What food products can I bring to Russia?

Legion Media
You can bring many things, including alcohol, some dairy products and sweets – just pay attention to the smallprint. As always with customs, the devil is in the details.

General rule

Traveling to Russia, you are allowed to bring up to 50 kg (110 lbs) of personal goods (up to $10,000 worth) free of charge if you travel by plane and up to 25 kg (55 lbs) of personal goods (up to $500) if you travel by car or train. Anything above this limit is taxed 30% or 4 Euros (ca. $4.50) per kilogram.

Can I bring alcohol?

Yes, every adult can bring up to 3 liters (101.4 oz.) of beer, spirits, or alcoholic beverages, regardless of their strength, free of charge. The only exception here is ethanol: it is taxed at 22 Euros (ca. $24.50) per every 1 liter (33.8 oz.) brought in.

You may also bring 2 additional liters (67.6 oz.) of alcohol by paying 10 Euros (ca. $11.15) for each additional liter at customs. This means you may bring up to five liters (169 oz.) per one adult passenger. Anything beyond the 5 liter benchmark is prohibited. 

Minors are strictly prohibited from carrying any form of alcohol across the border.

Can I bring meat, cheese and other dairy products?

Yes, but only those products that are factory sealed and ready for consumption. 

For example, you may bring prosciutto if the package is sealed. However, if you open the factory package and replace it with any other food wrap or bag, a customs officer will not let it through. 

Each person, including minors, may bring up to 5 kg (11 lbs) of meat products and/or dairy products. 

Partly finished products that require cooking before they can be consumed are not allowed through the border. Therefore, bringing raw meat to Russia is not allowed.

Can I bring fruit & vegetables?

Dried vegetables and mushrooms, kitchen herbs, and spices can be imported freely.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, exotic fruits, dried fruits, nuts, corn and all cereals, as well as flour, also all have a limit of 5 kg per person, including minors. 

For larger fruits, each person is restricted to 1 melon, watermelon or pumpkin. 

You may bring any amount (that fits into the general 50-kilo-per-person threshold) of roasted coffee beans or up to 5 kg of raw coffee beans.

Raw potatoes and seeds of any other plants are prohibited to bring into Russia in any volume.

Can I bring chocolate & sweets?

Yes. Candies, chocolate, cakes and other sweets are not regulated. Therefore, you can bring as much as you like, but only up to the 50- or 25-kilo limit mentioned in the very first point of this FAQ.

The only exception is that sweets, chocolate, and cakes brought to Russia from the territory of Ukraine: they are prohibited. Unfortunately, Russia does not allow alcohol, juices, or canned fruit and vegetables from Ukraine, either.

What about tobacco?

Any adult may bring up to 200 cigarettes to Russia for personal use. Alternatively, any adult may bring up to 50 cigars or up to 250 grams of tobacco. You can mix cigarettes, cigars, and tobacco, but in this case, the whole assortment is restricted to 250 grams in total. 

Minors are strictly prohibited from bringing any form of tobacco to Russia.

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