Russians are buying inexpensive houses in Belarus, obtaining temporary residence permits and registering vehicles with Belarusian license plates to save on Russia’s vehicle recycling fee. Daily Storm reports this, citing car importers and a source close to Belarus’s Interior Ministry.
According to the publication’s sources, purchasing any residential property, including a village house costing €400–500, can serve as grounds for obtaining a temporary residence permit. After securing this status, Russians purchase and clear customs on a vehicle in Belarus, register it locally and use it in Russia.
The savings are linked to the difference in recycling fees. Daily Storm cites the Belarusian rates for individuals: 624.92 Belarusian rubles (about €183) for vehicles less than three years old and 1,282.02 rubles (about €376) for older cars. In Russia, according to estimates by the car importers interviewed, the fee for certain models with powerful engines can reach several million Russian rubles.
One source described importing a 2025 BMW 7 Series with a three-litre hybrid engine producing 560 horsepower for a client from St. Petersburg. The source estimated that the Russian recycling fee for such a vehicle would amount to nearly 2.5 million Russian rubles (about €26,400).
However, Belarusian registration complicates the subsequent sale of a vehicle in Russia. According to the publication’s sources, registering the car in Russia would require payment of the Russian recycling fee. Selling the vehicle in Belarus remains an alternative.
Daily Storm also describes arrangements involving registration of vehicles in the names of Belarusian owners, with powers of attorney issued to Russians, as well as the use of customs clearance benefits available to parents with many children and people with disabilities under Decree No. 140. These options carry additional risks: the vehicle legally belongs to another person, while nominal buyers may be required to provide evidence of the origin of their funds.