Government to revise duty-free import limits for personal goods

According to a presidential decree signed on 25 November, the government will revise all norms governing duty-free imports for travelers arriving by air, rail, road, or on foot. The decree, aimed at eliminating legal gaps and reducing regulatory burdens, was drafted by the Ministry of Justice and includes a roadmap that specifically assigns the task of revisiting the existing limits.

The move could lead to changes in the stricter restrictions introduced under a Cabinet of Ministers resolution that took effect on 1 May. Under that decision, duty-free allowances were sharply reduced:

• Air travel: $1,000 (previously $2,000)
• Rail and river transport: $500 (previously $1,000)
• Road and pedestrian border crossings: $300 (unchanged)
• International courier shipments: $200 per month (previously $1,000 per quarter)
• International postal shipments: $100 (unchanged)

Additional limitations were introduced on 20 July. Travelers crossing by rail or road for non-commercial purposes no longer qualify for duty-free allowances if they spent fewer than two days abroad. For air travelers, the minimum stay required to benefit from duty-free rules is three days. As a result, citizens who make short trips abroad and return within one or two days must now pay customs duties regardless of the value of the items they bring back.

Since 2018, separate quantitative restrictions have been in place for household appliances, computers, and kitchenware brought into the country via land or rail checkpoints. Under those rules, items such as refrigerators and air conditioners can only be imported duty-free once every six months. The rule was briefly relaxed to once a month in 2018 but was quickly tightened again.

The newly mandated review may lead to revisions of both monetary and quantitative limits as the government seeks a more balanced approach to regulating personal imports.