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To calmly cross the border and bring home cheese and jamon
Stepan often flies abroad.
Returning from Italy, he stuffed his suitcase with fragrant parmesan, bought in bulk from a farmer. But customs confiscated all the cheese, and even imposed a fine. Together with Stepan, we will figure out whether the actions of the customs officers are legal and what he should do next time.
Katerina Kachalina
journalist
Customs is a government agency that monitors what items and substances are transported across the border. Its main tasks are to prevent the import and export of anything prohibited and to control the payment of duties when required by law. Customs protects cultural property, prevents drug trafficking and limits the black market. In Russia, this is done by the FCS - Federal Customs Service.
How does customs work?
At the border, those arriving in the country undergo customs control. All suitcases and bags are x-rayed. Trained dogs, together with dog handlers, sniff out suspicious substances. Customs officers carefully study the faces and behavior of travelers.
Some things can be imported into and out of Russia without problems. Others need to be declared, that is, the state must be informed about them.
If you are carrying cultural values, a large amount money, very expensive purchases or goods for sale, you will have to go through the red corridor. Otherwise, your path is green. There's no point in cheating. Customs officers monitor those passing through both corridors. Going green means making a verbal statement: you do not have things that need to be declared. If they suspect you of something and decide to examine you, you will have to answer for deception.
But it’s better not to ask on the spot, but to find out in advance.
What needs to be declared when importing into the Russian Federation
All rates are per passenger. If there are three of you flying or traveling, multiply by three. Be careful: overweight Hamon can be charged to an infant, but alcohol and cigarettes can only be charged to passengers over 18 years of age.
Alcohol
Up to 3 liters - we do not declare. 4-5 liters - declare, pay 10 euros per liter. More than 5 liters - confiscation is possible.
4 bottles of cognac 0.75 l each
4 bottles of cognac, 1 liter each
Tobacco products
We do not declare up to 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 250 g of tobacco. Anything over that is subject to confiscation.
50 Havana cigars
2 packs of camel cigarettes
250 g nasvay (caution: they may be sent for examination)
400 g nasvay
250 g of hookah tobacco (caution: they may be sent for examination)
1 kg of hookah tobacco
Personal goods - equipment, clothing, jewelry, etc.
If the total weight of the goods does not exceed 50 kg, the total value does not exceed 1,500 euros (if you arrived by land) or 10,000 euros (if you arrived by air) - we do not declare it. If the weight is greater or the value is higher, we declare it and pay 30% of the customs value of the goods, but not less than 4 euros per 1 kg.
If you are carrying many identical items - especially gadgets - the goods may be detained, a fine and even a court case if customs decides that you are carrying these items for sale.
If you owned expensive goods before the trip and simply took them with you, be prepared to prove it. It is best to declare valuables upon export.
Passing off goods for sale as personal goods is a risky proposition. The times of shuttles are over. If an X-ray shows 10 iPhones in unopened boxes, the customs officer will ask you to open the bag and most likely confiscate them all. They will have to prove in court that they were just bringing gifts for friends.
Some goods are not considered personal use goods under any circumstances. Natural diamonds, central heating boilers, slot machines, equipment for darkrooms and solariums will not be transported.
TV
Bike
50 pairs of identical socks
Ring with blue emerald
10 iPhones in unopened boxes
Scrap of ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Knife (subject to certificate or weapons permit)
Gun
Pepper spray (in checked luggage only)
Nerve gas canister
Medicines
You are bringing it for yourself or loved ones, you are not going to sell it, it does not contain narcotic or psychotropic substances - we do not declare it. If the drugs contain narcotic and psychotropic substances, we declare them. You will need an extract from your medical history and a prescription. Bring no more medicines than indicated in the prescription.
Desomorphine
Vitamin C
psilocybin mushrooms
Tramadol (with a prescription)
Corvalol (better to declare)
Codeine (with prescription available)
Products
We do not declare up to 5 kg of products of plant or animal origin in packaging. Seeds, potatoes (any), animal products without original packaging or in opened packaging, some products from countries where there was an outbreak of diseases (for example, swine flu) - confiscation is possible.
