Alcohol regulations in Russia

Licensing, import, labelling and tax rules for spirits. Researched October 2026.

Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in October 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Status: Legal / dry areas exist
Legal drinking age: 18
Legal purchase age: 18

Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)

Licences needed: Licence for production, storage, and supply of produced alcoholic products (spirits) or ethyl alcohol
Authority: Federal Service for Control over Alcohol and Tobacco Markets (Rosalkogoltabakkontrol)
Documents: Application, constituent documents/charter, confirmation of paid-in charter capital (minimum 10 million RUB for spirits over 15% ABV; 100 million RUB for rectified ethyl alcohol), ownership or registered lease of manufacturing and warehouse facilities, equipment compliance certificates, ASIIU meter verification certificates, proof of EGAIS system integration, technical calculation of annual production capacity, fire and environmental compliance approvals
Fees: 9,500,000 RUB state duty (pursuant to Tax Code Article 333.33)
Time to obtain: 30 calendar days from registration (shortened towards 15 working days under recent digitization reforms; extendable up to 25–30 days for additional on-site inspections)

Import licence and registration

Who can import: Russian legal entities (e.g. OOO, AO) holding a wholesale alcohol licence and connected to EGAIS; foreign entities cannot act as direct importers without a local Russian entity
Licences or registrations: Licence for purchase, storage, and supply of alcoholic products (wholesale licence); EGAIS registration; customs broker/importer registration
Authority: Rosalkogoltabakkontrol and the Federal Customs Service (FTS)
Documents: Application, corporate charter, lease/ownership proof for temperature-controlled warehouse facilities, authorized capital proof (minimum 10 million RUB for beverages over 15% ABV), EGAIS technical compliance confirmation, tax registration certificate
Fees: 800,000 RUB for a wholesale alcohol licence valid for up to 5 years
Time to obtain: 30 calendar days (extendable by up to 30 days)

Product and label registration

Required: yes
Process: EAC Declaration of Conformity under EAEU technical regulations (TR CU 021/2011, TR CU 022/2011, TR CU 029/2012, and TR EAEU 047/2018); sample testing in an accredited EAEU laboratory; registration of declaration in the unified Rosaccreditation database; notification and entry of product SKUs into the EGAIS registry prior to shipment
Authority: Federal Accreditation Service (Rosaccreditation) / accredited EAEU certification bodies and Rosalkogoltabakkontrol (EGAIS notifications)
Documents and samples: Application, test reports from accredited EAEU laboratory, product recipe/specification, foreign certificates/bill of lading, draft Russian-language consumer label, authorized representative contract for foreign manufacturers
Fees: No statutory state duty; laboratory testing and commercial registrar fees typically range between 20,000 and 60,000 RUB per SKU
Renewal: Valid for up to 5 years for serial production, or per individual import batch; re-registered upon expiration or formulation change
Time to obtain: 2 to 4 weeks

Import rules

Importer must be an authorized Russian entity holding a wholesale licence and linked to EGAIS. Shipments require Federal Special Stamps (FSM / Федеральные специальные марки) displaying 2D DataMatrix codes, which under Federal Law No. 108-FZ must be applied at bonded logistics sites inside Russia (transition for foreign stamping expired early 2026). Mandatory documentation includes commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, Certificate of Origin, EAC Declaration of Conformity, and advance customs notifications. Parallel imports are permitted for certain authorized Western alcohol brands.

Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)

Standard EAEU Common Customs Tariff (CCT HS 2208) is generally €1.40 to €1.50 per litre of 100% anhydrous alcohol or 10–15% ad valorem. For imports originating from designated 'unfriendly countries', a retaliatory duty of 20% of customs value (not less than €3 per litre) applies, with proposals to increase to €5 per litre.

Excise and taxes

Excise duty on spirits (Article 193 of the Tax Code) is 740 RUB per litre of anhydrous alcohol in 2025 and 824 RUB per litre of anhydrous alcohol effective January 1, 2026 (Federal Law No. 425-FZ). Import VAT is 20% (applied on the base of customs value + customs duty + excise duty).

