Russia plans to "verify the identity of imported cars by vehicle" from 2027: parallel imports of old OTTS bear the brunt

Also wearing brand logos such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi, and BMW, the China version of the model may have independent wheelbase, power calibration, lighting, safety systems, vehicles and even key components. If we apply the existing OTTS in Russia just based on the same model names, the risk may increase significantly after 2027...

According to Russia's Auto.ru Journal, Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) has prepared a draft amendment to Government Order No. 1212, which plans to add mandatory "identification" procedures before importing cars and chassis for electronic vehicle passports (EPTS) starting from January 1, 2027.

This is not a simple verification of VIN. According to the draft, regulatory authorities will compare the identification information such as VIN, manufacturer's nameplate, and assembly number of the actual vehicle with the certified vehicle model corresponding to the Vehicle Type Approval Certificate (OTTS) or Chassis Type Approval Certificate (OTSh). The past model of "you can do EPTS with effective OTTS" may change as a result.

The document is still in draft form. The public solicitation for opinions ended on September 8. If it is finally approved, it is planned to be implemented from January 1, 2027 to September 1, 2031.

Why check? ERA-GLONASS exposure problems with more than 12,000 vehicles

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade stated in a explanatory document that after some international automobile groups withdrew from Russia, the responsibility mechanism originally borne by manufacturers to "maintain imported vehicles consistent with certified prototype vehicles" was weakened. However, a large number of vehicles still use the previously obtained OTTS/OTSh to enter Russia, including cars flowing in through other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states.

The regulatory authorities are worried that the certificate corresponds to version A, but what actually enters Russia may have become a version of A, different market versions, and even changes in configuration and security equipment.

The ERA-GLONASS emergency call system is a typical problem. The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade said that monitoring has found that more than 12,000 vehicles produced or imported under OTTS have emergency call equipment installed that does not meet the requirements of technical regulations. Some of the issues are related to simplified certification arrangements previously implemented due to chip shortages.

In fact, the principle of vehicle identity verification has been established in advance at the EAEU level. Eurasian Economic Commission Decision No. 52 of May 12, 2026 came into effect on June 14, requiring authorized agencies to compare the identification characteristics of real vehicles with documents. The more important role of Russia's draft this time is to further embody the actual inspection process.

Olga Petrova, deputy general manager of automotive group Avilon, believes that this will increase the transparency of parallel imports: the information ultimately written into the EPTS of the vehicle, including VIN, technical parameters, origin and configuration, should be consistent with the real vehicle. "It provides an extra layer of protection for consumers, but it means that import management is more transparent for the government."

Which cars are affected? The import of individual vehicles is temporarily excluded from this inspection

This is the most important point that China exporters need to distinguish clearly.

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed to Auto.ru that according to the current draft, mandatory identification is for vehicles imported using OTTS, and in principle all of them are included; vehicles imported by natural persons for personal use and processed through SBKTS (Vehicle Structural Safety Certificate) do not fall within the scope of this OTTS compulsory identification.

Therefore, it cannot be simply understood that "all cars imported into Russia in 2027 will be subject to the same inspections."

However, for legal persons, distributors and bulk parallel imports, the impact will be more direct. In particular, some Japanese and European brands that have withdrawn from the Russian market still rely on the old OTTS obtained before 2022 and then enter Russia through EAEU countries. If the actual imported model is a later modified model or a version exclusive to the China market, which is different from the model covered by the old certificate, it may become a key verification target.

This is particularly sensitive to China's car sources. Also wearing brand logos such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi, and BMW, the China version of the model may have independent wheelbase, power calibration, lighting, safety systems, vehicles and even key components. If we apply the existing OTTS in Russia based on the same model names, the risks may increase significantly after 2027.

China's official brands cannot be completely ignored. Artyom Samorodov, an expert in the automotive industry, believes that on the one hand, the new rules should prevent official China brands from importing models that are not covered by their own OTTS, and on the other hand, they should also regulate vehicles imported in batches through the EAEU by brands that have withdrawn from Russia.

According to legal person Orest Matsala, in the future, professional institutions such as NAMI may prepare a vehicle "marking map" in advance to determine the location of the VIN, nameplate and assembly number, and then have authorized personnel check the vehicle. For larger-scale imports-reports mentioned more than 500 vehicles, or 100 vehicles in half a year-it is also possible to conduct more in-depth inspections and partially dismantle them if necessary to verify hidden identification numbers.

If the identification fails, the consequence will not only be "paying a little more money." The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that applicants may need to transport vehicles out of Russia and re-import them after completing rectification in accordance with OTTS; after the rectification is completed, the entire batch of vehicles will need to be re-applied for identification. The relevant results may also be submitted to The Russian Federation's technical supervision agency to initiate verification of vehicles that have previously entered the market according to the same type of documents.

written in the end

The most noteworthy thing about this draft is not that there is another "inspection fee", but that Russia is shifting from "whether there is a certification document" to "whether the certificate and the actual vehicle are the same vehicle." China is now not only a supplier of China brands, but also an important source of parallel imported vehicles for international brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, and Audi. The exclusive version, extended version, and modified version of the China market are the most prone to certification mismatches. Next, when doing batch business in Russia, it is best to verify VIN characteristics, OTTS coverage versions, power parameters, critical safety configurations and ERA-GLONASS requirements item by item before purchasing; personal SBKTS bicycles are temporarily not affected by this procedure according to the current draft, and don't confuse the two channels. What really may become more expensive for Russian imported cars in 2027 is not necessarily the tax rate, but the hidden costs of waiting, rectification and documentation errors.

Source: Guangdong Good Car

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