In Russia, the cancellation of the notification of foreign electronics

The government has once again changed the rules for the transportation through customs of goods from foreign online stores. But this time for the better! Some of the most popular categories of gadgets are derived from the requirements of the notification of the FSB. What does this mean for ordinary Internet buyers and is it worth it to open champagne in advance? Parcel explains.

What is a notification?

We wrote a large informational article about this (rather strange) phenomenon. In short, all gadgets entering Russia must have special permission from the FSB - that they do not pose a threat to national security. This restricts the importation of equipment into the country, which "could potentially be used for espionage, interception of conversations in networks of cellular operators and the deployment of complex cryptographic systems."

In practice, this requirement of the FSB concerns almost all electronics: smartphones, laptops, tablets, computers and their parts. All this can theoretically be used to transfer data to foreign agents. Therefore, manufacturers of equipment require permission from the FSB, and without it, the transport of such gadgets into the country is considered illegal.

The system has been operating since 2010, and major manufacturers have become accustomed to it. Apple and Samsung, for example, notify the state in advance. organs about their new models and send those. documentation for your devices to start their sales in the Russian Federation as soon as possible. And smaller manufacturers and all those who are not very interested in the Russian market, do not bother with this, and as a result, their products cannot be imported through customs. More precisely, you can bring something, but if you check it, wrap it back, or make you pay a fine. And maybe they can come back from the bodies, saying that it is you, a foreign spy?

Actually nothing new. The FSB notification system has been operating since January 1, 2010, but before that there were many similar initiatives. Old-borovichki remember those times when the printer or copier had to be registered in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, almost as a weapon. Only legal entities could have them, and they had to be stored in special rooms with a lock and alarm system. And the owners of mobile phones before 2000 were obliged to carry with them permission from the State Communications Authority.

Now the same story - with smartphones, laptops, computers, routers, routers, any devices with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (including wireless mice and keyboards), walkie-talkies, microchips, and a lot of other equipment. For delivery companies such as the Parcel Post , this is a big headache. Each device must be checked. Otherwise, the client will have to return all the money, and apologize for the delay. Clients themselves are very rarely notified of the gadget they are interested in, according to our experience. Many do not even realize that such a system exists in our country.

You can see the availability of the notification on the device in the Unified Registry . Or, the second option is to check the availability of goods in respectable Russian stores that will not sell goods that bypassed customs. Until recently, it was a mandatory procedure when buying any new (or not very well-known) device abroad.

What has changed now?

The notification system operates in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), consisting of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. And it is regulated by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). So, the other day, as we learned, the EEC decided to simplify the procedure for importing “encryption tools” into the EAEU, if they are intended for personal use. Attached scan document with the decision of the commission.

From January 1, 2018, the following actions are notified:

• personal computers and monoblocks;
• handheld computers;
• laptops and netbooks;
• smartphones and cell phones;
• tablets;
• smart watch;
• handheld game consoles;
• bicycle computers;
• receivers (radio, video);
• printers, copiers, copiers and MFPs;
• routers, routers and wireless equipment with a maximum range of less than 400 m.

Since the EEC decision came into effect, individuals will be able to freely pass through customs (or transport through delivery services!) All electronic devices with publicly available software. This software includes everything that “is intended for mass use and is freely sold on the market. All operating systems, browsers, instant messengers, editors, anti-virus programs, archivers and so on. There have been almost no cases when at the customs they found fault with the software, and now they don’t have any levers at all. Is that if a person carries a super-secret program "GovernmentSpy.exe", and keeps its shortcut on the desktop.

How will this affect you?

The news is very good, albeit with a delay of about 8 years. From January 1, 2018, it will be absolutely safe to order smartphones, laptops, computers and their parts in foreign online stores. Even those that are not in the special register of notification of the FSB. You will not be able to reproach the customs authorities for anything (if you are not out of the limit of € 1,000 per month and are an individual). We in Banderolk are happy: customs delays will be much less.

Now there are about 29,300 notifications in the registry , there are not many popular “second row” devices: smart watches and fitness trackers, video cameras, gadgets from Amazon and Google, as well as thousands of phone models. In 2018, they will all be free to transport. If you wanted to order a new gadget, but were afraid - now it is completely safe. Even if it is not for sale in Russia. For example, Essential smartphone, around which there was such a hyip this summer, or Google Clips, the first camera with AI .

There used to be another problem. Any popular smartphone or laptop can be released in five versions. Each of them has its own model number, which must be entered in the register of notifications. Often there was no notification for some models - for example, when a manufacturer was preparing to sell one version of its device in the Russian Federation, and you ordered a slightly different one from the US (even if they differed only in the language of the firmware). And there was always the risk that the goods would be confiscated at the border and sent back. Or even attract the buyer to administrative responsibility. Now there is no such risk.

In general, the government made us a kind of New Year's gift. Thank them for that. If all other restrictions on overseas online purchases had not been introduced (for example, from July 1, 2018 they want to cut the limit on duty-free imports 50 times, from € 1000 to € 20), it would be generally fine. But now at least we have 6 months of safe online shopping, and this is already the beginning.

Who we are

The parcel sends goods from Europe and America to Russia and other countries. With its Qwintry Air delivery service and low fares. If you have already ordered something in the United States, most likely you know about us. And if not - Geektimes readers can register via this link to get a 7% discount on the first delivery of gadgets to their home.