Owners of passenger cars and motorcycles usually remember that they have to undergo a roadworthiness test in strictly specified cases, for example, when re-registering with the traffic police – when changing ownership and if the car or motorcycle is older than four years. And also when changing the design and replacing the main units, or if they use a passenger car to carry passengers or as a commercial vehicle.
But many do not suspect the fact that technical inspection of a car may be necessary when leaving for another country. This is not done in all countries. For example, car owners complain that Latvian border guards often ask for an up-to-date diagnosis card.
If the inspection doesn’t pass, the driver can only go back, pass the test and do it again in the same way, which, you see, is not very comfortable. Many even try to argue, especially the owners of brand new cars: how come, the technical inspection has been canceled!
Expert opinion
Sergei Smirnovlawyer:
— Russia is a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968. According to this international document, each of the signatory countries undertakes to ensure the road safety of vehicles, including by monitoring the technical condition, that i.e. technical inspection.
However, the treaty explicitly states that mandatory technical inspection and control is only required for vehicles owned by organizations. We are talking about commercial vehicles and organizations involved in the transport of people and (or) goods. In other words, technical inspection for passenger cars can be voluntary, as has been done with us.
As for restrictions and prohibitions on access without technical inspection to other states, in this way European countries in general and the Baltic countries in particular try in every possible way to limit traffic between Russia and the EU countries.
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If we talk about Latvia, today this country is open to Russians with severe restrictions. The issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation has been suspended. Entry for Russian citizens, including those with Schengen visas issued by other EU countries, is closed.