You can find out about temporary product restrictions on the Rosselkhoznadzor website. Select the country you are interested in from the list. If there are time restrictions, you will see a corresponding tab.
Cheese from the store in sealed original packaging
Cheese with farm wrapped in paper
Fig jam in factory sealed packaging
Chia seeds
3 kg mango (in luggage)
New French potatoes
Ashes and bodies
Cultural values
Cultural valuables include paintings, icons, antique books and weapons, coins, etc. If their value does not exceed 1,500 euros and their weight is 50 kg, bring them as ordinary personal goods. If it exceeds, it makes sense to declare and register them as cultural property - you will be exempt from tax. Also, the tax is canceled if you are taking paintings not for personal use, but, for example, to an exhibition. Be prepared to prove this with documents.
If you're unsure whether your grandmother's watercolor falls into this category, check the list of cultural properties.
Painting by Vasnetsov “Alyonushka” (available temporarily for exhibition if you have documents)
Vehicles
If you plan to buy a car or motorcycle abroad, notify the customs office in advance about the point of entry, provide documents and make a deposit at the customs office. The deposit must be no less than the total amount of duties and fees, which is calculated based on the age and engine size of the vehicle. Upon entry, we fill out a declaration and wait from 1 to 3 days.
What needs to be declared when exporting from the Russian Federation
Money
We do not declare up to 10,000 US dollars in any equivalent in the form of cash or traveler's checks. Over $10,000 in any equivalent in cash or traveler's checks; We declare any “monetary instruments” (bills, bank checks, securities).
Products and goods for personal use
We carry easily in any quantities. Exceptions:
- Sturgeon caviar - no more than 250 g.
- Fish and seafood - no more than 5 kg.
- Fuel in a separate canister - no more than 10 liters.
- Precious metals and stones - worth no more than $25,000 equivalent.
The declaration can be completed by hand or on a computer. If one form is not enough, use additional sheets. Sign each sheet and date it.
Write down the names of all goods, their quantity, weight and cost, as well as details of the documents required for transportation.
For detailed rules for filling out the declaration, see the FCS website.
How to pass customs control
Let's say you bought some Parmesan and are flying home. The cheese is packaged and meets international standards. You remain calm and behave intelligently. And yet you are stopped at the border.
This could be a routine check, or the customs officer might think you look like a dangerous criminal from the Interpol database. There is no point in freaking out and trying to find out the reason for the arrest. In order not to aggravate the situation, remember the main rules of communication with customs officers:
- Politely but persistently demand the head of the customs service or his written instructions to conduct an inspection. Only he or his deputy has the right to make such a decision.
- If you are carrying something prohibited or undeclared, it is better to admit it right away. Then they will be allowed to give extra cigarettes or money to mourners, and you will be able to avoid a fine.
- There is no need to simply refuse: for disobedience, the customs officer has the right to detain you for up to 3 hours, and sometimes even a day. The plane will fly away during this time, and no one will compensate for the ticket.
- If there are 15 minutes left before boarding, and customs decide to inspect you, do not panic. In such cases, both parties are interested in everything being resolved peacefully and quickly. Airport staff will meet you halfway and let you board even if you are late.
- If customs has mistakenly seized green tea, brought from China, do not rush to say goodbye to it forever. An examination will reveal that it is not marijuana, and you can return it. In the case of cheese in its original packaging or an illegally confiscated used iPhone 5, the only option is to write a statement to the prosecutor's office.
Remember
- If you are carrying something that needs to be declared, go along the red customs corridor. If you're unlucky, follow the green one.
- There is no need to deceive customs officers: they will educate you, find you and punish you.
- When entering the Russian Federation, declare excess alcohol, bulky or expensive goods for personal use, some medicines, cultural property and vehicles.
- When leaving the Russian Federation, declare cultural valuables and money worth more than $10,000 in cash.
- Download and fill out the customs declaration in advance.
- During the inspection, behave confidently and calmly. If you are not to blame for anything, everything will be fine.
