By the Decree No. 1957of the Government of the Russian Federation approved on December 31, 2019 the labelling of certain products with Data Matrix code (QR code) has become mandatory since October 1, 2020. From now on, all products manufactured or imported into Russia must be registered in the "CHESTNY ZNAK" ("HONEST SIGN") system and their packaging must contain a QR code. Upon recognition of the Data Matrix code by the "HONEST SIGN" application, the buyer obtains all necessary data on the product, including information about declarations and certificates issued for these products.
The list of products subject to registering in the "CHESTNY ZNAK" marking system is presented below :
2402 - Cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes, of tobacco or of tobacco substitute;
3303 - Perfumes and toilet waters (excluding aftershave lotions, personal deodorants and hair lotions);
4011 - New pneumatic tyres, of rubber;
4203 - Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of leather or of composition leather (including articles of individual protection);
6106 - Women's or girls' blouses, shirts and shirt-blouses, knitted or crocheted (excluding T-shirts and vests);
6201 - Men's or boys' overcoats, car-coats, capes, cloaks, anoraks, and similar articles (excluding knitted or crocheted, suits, ensembles, jackets, blazers and trousers);
6202 - Women's or girls' overcoats, car-coats, capes, cloaks, anoraks, and similar articles (excluding knitted or crochetted, suits, ensembles, jackets, blazers and trousers);
6302 - Bedlinen, table linen, toilet linen and kitchen linen of all types of textile materials (excluding floorcloths, polishing cloths, dishcloths and dusters);
6401 - Waterproof footwear with outer soles and uppers of rubber or of plastics, the uppers of which are neither fixed to the sole nor assembled by stitching, riveting, nailing, screwing, plugging or similar processes (excluding orthopaedic footwear, toy footwear, skating boots with ice skates attached, shin-guards and similar protective sportswear);
6402 - Footwear with outer soles and uppers of rubber or plastics (excluding waterproof footwear of heading 6401, orthopaedic footwear, toy footwear, skating boots with ice or roller skates attached, and similar protective sportswear);
6403 - Footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastics, leather or composition leather and uppers of leather (excluding orthopaedic footwear, skating boots with ice or roller skates attached, and toy footwear);
6404 - Footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastics, leather or composition leather and uppers of textile materials (excluding toy footwear);
6405 - Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, with uppers other than rubber, plastics, leather or textile materials; footwear with outer soles of leather or composition leather, with uppers other than leather or textile materials; footwear with outer soles of wood, cork, twine, paperboard, furskin, woven fabrics, felt, nonwovens, linoleum, raffia, straw, loofah, etc and uppers of any type of material, n.e.s.;
9006 - Photographic cameras, photographic flashlight apparatus and flashbulbs (excluding discharge lamps of heading 8539).
In order to import goods into the territory of the Russian Federation, a Russian tax resident (importer) considered as the first owner of goods winthin the Russian Federation, must take the following steps :
1. Register in the "CHESTNY ZNAK" system;
2. Upload information on imported products;
3. Order and pay for Marking Codes;
4. Transfer marking codes to the manufacturer so that he can print them on the packaging.
It is imperative to label the products with the obtained QR code prior to customs clearance.
Upon completion of the registration procedure, the marking code printed on the consumer's package or label cannot be separated from the consumer's package.
