From now on, the import of currency is declared, maximum volumes for the export of currency and rubles are set, as well as the procedure for the import and export of traveler's checks. Deputy Head of the Currency Control Department of the Federal Customs Service Elena Ladozhina stated at a press conference: "The last thing we want is to spoil people's mood when they go on vacation." And the new rules established by legislators, in her words, are designed not to restrict citizens' rights to move currency, but only to strengthen accounting and monitoring of currency transportation.
According to Ladozhina, individuals last year exported $4.4 billion in currency from Russia and imported $1.9 billion. The year before, exports also exceeded imports by a factor of two ($4 billion against $2 billion). And this trend is only worsening: in the first half of this year, citizens exported about $2 billion in currency from Russia, while importing only $740 million. The statistics on the import of foreign currency, according to customs officers, most likely do not correspond to reality, since during this period there were rules in effect that did not require declaration of its import.
In order for the state to finally count how much currency is brought into the country, from July 31 the law introduces mandatory written declaration of foreign currency, rubles, traveler's checks, external and internal securities, if their total amount exceeds $10 thousand. There are no quantitative restrictions on import.
However, the rules for the export of currency have become significantly stricter. If previously there was a quantitative restriction only on the export of currency, and rubles could be taken out as much as desired, now the total amount of money exported (currency and rubles) in dollar equivalent must not exceed $10 thousand. An exception will be made only for previously imported currency, if this is confirmed by a declaration.
At the same time, a requirement has been established to declare rubles when exporting them in an amount exceeding the equivalent of $3 thousand. Moreover, the entire amount must be declared, not just the amount exceeding $3 thousand.
A separate provision stipulates the procedure for the import and export of traveler's checks. Now, when importing traveler's checks into Russia, they are subject to mandatory declaration if their total amount (including the amount of currency and rubles imported at the same time) exceeds $10 thousand. The same declaration procedure will apply to export. In fact, large sums of money can be legally taken out of the country only according to the following scheme: taking the maximum allowed $10 thousand in cash, and the rest without limit - in traveler's checks.
If a person suddenly has a large sum of money when leaving the country, which for some reason cannot be converted into checks or left with those seeing them off, customs may provide temporary storage for this money. The storage period is two months and can be extended upon a reasoned request from the citizen.
When asked whether queues for customs clearance will increase due to the more complex rules for moving currency, customs officers answer in the negative. "Customs control is selective; you may be checked, or you may not," explained Elena Ladozhina. Difficulties may arise only when converting rubles and currency into dollar equivalent, if a person does not have a calculator at hand. But in such cases, one should not hesitate to ask a customs officer for help, the official assures.
Penalties for illegal movement of currency remain the same. Violation of declaration rules is punishable by a fine of 75-100% of the amount of the illegally conducted transaction. This does not involve confiscation of funds, customs officers emphasize. Due to the fact that non-compliance with declaration rules is qualified as a violation of currency, not customs legislation, the case is transferred by customs officers to the Federal Service for Financial and Budget Control.
Failure to comply with the requirement of mandatory written declaration of amounts from $3 to $10 thousand entails a fine of 1,000 to 2,500 rubles. But if currency or rubles are illegally exported in particularly large amounts, the violation may be qualified as smuggling. This is already a criminal offense, punishable either by a fine of 100-300 thousand rubles, or imprisonment for up to five years.