Do you remember the wonderful film “White Sun of the Desert” and its hero, customs officer Vereshchagin? There was no longer either a border or a country whose interests he stood guard over, and Vereshchagin still guarded his customs. “I don’t take bribes. I feel bad for the state!” – catchphrase this handsome strongman with principles and sovereign thinking has become the personification of the portrait of a real customs officer.
Remember the wonderful film “White Sun of the Desert” and its hero customs officer Vereshchagin in the magnificent performance of Pavel Luspekayev? There was no longer a border or a country whose interests he stood guard over, and Vereshchagin still guarded his customs, looking with disgust at the watermelons and black caviar that his wife fed him day after day. “I don’t take bribes. I feel bad for the state!” – the catchphrase of this handsome strongman with principles and sovereign thinking has become the personification of the portrait of a real customs officer.
This is exactly how principled and conscientious a person should be who guards state interests. Should be - this is the key phrase, since the portrait of a modern customs officer is very different from the “film” one. And it's not that modern world There are no Vereshchagins left, but the fact is that many young people choose the profession of a customs officer thoughtlessly. They are seduced by the supposed benefits, forgetting about the significance and features of this profession. Therefore, today we will try to talk about all the nuances, disadvantages and advantages of the customs officer profession, and we hope that this will help you consciously approach the choice of your future job.
Who is a customs officer?
Customs officer - an employee of the state customs service who monitors the movement of people, things, Vehicle, goods and other items across the customs border, as well as performing customs clearance and collecting customs duties.
The name of the profession comes from the Old Russian word tamga (seal, tax, duty), which in turn has Turkic roots. Note that in Ancient Rus' the customs was called mytney (from the word myt - the name of the payment collected by local princes). Story customs officer profession originates in ancient times, when the first foreign economic relations between states arose. It was then that the need arose to control goods and people crossing borders. This is what the very first customs officers did, and their activities have remained virtually unchanged since that time.
Today, as before, the job of a customs officer is to clear goods transported across the state border. The professional responsibilities of this specialist include:
- registration of documentation for cargo;
- cargo inspection at customs, screening of citizens at the airport or train station;
- detection of contraband and goods prohibited for import or export;
- work at checkpoints;
- accounting of confiscated goods;
- investigation of offenses in the field of customs law.
More specifically, the customs officer must check the documentation for the goods and draw up his own declarations, determine the country of import and export of the goods and determine the amount of duties and their quantity, allow the cargo and citizens to cross the border. By the way, the range of duties of customs officers is so wide that within the profession there are several narrow specializations that depend on the specialist’s place of work: checkpoint worker, passport control worker, international customs department employees, etc. Therefore, when crossing the border, citizens, as a rule, have to deal with the most different representatives this profession. It does not matter where exactly this border passes: at the airport, at the railway station or in the sea harbour.
What personal qualities should a customs officer have?
Customs officer's work is associated with certain risks and temptations that impose a number of requirements on representatives of this profession. First, they must be different high degree patriotism, integrity and honesty. In addition, any customs officer must have such personal qualities, How:
I would also like to say something about intuition. It is visually very difficult to determine whether a person or vehicle is carrying prohibited cargo or not. But experienced customs officers do this according to some signs that only they understand, “pulling the thread,” gradually unwinding the ball. In doing so, they rely not so much on knowledge of psychology and practical skills, but on their own intuition.
Also, the customs officer is required to have impeccable knowledge of laws, legal and legal subtleties, rules for maintaining documentation and possession formal business style speech. Economic knowledge is also necessary for a customs officer, especially those related to trade turnover.
Advantages of being a customs officer
Ask any customs officer: what are the advantages of his profession. And you will definitely hear in response: of great importance for society. After all, it is customs officials who guard the country’s national security, preventing the import of contraband and preventing the free movement of terrorists.
Undoubtedly advantage of being a customs officer can also be called demand. As customs continues to expand as a result of increased trade volumes and the number of people crossing the border, young professionals will find it easy to find employment.
Customs officers have the right to benefits, for example, early retirement and a substantial increase in it. Customs officers involved in checkpoints, searching for contraband and prohibited goods are treated like military personnel and, accordingly, can count on the same benefits.
