'Number Of Premium Cars On Belarusian Border Shocks Polish Minister'

Why did Warsaw stop letting some cars into our country?

On the night of March 23, there was info in special chats, and later in the media outlets, that Poland had stopped cars purchased in various European countries with more than 1.9 litres engine volume. "Probably, the minister was simply shocked by how many premium cars are in the queue to Belarus," the carriers argue. Nasha Niva has figured out what is happening in the Polish direction and the situation with entry through Lithuania and Latvia.

There is no official information about the new restrictions. Even the Belarusian customs in its report says that it learned about the new requirements of the Polish side from the media.

The only source of information is printed papers that Polish customs officers placed at the Terespol (Brest) checkpoint.

They say that in order to export a car with an engine volume of more than 1.9 liters, Polish customs need a certificate from the manufacturer, which will indicate that the manufacturer knows that the car is being sent in transit through the territory of Belarus and Russia. And also that the manufacturer knows where the destination is, who the seller and buyer are. All this is necessary so that sanctions are not violated.

Restrictions apply only to Russia.

As for sanctions, of all the EAEU member states, they concern only Russia. However, the ban on the export to Russia of cars with an engine capacity of more than 1.9 liters or more than 50,000 euros (regardless of the engine size) has been in force since June 23, 2023.

Belarus is not subject to these sanctions. Belarusians, as before, have the right to purchase any cars in the EU and export them to Belarus, regardless of the cost and engine volume.

There are no changes in the Baltic direction.

Due to the fact that the old sanctions do not apply to Belarus, and there are no new restrictions, cars with an engine of more than 1.9 liters and a cost of more than 50,000 euros are still coming to Belarus. The last days, however, mainly through Lithuania and Latvia.

Journalists managed to communicate with several carriers who had already managed to smuggle expensive cars with a large engine volume across the border with Lithuania over the weekend and on Monday night.

"At night [25.03. Ed.] We drove a 4-year-old BMW with a 2-liter engine and a new Mercedes-Benz with a 2.2-liter engine (2.143 cm³). There were no additional questions from the Lithuanian customs," the carrier assures.

According to him, Lithuania has long been strictly monitoring that the car was sent to Belarus, and not to Russia.

"In order to successfully export a car through Lithuania, you need to have a full package of documents confirming that the buyer is from Belarus. To do this, you have to show confirmation of the transfer from the buyer, who paid for the car through the Belarusian bank, as well as a confirmation from the seller that he accepted this money from the Belarusian buyer by bank transfer.

If the export ones are made in Lithuania, then the buyer is required to write a letter where he confirms that he buys a car for himself, and not for resale in the Russian Federation," the carrier explains.

"Smooth" documentation for Lithuania, and not so clear ones for Poland.

According to the interlocutor, those who buy a car not for themselves, but for resale, often have problems with confirming payment, since not only cash payments are used, but also, for example, cryptocurrency.

"Therefore, all cars with incomplete or 'crooked' documents entered Belarus through Poland. The Poles were the most loyal. They produced cars without additional questions, they were not interested in who and how paid for the car, where it was going, why the buyer is one person and the other is carrying. "

That's why, according to the carrier, most of the premium cars went through Poland. Since the Brest checkpoint is a passenger crossing, all cars passed on their own. There were often drivers who had nothing to do with the car being transported.

"Young guys were driving these cars from Terespol to Brest for 100 euros. Invoices in such cars, as well as ED [export declaration - Ed.], were issued on behalf of different persons. As a result, in the queue you could watch how young guys cut through the expensive Maybach, Audi, BMW or Lamborghini.

Cars with any volume and price are imported through Latvia and Lithuania.

Unlike the Poles, the Lithuanians do not let a car cross their border for a long time if the driver is not the buyer of the car. Payment for the car, invoice and ED must be issued to the person who drives the car.

"If a person with documents is doing well, then they pass through Lithuania without problems, including on their own," the source says.

Another interlocutor, who travels, among other things, through Latvia, also claims that there have been no changes in the Latvian direction, the registration of cars for Belarus continues in normal mode, as before.

"The only thing is that Latvia, for example, does not let German registered cars with "yellow" (short-term transit) registration plates. They refer to the fact that they are intended only for movement within the EU, so those who travel through Latvia have to buy "red" (long-term transits) in Germany. It costs up to 350 euros, and "yellow" up to 150," a transit driver explains.

Why did Poland take such a step?

As far as is known, the Polish side issued the ban on the passage of cars with an engine volume of more than 1.9 liters after the Polish Minister of Transport visited Terespol.

"It seems that he was just shocked by the fact that he saw how many premium cars are in the queue for departure to Belarus, so he came up with this regulation that cannot be fulfilled," one of the sources said.

As far as is known, a complete ban on the passage of cars purchased in the EU with an engine volume of more than 1.9 liters across the border with Poland will last until April 1. Allegedly, explanations should appear later.

Some manage to filter through Poland?

At the same time, one of the interlocutors assured that even after the ban appeared, he knew of cases when cars with a large engine volume passed through the Polish-Belarusian border.

"People who were able to confirm that a car was bought for their personal use, having argued and scandalized with Polish customs officers, managed to arrange exports and go to Belarus. If everything is fine with the documents and the buyer and driver are the same person, then they simply have no legal grounds not to let the car, so, some managed to pass after the new requirements so far.

Another thing is when a 20-year-old guy with a student or work visa sits behind the wheel of a car that costs 100,000 euros or more. Naturally, customs officers understand that the person only drives the car across the border. They see that according to the documents, the driver is not the owner, they definitely do not let such people in."