Register a car in Russia. A character-building experience.

It all started some while ago when SIVA and Innovasjon Norge (non-resident companies operating in Russia) bought a land plot close to Murmansk airport for building up a logistic centre. Considering the 24 km distance from the centre, it seemed absolutely necessary, logical and easy to have a car. Yet, after a year has passed, and we still do not have all documents for using our vehicle, the experience does not seem that easy.

We chose a beautiful black offroader. The car dealer nailed the purchase bargain without delay and promised to help with the registration. Our only task was to collect documents and authorize the dealer to bring the car to the traffic police. Registration rules are the same both for individuals and legal bodies with an only exception – for legal bodies the traffic police appoints certain time for the meeting whereas individuals have to spend days in queues (echo of the Soviet Union). Before the appointed time two things must be performed. Firstly, the car must be presented to a traffic policeman for checking the car identification number. And here the legal body does not get any privileges – long (3 hours minimum) queue for everyone. Finally the traffic policeman puts his signature on the registration claim and you have 20 days to finish the registration and get numberplates for the car while the signature is valid. Secondly, the documents for the car must be shown to a military officer who puts the information in a database and stamps the registration claim.

All these operations were for the first time fulfilled by the dealer without our participation. But when the traffic policeman analyzed the provided documents there arouse a lot of questions. It is not yet common in Russia for non-resident companies to register cars. Therefore, the procedure is not thoroughly worked out. The traffic policeman demanded some obscure document from us – like an authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was a no-go.
Fortunately, the procedure is thoroughly worked out regarding Russian companies. Why not register a company to get numberplates for the car? – we thought. Another three weeks passed. We got the Russian company constituent documentation from the tax inspection, handed the car over to this company as equity capital and started the car registration process from the very beginning.

The traffic police did not appreciate our intricate scheme. They kept seeking for some illegal tricks in our activities and kept pushing us back again and again for the sake of new documents, contracts, confirmations and new routines. It became unbearable and we involved lawyers in the procedure. These are people who know methods of communication with the traffic police. We got the number plates.

According to Russian law, even new cars must undergo technical inspection during one month after the registration. We assumed naively that it would be the final step. There are several technical inspection stations in Murmansk. Individuals get the technical inspection card just on the spot as long as legal bodies have to go to the traffic police. That is where all the real difficulties begin.
I came to the traffic police a couple of weeks ago, brought the diagnostic card from the technical inspection station hoping to spend half an hour on receiving this last document allowing the company to use the car. Instead of the card the road policeman handed a list of papers the legal body must provide:

• Constituent documents
• Passport of the company
• List of cars and drivers
• Driver’s license and health certificate
• Plan of activities for the driving staff (including 20 hours program of safety study)
• Document confirming that the company has a garage or a parking place for the car
• Contract with a mechanic authorized to check the car condition
• Contract with a medical specialist authorized to check the driver’s health condition

If a car belongs to a legal body the driver cannot use it without an everyday route sheet signed by a mechanic and a medical. The problem lies in the fact that the rules are the same for all legal bodies – whether it is an automobile dealer with 30 cars in ownership or a company whose activity is not directly connected to car usage.

If your company needs a car only for carrying documentation or meeting delegations you should better choose not to register the car with the company. The solution is to rent out the car to an individual and authorize him/her to perform registration and technical inspection.

By Tatyana Zhunzhurova

Source: www.barentsnova.com