When you work out the budget for a car from China, the supplier's price is only half the picture. The other half is the road to Russia and the mandatory fees on import. Here it is important to understand not only the amounts but also the timelines: the journey takes weeks, and at each stage there are delays of its own. Let's break it down part by part.
How long it takes
The rough timeframe "from payment to handover in your city" is 4–8 weeks. This is exactly a benchmark: the real time depends on the route, the load at the border crossings, the season and the speed of paperwork. Closer to the lower bound if the car takes a short route and clears customs without questions; closer to the upper bound if a sea leg, a queue at the border or holiday standstills in China are added.
No one will name the exact dates at the start — they are clarified by the intermediary during the deal, once the specific route and carrier are known.
The timeline is most affected by three things: the chosen route (the sea leg is longer than the overland one, but sometimes more predictable), the load at the border crossings, and the calendar of Chinese holidays — during long weekends in China shipments freeze for several days. Check with the intermediary in advance whether your deal falls on such a period: this is the most common source of "unexpected" delays.
The stages of the journey
- Purchase from the supplier. After agreement the car is paid for and taken off sale. The export documents are also prepared here.
- Internal logistics within China. The car is moved from the supplier's site to the departure point — a port or an overland border crossing.
- Crossing the border. The main routes into Russia are via the Far East (by sea to Vladivostok or overland crossings). It is at this step that queues most often arise.
- Customs clearance in Russia. The declaration is filed, customs payments and the recycling fee are calculated and paid. The exchange rate is fixed on the date the declaration is registered.
- Certification: SBKTS and EPTS. The vehicle safety certificate and the electronic vehicle passport are issued — without them the car cannot be registered.
- Delivery to your city. The final leg by car transporter from the customs clearance point to the handover location.
What makes up the delivery cost
The transport itself depends primarily on the body type — dimensions and weight. Benchmarks for 2026 (the "China — Moscow" route, sea leg to Vladivostok plus a car transporter):
| Body type | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Sedan / hatchback / coupe | about 180,000 ₽ |
| Crossover | about 200,000 ₽ |
| SUV | about 220,000 ₽ |
| Minivan | about 240,000 ₽ |
| Pickup | about 260,000 ₽ |
On average, logistics comes to 150,000 – 280,000 ₽. The spread is explained by the season, the route and current carrier rates.
Mandatory fees on top of delivery
These items are not included in the transport cost and are paid separately. Average amounts for an individual in 2026:
| Fee | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| SBKTS (safety certificate) | about 45,000 ₽ |
| EPTS (electronic vehicle passport) | about 1,500 ₽ |
| Customs broker services | about 30,000 ₽ |
| Customs clearance fee | from 500 ₽ (depends on the car's value) |
Calculated separately are the customs duty and the recycling fee — these are the largest and most "sensitive" items. We wrote about the recycling fee and the 160 hp power threshold in detail in a separate material; it is the fee that most often decides whether the purchase will be worthwhile.
How it looks in the turnkey calculation
In the PILICAR catalog, for each car you can calculate the approximate turnkey cost: the supplier's price, delivery by body type, the customs duty, the recycling fee and fixed fees add up into a single amount. The logistics and fees in the calculation are average benchmarks, not the final figures of a specific carrier: they give an idea of the order of costs before you start a substantive conversation with an intermediary.
A short checklist
- Budget for 4–8 weeks and treat this timeframe as a benchmark.
- To the price of the car add delivery (150–280 thousand ₽ by body type), the customs duty, the recycling fee and fixed fees (SBKTS, EPTS, broker, clearance).
- The exact dates, rates and amounts are fixed during the deal — they are confirmed by the intermediary and the customs broker.
The amounts and timelines in the article are approximate, for 2026. The actual transport cost, fees and travel time depend on the route, season and contractors and are clarified individually. The material is for information only and does not replace a calculation by a customs authority.