Thanks to the specifics of the job, a customs officer develops very well his powers of observation, analytical skills, intuition, memory and attentiveness. These qualities, without any doubt, are useful not only when performing professional responsibilities, but also in Everyday life. And the skills and knowledge in the field of jurisprudence and foreign economic activity acquired while working at customs will allow a former customs officer to easily obtain a leadership position in a commercial enterprise.
Disadvantages of the customs officer profession
Foremost disadvantage of the customs officer profession– this is constant pressure from people who want to circumvent customs rules, avoid paying duties or import prohibited goods. We can say that almost every customs officer has the risk of encountering them. Not everyone can resist temptation, resist, and remain an honest employee under the pressure of this kind of temptation.
This leads to the next disadvantage of this profession - high staff turnover. According to statistics, in our country customs is one of the most corrupt systems, and only 2-3% of customs officers can be called crystal clear. Well, since our state is actively fighting corruption and regularly introducing more and more anti-corruption measures, the ranks of customs service employees are often “cleansed”.
The disadvantages of this profession are also associated with the psychological stress that exists in the work. The constant need to be fully prepared, to strain attention and memory can lead to nervous breakdowns, stress and prolonged depression.
Where can you become a customs officer?
To become a customs officer It is not at all necessary to have a specialized education. However, since this profession requires a large amount of diverse knowledge, the presence higher education in general is prerequisite. Knowledge and skills in the field of customs can be obtained through special courses.
But still, we recommend obtaining this profession at specialized universities, since in this environment graduates of customs academies are valued most of all. In addition, only highly qualified customs officers can count on rapid career growth, especially if their education in the specialty “Customs Affairs” was received in such best universities Russia, How.
The development of international relations in the field of economics has made customs specialists in demand. There is not a single state that exists in isolation and can develop without connections with the economies of other countries. Foreign economic activity involves the import and export of goods and services across borders. This entire process is controlled by customs organizations.
Customs business represents the entire system of relations related to international ones. This is one of the most important links that determine the main body in this system is customs.
But customs business is also a complex chain of relationships, which also includes domestic and country elements.
Today it is in great demand. This is especially true for those who know their job very well and strive to improve their level of professionalism. Many educational institutions offer training in customs affairs. After graduating from such an institution, you can work in several directions. This could be the position of a customs broker inspector, a customs manager, a customs clearance specialist, or a specialist in foreign economic activity.
The customs specialty provides comprehensive training in the field of international relations and foreign economic relations. They study here general concepts customs affairs and principles for carrying out activities in this area, methods for determining the country of origin of a product and its value.
One of the areas during training in the specialization “customs business” is the specifics of keeping records of customs and other payments, as well as cash collateral, which goes to the accounts of customs authorities.
The movement of goods across borders requires certain controls. This is also the responsibility of customs specialists. They monitor compliance with transportation rules, prohibitions and restrictions that apply to certain groups of goods and services passing across the border. If unusual situations arise or violations are detected, the customs officer is obliged to stabilize the situation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Modern technologies make accounting and other areas of activity much easier. Therefore, customs business also requires knowledge in the field of new developments. The specialist must be able to use information Technology and systems, technical means and software in your work.
A customs officer must conduct analytical work and statistics of foreign trade. That's why this direction has a special place in the learning process. In addition, the customs officer must provide advice and counsel to those moving goods and services across the border.
We can say that this is a very interesting and exciting profession. There's an opportunity here career growth and raising the level of qualifications.
Profession customs officer as popular and prestigious, as complex and responsible.
All countries have their own customs office, where specialists work to ensure the delivery and export (import) of goods and vehicles across the border. Customs officers often decide financial questions to collect payments and deal with customs clearance.
What is the social significance of the customs officer profession?
In progress economic development society there was a need to control goods that cross the country's borders in any direction. To achieve this, they began to establish rules for the import (export) of goods and collect customs duties for their movement. Despite the fact that most people consider customs officers their enemies, no one even thinks of abolishing this profession, which is necessary for everyone. In addition to the fact that the customs service replenishes the state budget through payments, it prevents the importation of goods illegally, while ensuring national security and minimizing the threat of terrorism.
