Russia’s digital labelling requirement is the most critical customs and compliance topic facing any exporter shipping there. To fight counterfeit and untracked goods, Russia has built one of the world’s most comprehensive digital product tracking systems: Chestny Znak. In it, every product gains a digital identity through a unique DataMatrix code printed on it, and every step from production to the consumer is tracked in the state system. This guide explains what digital labelling is, how it differs from a conventional label, who it covers, and how the process runs step by step.
What is digital labelling?
Digital labelling means applying not a conventional label carrying brand and content information, but a unique, encrypted digital code registered in a state database. In Russia that code is the DataMatrix generated by the Chestny Znak system. It contains the product’s GTIN, a serial number and a cryptographic signature. Every code is unique, cannot be copied, and is valid for exactly one product.
In that sense Russia’s digital labelling system gives the product a kind of “digital passport”: at customs, in the warehouse, at the shop till and even in the official app on the consumer’s phone, the code’s authenticity is verified instantly.
Conventional label versus digital label
| Feature | Conventional label | Digital label (DataMatrix) |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Brand, contents, origin | Unique identity + cryptographic signature |
| Registration | None | Registered in the state system (CRPT) |
| Verification | By eye | Instant at customs, the till and in the mobile app |
| Copyability | Easy | Cannot be copied; the system flags a second sale |
| Obligation | General regulation | A condition of sale for products in scope |
Who is digital labelling mandatory for?
The scope widens every year. Dozens of categories are already covered, from textiles and footwear to perfume, from dairy to bottled water, from tyres to beer. As of 1 March 2026 new light-industry categories joined the system — protective workwear, hard hats, life jackets, leather belts and work gloves — and from 1 August 2026 the sale of unlabelled old stock is banned outright. You can check whether your product is in scope in our customs code reference guide.
Important: if you export and your product is in scope, digital labelling applies to you too — goods without a code cannot clear Russian customs, and even if they did they could not be offered for sale.
The process in six steps
1. Product description (GTIN)
A GS1 GTIN barcode number is obtained for every product variant and a product card is created.
2. CRPT / Chestny Znak registration
You register in the system as manufacturer, importer or authorised representative. For foreign companies this step usually runs through a representative in Russia.
3. Obtaining the digital codes
Unique DataMatrix codes are requested from the system, one per product unit. Codes are chargeable, and every code ordered must be applied to a product.
4. Printing and applying the codes
Codes are printed onto labels and applied to the product or its packaging. Print quality is critical: an unreadable code counts as an unlabelled product. For bulk printing and print preparation, see our solutions.
5. Pre-customs reporting
Before the goods enter Russia the codes have to be introduced to the system. For the detail, read our guide to labelling before customs.
6. Sale and data reporting
As the product changes hands (importer → distributor → shop) the movements are reported through electronic documents, and at the till the code is retired from the system at the moment of sale.
Five common mistakes
- Ordering codes independently of the production plan and leaving unused codes behind;
- An unreadable DataMatrix caused by low contrast or resolution in printing;
- A mismatch between the GTIN product card and the physical product;
- Skipping the pre-customs report (see our end-to-end guide);
- Failing to file the transfer reports on time.
Penalties
Products with no digital label, or an incorrect one, attract administrative fines, seizure of the goods and a sales ban; repeat breaches carry heavier penalties. Marketplaces and shops selling untracked goods are liable too — which is why Russian buyers will not accept goods without codes.
Let us run digital labelling for you
Our Chestny Znak specialists run the whole digital labelling process on your behalf — from GTIN registration to code generation, from print preparation to the customs report. With offices in Moscow, Istanbul and Podgorica we are with you on both sides.
