A used foreign car from Europe: profitable or not?

Buying used cars from the EU – benefits and risks

The European automobile market attracts Russians with a wide range of models and lower prices compared to offers within the country. The high quality of highways in the EU is of no small importance, so a foreign used car is usually in better condition than a similar model with similar mileage on Russian roads. Purchasing a new car abroad only makes sense if the model you are interested in is not officially supplied to the Russian Federation.

Germany is the most popular place to buy a used vehicle. According to those who have already had experience of buying several cars in this country, the sellers there are honest and the deal is concluded transparently. In addition, you can count on a 19% VAT refund, but only if the car was purchased at a car dealership. This will not be possible when contacting private individuals.

It is worth noting that not all cars sold on the secondary market in Germany are cheaper than in Russia. This largely depends on the popularity of the model, year of manufacture, prevalence, engine power and some other factors. To buy a car with customs clearance and not make a mistake, you should first check the prices in Russia and the EU, and then calculate the cost of import and customs clearance. It is quite possible that purchasing from a domestic seller is much more profitable. If you still prefer the European market, you should look for a car under 5 years old. When your purchase is 7 or more years old, the customs duty for it will be significantly higher, and you will lose.

To determine the feasibility of purchasing a car from Germany, it is necessary to calculate the sum of the three components of this operation - the price of the product, the cost of delivery and the amount of customs duty.

If you personally go abroad in search of a car, you should also add travel expenses, and when contacting intermediaries, the cost of their services.

Price comparison

To find out the average price for the model you are interested in on the Russian market, you can use the popular website. Next, to compare the result, you need to study European automotive Internet resources. Let's look at the process using the example of Germany. If you do not speak German, a website that works in several languages, including Russian, is suitable. Here you can find offers from vehicle sellers from all over Germany and some neighboring countries.

As an alternative, you can use the site, the owners of which have provided a Russified version of the resource. This suggests that our compatriots often come here. When contacting car dealerships selling used cars, you most likely will not need German, since many of them have Russian-speaking employees. The seller should clarify the possibility of refunding VAT after making a purchase, because not all car dealers can do this due to some legal peculiarities in Germany.

Calculation of customs clearance

As soon as you decide on your future purchase, it’s time to start calculating customs costs. To reduce them, you should choose cars between 3 and 5 years old, with an engine capacity of no more than 3000 cm³. If this indicator is exceeded by 500 cm³, the import duty increases to 40%. To calculate your future expenses, use the convenient one. It is specifically designed for cases when vehicles for personal use are imported into Russia. The results obtained will be indicative.

Delivery

The import of vehicles from Germany by auto transporter is carried out at a fixed rate. For example, delivery of a sedan will cost 1,200 euros. Current prices should be checked with transport companies before making a purchase. Some of them deliver cars to order. However, you will have to pay extra for this convenience.

How to calculate the cost of a car from Germany in 2021

Now let's arm ourselves with a calculator and calculate what makes up the final cost of a car for a buyer in Russia?

1. Price without VAT.

   So, firstly, this is the NET price of the car (that is, taking into account the fact that you will return VAT). As a rule, on most German message boards with offers for the sale of cars, sellers and showrooms indicate two prices at once - with and without VAT. We, as Russian buyers who do not intend to pay VAT in Germany, are interested in the second price - usually on the same mobile.de it is indicated in smaller font.

2. Customs fee.

   Let's move on. The next component is the customs payment itself - for cars between 3 and 5 years old, it directly depends on the engine size. It is precisely because of this that it is unprofitable to bring multi-litre monsters from Germany - only small cars.

3. Delivery and processing.

   And finally, the third line in the expense item is delivery and related processing. This includes:

• air tickets from Russia to Germany;
• return fuel costs;
• the cost of producing PTS, license plates and a number of other small payments for certification;
• registration of the car with the GLONASS satellite system, mandatory in 2021 (an expensive and sometimes pointless pleasure, but alas, in the current state of affairs there is no way to do without it);

As a result, this cost item will amount to an average of 3,500 euros per car. We suggest taking a closer look at how the cost of a car is calculated in Russia.

Inexpensive golf car.

To begin with, let's take as an example a rather interesting option - Seat Leon. Who doesn't know, this is a Spanish version of the popular VW Golf with a more stylish youth design. We are specifically looking at a smaller displacement engine to make it more profitable to clear customs - on European websites there are many advertisements for the sale of modifications with a 1.2-liter turbo engine and a DSG gearbox.

