Mandatory requirements for electronic transport documents have applied since 1 September 2026. Until 1 March 2027, violations result in a warning rather than a fine: this is a temporary measure for those who have not completed the technical transition. After that date, sanctions will apply in full.
GIS EPD statistics show the transition slowing down rather than speeding up. In September 2026, more than 39 million documents passed through the platform, an average of 1.3 million a day. By 20 October, about 23 million documents had been issued, or roughly 1.15 million a day. That is a 12% drop from the September level.
Part of the decline is explained by a technical failure: in October, the Kaluga Astral platform was down for almost a week. During this period, its users could issue paper documents without breaching mandatory requirements. However, even taking this factor into account, there is no new wave of EDI connections.
The problem is not only technical. Some road freight operators are deliberately postponing the transition, treating the penalty-free period as a de facto deferral of the requirement itself. This is a mistaken interpretation: the requirement already applies, and the relief concerns only the application of sanctions.
For companies that use road transport in import and export chains, the situation carries a specific operational risk. If a partner carrier does not switch to electronic documents by March 2027, every shipment with a paper waybill will become an administrative offence with financial consequences. Planning logistics on the assumption of another extension is unwise: the issue is not under discussion.
Switching to electronic document exchange with carriers and checking whether counterparties are connected to one of the GIS EPD platforms is a task worth completing before the end of 2026.
Related news:
- Ministry of Transport confirmed: no fines for paper waybills until March — the ministry’s position on fines for paper waybills
- Tax service clarified its position on paper transport documents: inspections start at the end of 2026 — when paper documents can still be used
- Paper forwarding documents allowed for military exports from 11 October 2026 — exceptions to the switch to electronic documents
- Electronic waybills in logistics: fines will start only in March 2027 — when fines for paper waybills begin