It should be noted that the profession of a customs officer is quite complex and multifaceted. the main task customs officers - to ensure economic state security, create conditions for successful development state economy. They serve as a reliable barrier for offenders, including smugglers transporting drugs, weapons, currency and various cultural values. The fight against cunning and resourceful violators requires enormous skills and experience from customs officers.
Customs officers actively use all kinds of technical means in their work to control postal items, hand luggage, cargo packages, and transport.
Basic qualities of people with the profession of customs officer
Customs affairs should be handled by honest, responsible specialists who scrupulously perform their duties.
The main requirements for customs officers are hard work, literacy, analytical mind, knowledge foreign languages and excellent health. In addition to these personal qualities include: high concentration, attentiveness, good memory, quick reaction, observation, discipline, good intuition and the ability to understand people.
A translator, a programmer, a psychologist, a lawyer, an economist, and a criminologist can be considered a real customs officer. All employees at initial stage Customs services are required to study at the Institute for Advanced Studies and undergo retraining. And over time, experience comes to them (customs instinct).
Many young people, having graduated from school and passed the Unified State Exam, feel confused and sometimes afraid because they have absolutely no idea what profession they should choose and where to go to study. All this happens because we know about most professions only superficially: we see it from the outside and on TV, we read some information in books, we get something from career guidance lessons at school. However, this information is not enough to determine your future path.
Reconomica I decided to help young people and tell the story without embellishment young man, who has considerable experience in customs affairs. Without mincing words, he told us about all the advantages and disadvantages of his profession, and also gave a few the most useful tips to those who are planning to follow in his footsteps. Maybe, after reading this article, someone will understand that their calling is to wear a green uniform and carry out customs control, while someone will be convinced that it is better to try themselves in another field.
Let me start with the fact that I cannot be called a person who, from birth, has a clear idea of his work path and follows it religiously. Let's just say that preferences have always leaned towards intellectual activity, which was facilitated by successful studies at school and university.
My alma mater - Rostov branch of RTA
By the way, about the institute: I received my higher education in a specialized educational institution, Rostov branch of the Russian Customs Academy. I didn’t get there entirely by accident. Recommendations from friends about this university were positive, in addition, it was considered (and continues to be considered) a fairly good choice for those who want to study on their own, without resorting to all sorts of methods of “stimulating” teachers to obtain a positive result.
Corruption in the Russian Federation RTA at the time of my training was absent as a class.
The second important factor in choosing an institute was the possibility of subsequent employment in customs authorities immediately after graduation.
At the same time, formally the opportunity to go to the customs authorities for clearance civil service Everyone had it. Another question was the number of vacancies and their territorial location: you could be offered a place in the region of activity of the Southern Customs Administration, and these are several constituent entities of Russia: Rostov, Volgograd, Astrakhan regions, Krasnodar Territory.
Distribution to places of further service
The distribution itself took place in a certain order:
- People who received a targeted referral from the customs authorities (in fact, the category to which I belonged).
- All other students (except for those who studied on a commercial basis).
Within these groups, people were ranked by their final GPA. This was one of the best incentives for successful study: if you want a good place work of your own choosing, and not from “leftovers” - be so kind as to study. To receive the target direction, I needed to pass some kind of professional psychological test before I entered the university. It lasted about 4 hours and included about 600 questions. But overall the task is quite doable.
Thus, after receiving higher education, I could easily find a job in my profession. By the way, in the 4 years that have passed since the end of the Russian Federation RTA, the situation has not changed for the better.
Now the full distribution of graduates has been suspended due to insufficient vacancies; the customs authorities system is filled with personnel to the required extent. Also Negative influence was caused by the onset of the crisis, which pretty much decimated the ranks of civil servants.
Of course, graduates of a specialized university are not the only source for replenishing customs service personnel. It is possible for third-party specialists to come in who meet the requirements for the position for which they plan to apply.
