Customs is where exports to Russia most often go wrong. Products covered by Chestny Znak — Russia’s mandatory labelling system — must be labelled with a DataMatrix code and reported to the system before customs clearance is completed. Goods with incomplete labelling are held at the border, fined or returned. This guide sets out, step by step, where and how products are labelled before customs.
Why labelling must be finished before customs
Under Russian regulation, a product subject to mandatory labelling must carry its unique identity code before it enters free circulation in Russia — that is, before customs clearance is complete. The marking codes are expected to be declared in the customs declaration. Without codes, clearance cannot happen: the goods may be physically at the border, but they cannot legally enter the Russian market.
Where are products labelled? Two practical options
An exporter has two workable choices:
- 1. During production, in the exporting country: codes are printed onto the product or packaging during manufacture or packing. This is the most efficient and lowest-cost route; goods travel to Russia already labelled and no customs delay arises.
- 2. In a bonded warehouse in Russia: goods are shipped unlabelled and labelled in a Russian bonded warehouse before clearance. This adds logistics and handling cost, and it puts the work under time pressure.
For most companies the right choice is to complete labelling on the production line at home. In that scenario we generate the codes, set up a labelling method suited to your line, and report the data into the Russian system.
Pre-customs labelling, step by step
- Scope check: establishing whether your products are subject to mandatory labelling under their customs codes.
- Product card and GTIN: every product is described in the Russian national catalogue and its global trade item number (GTIN) is obtained or verified.
- Code order: a unique DataMatrix code (GTIN + serial number + crypto tail) is ordered from the system for every unit.
- Labelling: codes are printed onto the packaging or applied as labels, and readability is verified with a scanner.
- Data reporting (EDI): the entry of the codes into circulation is reported to the Russian system through electronic document flow.
- Customs declaration: the marking codes are declared during clearance, and the goods enter the market legally.
After 1 March 2026: electronic documents become mandatory
Under the 2026 regulation, using electronic document management (EDI) for the shipping and receiving of labelled goods — and reporting every single product unit into the system — becomes mandatory. Every link in the supply chain (manufacturer, importer, wholesaler, retailer) has to transfer codes electronically. A company without EDI infrastructure cannot ship.
What happens if labelling is missing?
- Goods are held at customs and not released.
- There is a risk of administrative fines and seizure of the goods.
- Return or destruction of the goods comes onto the table, with serious loss of time and money.
- The supply chain breaks down and the relationship with the Russian buyer suffers.
Pre-customs labelling with us
We run the labelling process for exports to Russia end to end: scope analysis, GTINs and product cards, DataMatrix code generation, a labelling method suited to your production line, EDI reporting and follow-up. From our offices in Moscow, Istanbul and Podgorica we remove the language, regulatory and customs barriers on your behalf. Look at our end-to-end labelling package or get in touch for a free initial assessment.
Related guides: our Russia labelling guides section covers Chestny Znak registration, customs codes and DataMatrix production in detail.
