The information is reliable: the changes are fixed by Federal Law No. 560-FZ of December 29, 2025, officially published and effective January 9, 2026. We are talking about adjusting the norms of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation aimed at mitigating administrative liability for certain customs offenses.
Starting from January 9, 2026, amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences will begin to take effect in Russia, which affect both individuals and participants in foreign economic activity. The legislator focused on reducing formal pressure and differentiating responsibilities depending on the severity of the violation and its consequences for the budget.
One of the key innovations was the introduction of fixed fines for non-declaration of tobacco and alcohol products by individuals within the limits of a slight excess of the norms. We are talking about cases where the excess is no more than 250 cigarettes and 10 liters of alcoholic beverages. Such violations are now qualified under the new part 1.1 of Article 16.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation and do not entail confiscation and multiple-calculated sanctions, which significantly reduces the risks for bona fide travelers.
Mitigation measures are also provided for businesses. Part 1.2 of Article 16.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation has been introduced, which establishes fixed fines for non-declaration of goods by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs if customs duties, taxes and special measures are not payable for such goods, as well as prohibitions and restrictions. This reduces the likelihood of disproportionate punishment in formal cases that are not related to damage to the budget.
A significant change was the exclusion of liability under Part 2 of Article 16.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation for providing false information if the amount of underestimation or non-payment of customs duties is less than five euros. This threshold is set taking into account the provisions of the EAEU Customs Code and eliminates liability for virtually insignificant errors.
Additionally, Article 16.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation received a new note introducing a mechanism for exemption from liability for bona fide declarants and customs representatives. If the false information is revealed by them independently before the release of the goods, administrative liability may not be applied. This creates an incentive for self-correction and reduces the conflict of interaction with customs authorities.
The sanctions of Articles 16.4 and 16.16 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation now, in addition to a fine, provide for punishment in the form of a warning. A similar approach has been applied to Article 19.7.13 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation: its disposition has been clarified, sanctions have been supplemented with a warning, and responsibility for reoffending has been excluded. The conditions for exemption from liability are also fixed if the established requirements are met.
Another important change concerns the procedure for paying fines. Amendments to Article 32.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation make it possible to pay administrative fines for customs offenses and Article 19.7.13 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation to other persons, not just the person brought to justice. This is especially true for companies and logistics chains, where fines are often paid centrally.
In general, the changes indicate a transition to a more risk-oriented and economically balanced approach in customs administration, reducing pressure on bona fide participants in foreign economic activity and focusing control on significant violations.
