Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 261 dated April 20, 2026 introduced a transition period before the launch of SPOT: until May 31, companies can import goods from the EAEU countries without documents confirming their status as Union goods and without mandatory labeling. An explanation from the Federal Customs Service will help you understand the new rules.
The declaration for goods imported under this scheme is filled out according to special rules. In column 7 of the declaration, you need to specify the code "NVT" — it means that the goods are declared in a special order. In addition, in column 44, under the code 09999, the number and date of the Decree are indicated — that is, "261" and "04/20/2026". Paragraphs 7-11 of subparagraph 7 of paragraph 41.22 of the standard procedure do not apply.
This is a technically important detail. An error in one column — and the declaration will be executed incorrectly, which may delay the release of goods or incur additional charges.
The transition period only works for road transport from the EAEU. The goods that are imported through it will still need to be declared — just at a different time: the origin and labeling can be confirmed after crossing the border.
For companies working with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, this is a working tool for the coming month. But you need to apply it precisely — otherwise it is the error in filling out the data sheet that will turn into a problem where it was not expected.
The full text of the Decree is available at pravo.gov.ru . Explanations of the Federal Customs Service — on tks.ru .
