In recent years, some sellers have moved imported cars into Russia by registering them not in a company name but under the name of a private individual through informal channels. This approach allows the seller to quickly resell the vehicle within a year. For the eventual buyer, this practice creates a potential financial trap: if the car arrives with an unpaid environmental recycling fee, the new owner may be billed for the shortfall. Estimates place the possible charge anywhere from 500,000 rubles up to about 1.7 million rubles, depending on the vehicle and the circumstances of its registration. The underlying issue is that the recycling fee is tied to the original registration and ownership history, and re-registration can bring old liabilities to the surface, even when the buyer believed they were purchasing a legally compliant car.
Dealers sometimes register imported cars in private names as part of a workflow where the recycling fee is paid at a reduced rate, which in practice yields substantial savings. The official recycling fee for individuals and for corporate entities differs, and the preferential rate carried by such schemes can amount to paying as little as 3,400 to 5,200 rubles, rather than the full fee. The discrepancy between what a private buyer would owe and what a company might owe creates a large gap, potentially saving anywhere from around 500,000 to 1.7 million rubles for those handling many transactions. This dynamic can distort the price of used imports and shift the burden of environmental charges onto the next owner rather than the original seller.
On the other hand, a car imported through gray channels faces higher exposure. If the vehicle is transferred with less than a year of ownership under a private name, the final buyer may be required to cover the commercial scrap fee. That obligation can be triggered during the re-registration process, leading to unexpected debts and additional administrative headaches for the new owner. This risk underscores the importance of thorough due diligence when purchasing an imported vehicle in Russia, especially one that changes hands quickly or claims to have been registered informally.
Historically, there have been reports of illicit activity around car imports, including theft rings in major cities that dismantle models for spare parts. Such schemes highlight the broader risk environment surrounding gray-market imports and post-sale liabilities, reminding buyers to verify the vehicle’s legal status, paperwork, and ownership history before completing a purchase.