Spaces in customs are not for sale
I immediately want to debunk the myth about the corruption of everything and everyone. Places in customs are not sold like bread in a store. There are several reasons for this, in my opinion:
- The presence of decent people in the system, of whom, in fact, if not 100%, then the overwhelming majority is clear.
- The game, as they say, is not worth the candle. With the salaries that exist on average in the system, investments in getting a position will pay off in 5 years.
About wages at customs
And one more important point: you shouldn’t imagine mountains of gold.
I can roughly outline the level wages employees of the regional customs department: from 25 to 38 thousand rubles on average per month, taking into account all bonuses and allowances for inspectors. Entry-level management - 50-60 thousand rubles. And only the leaders senior management have an income of about 100 thousand rubles. In customs houses and at customs posts, this figure is, accordingly, even lower.
Structure of customs authorities
So, now directly to the work itself.
The structure of customs authorities is heterogeneous and quite complex. Accordingly, on different levels In this system, officials are given different tasks.
Central level - Federal Customs Service of Russia. It is here that global problems are solved and general management of the system is carried out. Accordingly, the nature of the work is most “speculative.” Big heads set the trend for the development of customs administration and determine the vector of the further existence of the system.
Next come regional customs departments(I am a representative of one of them). At this level, the goals transmitted by the federal center are specified, as well as control over their achievement in the entrusted territory. The type of work performed is general management, with customs specifics.
The next step is customs, exercising direct control over the activities of the lower level, namely customs posts. Since these levels are close to the ground, the nature of the work involves a greater variety of tasks to be solved, interaction with participants foreign trade and persons crossing the customs border, carrying out customs operations (reception and verification of customs declarations, customs inspections and other exciting activities) with their own hands. And if we talk about possible manifestations of corruption, the most favorable environment for their occurrence is the customs post.
However, the size of bribes here is rather purely symbolic; cases of receiving them are extremely rare, not least thanks to the work of the relevant anti-corruption units, which successfully function in any customs authority.
A customs officer at his workplace.
Based on the specifics of work at different levels of the system, I can give the following recommendations, as well as note some key points for those who suddenly decide to throw in their lot with government agencies, in particular, with the customs service.
You will have to work not so much for a large reward, but for an idea.
Yes, the salary is stable (by the way, so stable that over these 4 years it has not increased a penny given the wild level of inflation in the country), it is paid regularly and without delays. But in general for the labor market, I think this is not the most profitable proposition from a financial point of view.
However, for those who want to satisfy their high moral needs for involvement in socially significant matters, such work should be to their liking. And such interest can be fueled by receiving various kinds of incentives: certificates, medals for conscientious service.
Who is this profession best suited for?
Work at a customs post is more suitable for men, since it is physically more labor-intensive, and the image of a guard customs border better suits the male gender. Work in customs and customs departments can be quite successfully performed by representatives of the weaker sex on an equal basis with men.
I would definitely recommend serving in the customs authorities to women who do not bear the responsibility of earning the main income for their family, and who are planning to go on maternity leave one or more times.
Here you can fully satisfy your needs in communicating with adequate, well-mannered, educated people, while receiving a bonus in the form of a salary sufficient to cover your personal needs, fearlessly go on maternity leave, knowing that at the end of it a job will be waiting for you.
Career development takes a long time
Career growth in the absence of a “strong rear” is not always possible and absolutely takes a large number of time.
Thus, to fill positions in the management category, you must work for at least 4 years (this is only normative established requirements to length of service), and then, as they say, depending on your luck. However, truly active, proactive, responsible and disruptive people have a chance to rise to leadership positions at entry-level and middle management.
There are also business trips
The work requires business trips (albeit not regular, on average 2-3 times a year) to participate in inspections, meetings, etc.
During such trips customs authority Comfortable travel and accommodation conditions are provided. For some this may be additional opportunity visit the cities of your region and beyond, get acquainted with their sights, and expand your circle of acquaintances.
The main thing is moral satisfaction
I hope it was useful to you short review profession of a customs officer, trained by a person with certain experience in this field. In general, when choosing your career path in life, the most important thing is to get pleasure and moral satisfaction from what you do, to be truly interested in your work and its results.