinary (Veterinary and Sanitary) Requirements — https://eec.eaeunion.org/upload/medialibrary/951/cqsrc6lzkf0smu9703ncu7vlpdfco19r/Ed.vet.treb.-s-izmen.pdf (accessed 6 October 2026).
Customs Union Commission Decision No. 318 dated 18 June 2010 “On ensuring plant quarantine in the Customs Union” — https://docs.eaeunion.org/documents/211/716/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
Roszdravnadzor, state registration of medical devices; Russian Government Resolution No. 1684 dated 30 November 2024 — https://roszdravnadzor.gov.ru/medproducts/registration; official publication — https://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202411300042 (accessed 6 October 2026).
Roszdravnadzor, import of medical devices for state registration under Russian Ministry of Health Order No. 201n dated 2 May 2023 — https://roszdravnadzor.gov.ru/medproducts/import (accessed 6 October 2026).
Agreement on the marking of goods by means of identification in the Eurasian Economic Union dated 2 February 2018 — https://docs.eaeunion.org/documents/236/3485/ (accessed 6 October 2026).
Federal Customs Service of Russia, register of customs representatives: Senateks LLC, certificate No. 2123 — https://customs.gov.ru/registers/customs-representatives (accessed 6 October 2026).