Fully declared import for Wildberries and Ozon sellers

What declared import is and why marketplaces insist on it

Declared import is a fully legal way of bringing goods into Russia: the cargo is officially declared at customs, import duty, VAT and customs fees are paid, certificates and declarations of conformity are issued, and a specific company or sole trader acts as the importer with a transparent chain of documents. Unlike “grey” delivery, every consignment has a customs declaration (DT, formerly GTD), and the movement of goods within Russia is backed by universal transfer documents (UPD) showing VAT separately. The marketplace shopper never sees this, but the platform and the tax authority do.

For sellers on Wildberries and Ozon, declared import is no longer an option for big players — it is a condition of doing business. The marketplaces check that goods are legal: when a listing is created or goods are received at the warehouse, they may request documents proving the goods were lawfully put on the market. If documents are missing or inconsistent, the listing is hidden, and in serious cases the seller’s whole account is restricted or blocked pending investigation. Recovery takes time, during which nothing sells and ad budgets and search positions are lost.

The reason is simple: both the platforms and the state are tightening control over the origin of goods. Mandatory Chestny Znak labelling is extending to new categories, a traceability system for imported goods is in place, and the marketplaces themselves carry reputational and legal risk for counterfeits and uncertified products. Declared status protects the seller: listings stay live, goods are not seized, and the VAT paid at customs can be deducted.

Declared import vs “cargo”: why cargo is dangerous for marketplace sellers

“Cargo” (also called grey delivery) is transport from China at a fixed rate per kilogram or cubic metre, where the carrier handles “customs” on a consolidated basis without a declaration in the name of the actual consignee. The seller receives the goods at a warehouse in Russia but gets no import declaration for its consignment, no UPD with VAT and no properly issued certificates in its own company’s name. It looks cheaper and faster at the start, which is why many newcomers begin with cargo without understanding the risk.

The problem is that for the seller, goods imported via cargo have no documented history of being put on the market. When a marketplace or an inspection authority asks for the declaration, a declaration of conformity or traceability documents, there is nothing to show. The result: hidden or blocked listings, seizure of goods whose origin cannot be confirmed, and for labelled categories without correct Chestny Znak codes, sales are illegal altogether. On top of that the VAT cannot be deducted, because the whole customs burden is built into the cargo rate.

There are logistics risks too: with cargo, goods often travel under simplified declarations, and if the consignment is inspected or held, the customer has no legal protection because formally it is not a party to the foreign trade transaction. Declared import costs more at the import stage but removes all of these risks: a lawful declaration in the importer’s name, correct certificates, labelling, a UPD and VAT deduction. For a seller planning to grow, this is basic business economics.

The turnkey chain: from your warehouse to the marketplace FBO warehouse

1. 1Purchase and payment to the supplier
   We pay the factory or the seller on 1688, Alibaba, Taobao — or you as a supplier in the EU — receive the goods at our warehouse in the country of purchase, check quantity and visible conformity, consolidate lots from several suppliers if needed and repack to marketplace requirements.
2. 2International transport
   By the chosen mode (for China usually rail or road, for Europe road or LCL groupage) to customs in Russia.
3. 3Customs clearance in the importer’s name
   HS classification, calculation and payment of duty, VAT and fees, lodging the goods declaration and release into free circulation. This is where the goods acquire legal status and the importer receives a document it can show the platform.
4. 4Permits and labelling
   Certificates and declarations of conformity (TR TS/EAC) and Chestny Znak labelling for categories where it is mandatory; codes are applied and registered before the goods go on sale.
5. 5Documents and delivery
   A document pack for the seller (declaration, UPD with VAT, certificates) and delivery to the marketplace warehouse under FBO, or to the seller’s own warehouse under FBS.

Contract holder and agency model: the seller does not have to be an importer

Importing independently requires the seller to be a foreign trade participant: a sales contract with the supplier, registering the contract with a bank, currency control and customs expertise. For most Wildberries and Ozon sellers this is excessive. The solution is a contract holder under an agency model: the service company is the importer and party to the foreign trade contract, and the seller receives goods that are already cleared, with documents.

In this model the contract holder signs the contract with the foreign supplier in its own name, makes the currency payment, arranges transport and lodges the customs declaration as importer. The goods are then transferred to the seller within Russia under an agreement with a UPD showing VAT — the document that proves lawful acquisition for resale on the marketplace. For you as the supplier, this means a single, clearly identified contracting party and payment from it.

The model removes several barriers for the seller at once — no currency account or currency control, no need to handle HS codes and customs payments, no in-house foreign trade specialist — while remaining fully declared: the declaration is real, payments are made, certificates and labels are issued and the transfer is documented. What matters is working with a provider that issues genuine, verifiable documents rather than imitations, so the document pack should be checked at the start of cooperation.

Documents for VAT deduction and legal sales

The key result of declared import is a set of documents that satisfies both the marketplace and the tax authority: the goods declaration for the imported consignment, confirming lawful import and payment of customs duties; a UPD with VAT for the transfer of goods to the seller — the basis for booking the purchase and deducting VAT; and TR TS/EAC certificates or declarations of conformity, which the marketplace may request when a listing is created.

On VAT: when goods are imported by the importing company, VAT is paid at customs (from 1 January 2026 the standard rate rose to 22%; reduced rates remain for socially important categories, including certain children’s goods). A company on the general tax system may deduct this VAT, which lowers the real tax burden. When goods are transferred through a contract holder with a UPD showing VAT, that document allows the seller on the general system to book the transaction and claim the deduction. Sellers on the simplified system cannot deduct VAT, but still need the legal document pack for the platform.

Chestny Znak labelling is a separate issue: for categories on the mandatory list (clothing, footwear, perfume, tyres, apparel, photographic equipment and a growing list) goods without applied and registered Data Matrix codes cannot be sold and the marketplace will not accept them. In the declared route codes are applied before release, and the data is transmitted to the system. Declaration, UPD with VAT, EAC certification and labelling together are the set that keeps listings from being blocked.

Timing and unit cost: what makes up the price

Lead time in the declared route consists of several parts: purchasing and receiving the goods (a few days, allowing for production and inspection), international transport (from China by rail about 18–30 days to Moscow, by road 14–25 days; from Europe by road or LCL about 10–18 days), customs clearance (usually a few days with a complete document pack) and, where needed, certification and labelling. Plan the total from order to receipt at the marketplace warehouse with a margin, especially before seasonal peaks and Chinese holidays.

The unit cost on the marketplace is more than the purchase price. It includes the price of the goods, the purchasing commission and warehouse services in the country of purchase, international logistics per unit, import duty by HS code, VAT, customs fees, certification and labelling, delivery within Russia to the FBO warehouse and the contract holder’s services. The smaller the lot, the larger the share of fixed costs (certification, clearance) per unit, so the economics of declared import usually improve as volume grows.

To see the full picture in advance, the cost calculator on the Tranzit3 site brings purchase price, logistics and customs payments together into the cost of one unit and compares scenarios by volume and mode. All rates in the table below are indicative; we calculate precisely for the product, HS code and lot size before dispatch.

Indicative cost of turnkey declared import

Prices are indicative; an exact quote is available on request.

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