Retail and distribution

Sold through private licensed retail chains, specialized liquor stores, and licensed on-premise venues (restaurants, bars); no state retail monopoly. Federal law prohibits retail sales between 23:00 and 08:00, while regional authorities possess statutory power to impose stricter restrictions (e.g. limiting sales to specific windows or banning Sunday sales). Minimum Retail Prices (MRP) apply strictly.

Online sale and delivery

banned, remote/online sale and home delivery of alcohol is strictly illegal under Federal Law No. 171-FZ and consumer protection decrees; online ordering is only allowed under a 'click-and-collect' model where payment and age verification take place at a licensed brick-and-mortar facility

Labelling

Russian-language consumer label (or back-label sticker) mandatory: product designation, volume (L/ml), ABV (% vol), ingredients (type of spirit/distillate), nutritional info, manufacturing and bottling dates, batch number, producer and importer contact details, country of origin, storage conditions, EAC conformity mark, and mandatory health warning: 'Чрезмерное употребление алкоголя вредит вашему здоровью' (Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health) occupying at least 10% of the label surface, plus contraindications for minors, pregnant women, and persons with medical conditions. Every bottle must carry a scannable Federal Special Stamp (FSM).

Advertising

Almost completely banned under Federal Law No. 38-FZ 'On Advertising' (Article 21); prohibited on television, radio, internet/digital media, print publications, billboards, public transit, and within 100 metres of educational/medical facilities; permitted solely inside licensed retail shops and on-premise venues, and at specialized B2B trade exhibitions; brand sponsorship of public/sports events is prohibited

Legal definitions of spirits

Defined under TR EAEU 047/2018 and Russian national GOST standards: Vodka (GOST 12712-2013 / GOST R 51355) must be 37.5%–56.0% ABV (traditionally min 40.0% ABV), made from agricultural rectified neutral ethanol (Extra, Lux, Alpha) blended with softened water; Whisky (GOST 33281-2015) min 40.0% ABV aged in oak casks for at least 3 years; Cognac / Russian Cognac (GOST 31732) min 40.0% ABV aged at least 3 years in oak; Brandy (GOST 33458-2015) min 37.5%–40.0% ABV; Rum (GOST 33459-2015) min 40.0% ABV; Gin (GOST 34149-2017) min 37.5%–40.0% ABV; Neutral rectified ethyl alcohol (GOST 5962-2013) min 96.0%–96.3% ABV

Dry or restricted areas

Federal subjects have authority to restrict sales hours or declare dry zones: Chechen Republic restricts retail sales to 08:00–10:00 (virtually dry); Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Tyva, and Ingushetia enforce stringent time/locality curbs; Vologda Oblast introduced limits restricting sales to 12:00–14:00 on weekdays; nationwide prohibition applies within designated radii of educational, medical, military, and sports facilities

Recent changes

Excise duty on ethyl alcohol and spirits over 18% ABV increased to 740 RUB/L anhydrous alcohol in 2025 and to 824 RUB/L anhydrous alcohol effective January 1, 2026 under Federal Law No. 425-FZ (Tax Code Article 193).
Imposition of retaliatory customs duties on spirits imported from 'unfriendly countries' at 20% but no less than €3 per litre starting September 2024, with draft budget proposals to raise the floor to €5 per litre.
Transition from the pilot program to mandatory permanent domestic excise stamping inside Russia under Federal Law No. 108-FZ (effective September 1, 2025; offshore stamping transition ending February 2026).
State-mandated Minimum Retail Prices (MRP) for spirits adjusted upwards for 2025–2026 (retail floor raised to 409 RUB for 0.5L vodka, 605 RUB for brandy/whisky aged under 3 years, and 755 RUB for cognac/aged whisky).
Adoption of Federal Law No. 509-FZ digitizing licence applications exclusively via Gosuslugi and EGAIS, shortening retail/catering licence review periods down to 15 working days.

Opportunities for exporters

Exporters from non-sanctioning countries (e.g. Latin America, Asia, South Africa, and CIS/EAEU partners) have strong opportunities to supply premium spirits and bulk distillates, benefiting from standard tariffs while Western brands face 20%/€3+ retaliatory duties. Influx remains viable for distinctive rum, tequila, and aged brandies that cannot be substituted by domestic production.

Regulators

Sources

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