Seat Leon

The customs duty rate for a car with an engine from one to one and a half liters is 1.7 euros per “cube”. Therefore, we multiply 1197 cc (the exact volume of the Leonov engine) by 1.7 - we get the amount that will need to be paid to customs. As a result, even a car with a modest small engine will cost 17,282 euros (which is 1,200,000 rubles). The conclusion is the following: it is not profitable to transport an inexpensive golf-class car from Germany in 2021!

Premium cars.

In fact, everything more or less interesting begins with cars of premium brands. For example, a Mercedes-Benz C_class with a modern, economical 1.6-liter engine producing 136 horsepower will cost 22-23 thousand euros. This is a little more than one and a half million rubles at the current exchange rate at the end of January 2020. This is already quite a lucrative offer - yes, on the domestic market, especially somewhere in Moscow, you can find similar options. But the option we are considering will have a much more interesting engine, and you won’t find station wagon variants in the Russian Federation during the day.

Cars more expensive than 5 million rubles.

Cars worth over five million rubles promise even more significant earnings. For example, a 2021 Porsche Panamera in excellent condition with a chrono package will cost 85,000 - 86,000 euros (6 million rubles at the current Central Bank exchange rate). This is a very favorable price tag - the Russian market for such cars is just starting at six and a half million, and truly ideal options will cost at least 7 million. This is the same case when you can earn several hundred thousand rubles on resale - and such a car will sell out on the capital market quite quickly.

Porsche Panamera

And finally, another important point that is worth paying attention to when calculating the cost of the price - NOT ALL cars on the German market are sold with NET. If you see only the GROSS price in the ad, do not consider this option for purchase. VAT will not be returned, and, accordingly, the whole idea of ​​​​earning money on a car from Germany will lose its meaning - you will only end up in the red.

Importing a car into the Russian Federation from the EU without customs clearance

Customs clearance of a car is a very troublesome and expensive pleasure, which often negates the buyer’s benefit. For this reason, some of our compatriots are trying to circumvent this procedure - both through legal and gray schemes. As for legal ways to avoid customs clearance, they are not available to everyone. In order not to pay the duty, it is necessary to obtain temporary import, and this can only be done by:

• foreigners temporarily staying on the territory of the Russian Federation;
• Russians who have a residence permit abroad.

In both cases, the car must be registered in the territory of another state. Temporary import for foreigners is issued for a year, and for Russians – for six months. Before this period expires, the car must leave the territory of the Russian Federation, but after some time it may return. In this case, a new temporary import is issued. Read more about this procedure in the article “Bringing a car from Poland without customs clearance.”

Legal operation of a car from the EU on the territory of the Russian Federation

After obtaining temporary import, you will have the right to operate a foreign car on Russian roads. However, such a vehicle has a number of restrictions. For example, only a person for whom temporary import has been issued can drive a car. The vehicle may only be used for personal and not commercial purposes. When driving a car with foreign license plates, be prepared for close attention from traffic police inspectors. They will often stop you to check the legality of your vehicle being on the territory of the Russian Federation. You can read about all the nuances of temporary import in the article “How to drive a car that has not cleared customs.”

Requirements for vehicles imported into the country

Before purchasing a car abroad and then importing it into Russia, you need to take into account important conditions, without which you will not be able to clear your purchase through customs and receive a title:

1. Since January 1, 2016, the Russian border has been closed to vehicles that do not meet the requirements of the EURO-5 environmental standard. It regulates the permissible content of harmful emissions in engine exhaust gases. EURO-5 was introduced on the territory of EU countries in 2008, so you will not be able to introduce and operate cars on the roads of the Russian Federation.
2. Since January 1, 2017, a new obstacle has arisen on the path of used vehicles on the border of the Russian Federation - all cars produced in Russia and imported into its territory from other countries must be equipped with the ERA-GLONASS system. It is a panic button that allows you to quickly contact emergency services in the event of an accident and provide your coordinates.

Help from specialists

Working with ALBERANI LOGISTICS, you save yourself from a number of problems and difficulties. First of all, you won’t have to apply for a visa or spend money on travel and hotels, which means you’ll save a lot and be able to buy a more expensive car. The company's employees will independently select a car according to your requirements, taking into account the ordered make, model and configuration, as well as some other criteria.

After this, the car will be sent to Russia and customs clearance will be carried out at the border. All you have to do is wait until the car is delivered to you with the necessary package of documents so that you can register the car.

Such cooperation has many advantages, among which it is worth noting:

• you do not incur extra travel costs;
• no need to worry about completing customs documents;
• favorable terms of cooperation with ALBERANI LOGISTICS specialists;
• prompt and safe delivery of the car;
• Qualified and experienced specialists are guaranteed to choose the best option for you.

