Russians have more and more problems with the purchase of cars in Kazakhstan

The import of cars to Russia from Kazakhstan has reached unprecedented proportions. The departure of a number of foreign automakers from our country has created a huge gap in the market, which is now being filled by cars imported through parallel imports. Some have decided to follow a simple path: to purchase cars directly in Kazakhstani car dealerships. However, it turned out to be not so easy.

In total, according to the Federal Customs Service, in January-September last year, 6.5 thousand cars were brought to Russia from Kazakhstan. The reason for this phenomenon is obvious – in Russia there is practically no opportunity to buy many foreign cars. In Kazakhstani car dealerships, more cars began to be sold. In the fall, the growth of car sales in the republic by more than 20% was recorded. During the year, over 100 thousand new cars were sold in Kazakhstan, of which only about 7% ended up in the Russian Federation. Therefore, the shortage of cars in the country is caused more by a simultaneous surge in domestic demand.

Since the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions, Kazakhstan has taken a rather pragmatic position. The Kazakhstani leadership did not join the sanctions, but it also does not intend to openly help Russia in circumventing them. Therefore, foreign factories of Toyota, Kia and Hyundai cars, which are in demand in the CIS, after the suspension of their activities in the Russian Federation, not only continued their full-fledged work in Kazakhstan, but also plan to expand.

It is noteworthy that one of the Hyundai Solaris models in great demand (assembled in Kazakhstan under the name Accent) is assembled partly from Russian components, which either remained in warehouses after the automaker left the country, or continued to be produced specifically for Kazakh plants.

Buyers from Russia were also interested in Chinese cars, which can be purchased at home. The bottom line is that in Kazakhstan all cars are now cheaper than in Russia. Russian car prices are considered the highest in the Customs Union. For example, Kia Sportage in Kazakhstan costs 1.7 million rubles, and in Russia the price of a car starts at 3 million rubles. The Chinese Geely Coolray crossover costs about 12.5 million tenge, that is, 1.5 million, which is half a million cheaper than in Russia. In general, the price difference between different Chinese brands can reach up to 40%.

The interest of the Russians is caused not only by the relatively low cost of the “Chinese”. The Kazakh car market also attracts Russian buyers with Chinese cars that are not represented in Russia. Since December, two models of the Chinese brand Changan, which are not available in Russian car dealerships, have been on sale in Kazakhstan.

It seems that Kazakhstan is becoming a kind of lifeline for motorists interested in cheap and inaccessible cars in the Russian Federation. In addition to the popular models assembled in the republic, many other foreign cars still remain in car dealerships. However, buying a car from Kazakhstan turned out to be not the easiest and not the cheapest task.

It will not be possible to purchase foreign cars assembled at Kazakh factories officially through dealers in Russia. Therefore, the Russians have only two ways to buy a car – to go for a car to Kazakhstan and then drive it across the border, or use an intermediary-driver who will do it himself for money.

In the first case, Russian citizens are faced with the intricacies of the Kazakh bureaucracy. You will need to pay for the car in tenge, which will require a cash conversion with a 2% commission. This cannot be done without a Kazakhstani bank account, and for it it will be necessary to provide an IIN (Kazakhstani TIN), which will also need to be issued in advance, notifying the Russian state about it. In addition, a large translation may be of interest to the relevant authorities, so you also need to be prepared for explanations to employees.

Dealers, under a far-fetched pretext, can refuse to buy a car for a Russian, referring to the fact that the countries do not have a single database of electronic titles, despite the fact that both states are members of the Customs Union. A similar situation is observed in Belarus. The sellers do not hide the reason for the refusals: if the car gets to Russia, then dealer service centers will not be able to physically service it.

Since a car will not be sold to a person with a Russian passport, a local intermediary will be needed, to whom the car will first be issued. As a rule, it is not difficult to find it, there are enough ads. But such a service, which costs 15-20 thousand rubles, is fraught with a scam. So you have to check whether a resident of Kazakhstan, for example, is a debtor, from whom, immediately after registering a car in the cabin, it will be confiscated at the expense of the state. If successful, the intermediary, through the official contract of sale, finally transfers the keys to the car into the hands of the real buyer.

In total, an independent purchase of a car in Kazakhstan, taking into account an intermediary, a recycling fee, obtaining an SBKTS (Certificate of Construction Safety), an electronic TCP, and for a smooth customs clearance – a document from the seller on the import and release of a car in Kazakhstan with full payment of import duty, can cost a Russian in the amount of more than 100 thousand rubles (in excess of the cost of the car). If the Russian buyer decides to make his task easier by using the services of a driver who will buy, arrange and deliver the car to Russia, then he will have to pay almost half a million rubles.

And in fact, it turns out that buying a car in Kazakhstan is hardly cheaper. In addition, Kazakhstan has already announced an increase in car prices and duties, taking into account the growth of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Therefore, the statements of some Kazakh politicians that the Russians bought all the cars may soon become irrelevant.