Transport of ethanol and products containing alcohol requires a licence in Russia

Who needs a licence?

From 1 July 2013 road transporters of non-packaged alcohol containing products with the ethanol content exceeding 25% in Russia must obtain a licence.

This licensing requirement was initially imposed from 1 July 2012 but a transitional period was set until 1 January 2013. During this period it was possible to transport ethanol and non-packaged alcohol containing products without a licence.

The licence is issued by the Federal Service of Alcohol Market Regulation.

This announcement was made on 18 June 2013 by the Federal Service of Alcohol Market Regulation.

However, road transport of certain alcohol containing products in Russia still does not require any licence.

How much does the licence cost?

The Tax Code of the Russian Federation (Article 333.33, clause 1 (94)) provides that:

- the cost of a licence to transport ethanol (including denatured alcohol) is 500,000 roubles (approximately USD 15,000);

- the cost of a licence to transport non-packaged alcohol containing food products with the ethanol content exceeding 25% is 500,000 roubles (approximately USD 15,000); and

- the cost of a licence to transport non-packaged alcohol containing non-food products with the ethanol content exceeding 25% is 500,000 roubles (approximately USD 15,000).

Alcohol containing products include both food products (e.g. liquors)  and non-food products such as suspensions, extracts, perfume and cosmetic products.

Further steps to be taken by the transporters

Transporters must equip all vehicles transporting the mentioned products with special technical means of registration. These means of registration will pass the information on the movement of the vehicles to the "automatic system of control over the transport of alcohol containing products and ethanol" (ASKP).

Also, the transporters must submit the information on the transported products to the General State Automated Information System (EGAIS).  This system was designed for the state monitoring and control over the volumes of manufactured and handler ethanol as well as alcohol containing products and liquors.

Federal Service of Alcohol Market Regulation has issued a guidance on how the transporters are to connect to these two systems.

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