As a result, you can freely operate the received car, which will not be pursued by the police. All necessary customs documents will be prepared by specialists in full compliance with the law.

Customs clearance procedure for used cars

Before looking for a vehicle abroad, it is important to get an idea of ​​how to clear a car from Europe to Russia through customs. It can enter the territory of our country either under its own power or on the platform of a car transporter. Therefore, customs clearance can be carried out in two ways:

• When crossing the border under its own power, the car is registered in the customs declaration as accompanied luggage and is cleared through customs at the border checkpoint. A compulsory motor liability insurance policy is also issued here, without which you cannot drive on Russian roads.
• If transportation is carried out through a transport company, the car must be checked in as unaccompanied baggage. In this case, it will only be inspected at the border, and after entering the territory of the Russian Federation, it will be delivered to the customs warehouse at your place of residence. Final clearance is carried out by local customs authorities.

Regardless of the chosen import method, the customs clearance procedure provides for a maximum period for completing all procedures within 72 hours.

Cost of customs clearance

The final cost of your car after going through all the procedures will depend on several factors. The size of the duty, as you already know, is affected by the age of the car, cost and engine size. Additionally, you will have to pay a recycling fee of 2-3 thousand rubles. If you do not plan to deal with paperwork, you can hire a customs broker. In this case, the cost of customs clearance will increase by another 20,000 rubles. You can find out about all the costs that await you when importing a vehicle from abroad from the content of the article “How much does it cost to clear a car from Germany through customs.”

Why does buying a new car from abroad make no sense?

From the very beginning, we want to warn the reader that it only makes sense to bring used cars (from three years old) from abroad yourself, since they are subject to a “preferential” type of customs duty , which is calculated based on the year of manufacture and engine size of the car. It is a relatively reasonable amount compared to new cars.

For the import of new cars by individuals (less than three years have passed since their release), the legislation of the Eurasian Union sets rates from 48 to 54% of the cost of the car, but not less than a fixed amount for each cubic centimeter of engine volume.

That is, the greater is selected from two amounts - a percentage of the cost and the cost per engine volume. Needless to say, customs clearance of a new car for an individual will cost an amount comparable to the cost of the car itself.

Therefore, the majority of those who want to independently drive a car from abroad choose cars from 3 to 5 years old , for the import of which a minimum customs duty is established, and additional documents and payments are not required, as for older cars.

Responsibility for evading customs clearance

For violation of the requirements of the customs legislation of the Russian Federation, liability is provided in accordance with Chapter 16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and Article 194 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Punishment for an administrative offense is applied in the following cases:

• failure to complete the customs declaration for an imported car – 1000-2000 rubles;
• late payment of customs duties and taxes – 500-2500 rubles;
• violation of the deadlines for the return export of vehicles delivered to Russia with temporary import registration – 1500-2500 rubles.

The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation comes into force when evading the payment of fees and duties, the amount of which exceeds 1 million rubles. When importing premium models, payment amounts easily exceed this threshold. In this case, violators will face the following penalties:

• evasion of payment of duties in the amount of more than 1 million rubles entails a fine of 100-500 thousand rubles, correctional labor - up to 480 hours or a prison term of up to 2 years;
• failure to pay a fee of more than 3 million rubles entails a fine of 300-500 thousand rubles, correctional labor for up to 5 years or a prison term of up to 2 years.

What liability can there be for breaking the law?

Options for punishment for violation of customs legislation are specified in Chapter 16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

According to it, the violator faces for:

1. Providing an incomplete package of documents - a fine of 2.5 thousand rubles.
2. Providing knowingly false documents is a fine of three times the cost of the vehicle.
3. Evasion of customs duties - a fine of 1 to 3 million rubles.
4. A serious violation of customs legislation is confiscation of the car.
5. Malicious failure to pay customs duties, the amount of which exceeds 1.5 million rubles, is a criminal case with imprisonment for up to 2 years and a fine of 500 thousand rubles.

It is possible to import a car from abroad without paying duties and customs clearance fees. You will need to meet a number of conditions, take advantage of special government programs and prepare a full package of documents to cross the border.

conclusions

Purchasing a used car is always associated with risk, even if the transaction is made in EU countries. No one can guarantee that the car you are purchasing is not listed as stolen. The fact of theft may be discovered during the border crossing or later. In this case, your purchase will be confiscated, even if you have already cleared it through customs.

Floods often occur in Europe, so there is a high probability of buying a “drowned man”. The temporary import option is only suitable for very expensive cars. In the case of budget models, the costs of obtaining a residence permit will not be worth it.