The answer to the question of how to buy a car in Latvia is mainly sought by citizens of the CIS countries. The location of this Baltic country, which entered the EU in 2004, between the Russian Federation and Europe, has become a prerequisite for the development of a business for the resale of vehicles from European countries to Russia.
Advantages of buying a car in Latvia
Buying a car in Latvia is interesting for the favorable price and excellent condition of used cars sold in the European market.
In developed countries, vehicles move along high-quality highways. At the same time, it is customary for Europeans to change cars with an average frequency of every 3 - 5 years. In Western countries, you can easily pick up an interesting model with excellent equipment, which has never been sold in the territory of the CIS countries, including Russia.
Even a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Latvia has the right to buy a used car in the Republic of Latvia. Of course, for this you will need to open a visa and have certain documents. This issue will be discussed in detail below.
Latvian car industry
Car production in Latvia began back in 1909. Then the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works mastered the production of the first cars not only in the Baltic States, but also in the entire Russian Empire, designed for the wide masses of the population.
Interesting fact: the first car “Russo-Balt” C-24, produced in Riga, drove onto the Vesuvius volcano. It happened in 1913.
With the outbreak of the First World War, when German troops approached the capital of Latvia, the plant was evacuated. Automotive manufacturing resumed in 1937, when a license was purchased from Ford to manufacture passenger cars and medium-duty trucks. The main models of the Latvian Fords are the representative "De Luxe", the passenger car "B-10 Junior" and the three-ton truck "B8".
After World War II, in 1951, the "Riga Automobile Factory" - RAF was established. Its designers have developed interesting models of minibuses:
- "Festival" RAF-10,
- "Spritydis" RAF-08,
- "Latvia" RAF-977 and RAF-2203.
The factory closed in 1997. Since then, there is no car industry in the Republic of Latvia as such.
Where can I buy a car
Used cars in Latvia are sold:
- official dealers;
- through Internet resources;
- individuals in car markets.
The likelihood of acquiring a vehicle listed in theft is practically zero, because the transfer of ownership is accompanied by a very large number of checks.
The sale of cars by private owners is carried out mainly at the Rumbula car market. It is located in the microdistrict of the same name in Riga, in the Latgale suburb.
This well-known car market has been operating in Latvia for several decades. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles from Europe, America and Japan come here for resale every year. After carefully analyzing the offers and bargaining well, you can buy a car for the minimum amount of money.
There are also retail outlets with a rich assortment of clothing and manufactured goods of other types. Therefore, the Rumbula car market in Riga is a kind of place of pilgrimage not only for motorists looking for a suitable option for buying a car or spare parts for an existing one, but also for other, so to speak, “horseless” buyers.
You can also buy a used car in Latvia in one of the car centers. The table contains information about the representative offices of well-known manufacturers opened in the country.
| Name of company | Car brands |
|---|---|
| Moller auto | Audi and BMW |
| Wess Motors | Honda, Lexus, BMW, Toyota |
| VEHO | Citroen |
| Musa Motors Riga | Volvo |
| Amserv Motors | Lexus, Toyota |
| Karlo Motors | Skoda |
| Domenikss | "Mercedes" |
| Skandi Motors | Hyundai, Mitsubishi |
| Frolova Motoru Kompanij | Hyundai, Scang Yong, Daewoo |
| Autohalle SIA | Suzuki, Peugeot, Hyundai, Seat |
| Atlas Motors | Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge |
In the age of globalization of the Internet, it has become even easier to buy a car - there are many specialized web resources functioning on the network. Let's briefly list the most popular Latvian car sales sites:
- The largest portal ss.lv. It contains about 45 thousand ads related to the sale and purchase of various vehicles.
- Another major internet resource is reklama.lv. The number of proposals reaches 30 thousand.
- A web portal created on the basis of ads of entrepreneurs and individuals, auto.lv. The choice of displaying information in Russian is available.
- Ru.autoplius.lt. You can view and indicate information in 4 languages, including Russian.
- Another detailed web portal lv.brcauto.eu. You can search for a car by make, year of manufacture and price.
To ensure the convenience of selection, the sites contain photographs of vehicles for sale, and not only their technical characteristics.
When it comes to buying cars in the Baltics using the World Wide Web, it is unfair to ignore the Otomoto website. Although the site is registered in Poland, a vehicle purchased through it can be brought into the Russian Federation through the Kaliningrad region. The advantage of such a decision is that the buyer will not have to drive on Latvian license plates, which cause increased attention of traffic police officers.
You can also use the popular Russian portal Avito.ru to find a car from Latvia.
What is needed to complete the transaction
The easiest and safest option for conducting a transaction is to order a car through a dealer. On the territory of Russia and Ukraine, there are more than a dozen enterprises engaged in the import of vehicles from Europe, including the Baltic countries. The car enthusiast will need to study the electronic catalog, choose a car and place an order.
The cost of the dealer's services is about 1,500 euros. As a result, the client will receive a car with all required documents, original DKT and transit numbers.
List of documents
To make a deal in Latvia, you will need the following papers:
- international passport;
- technical passport of the vehicle of the Latvian standard;
- certificate of compliance of the car with environmental standards;
- a receipt confirming the fact of making a customs deposit;
- a guarantee certificate issued by the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation;
- declaration in the form TD-6. It will be needed when crossing the border.
Features of car registration
The transfer of ownership of the purchased car is registered at the department of the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (hereinafter CSDD, Lithuanian abbreviation - CSDD). And there is one important point here.
Foreigners are allowed to register a vehicle for a period not exceeding 6 months. If for some reason the Russian does not leave the territory of the Republic of Latvia by car during this time, the procedure will need to be repeated.
When it is planned to export a car for a permanent stay in Russia, it must first be removed from the register.
In addition, the CDDD requires that all Internet portals strictly control which car is put up for sale in a particular ad, and publish it only if the vehicle is registered in Latvia. This increases the level of tax receipts to the state treasury. For example, issuing one license plate brings 70 euros to the budget.
Car insurance
To travel by car on the roads of the Republic of Latvia to the border with the Russian Federation, you need to purchase an OSTA insurance policy - an analogue of the Russian OSAGO. Its effect on Russia applies only if there is a valid Green Card insurance.
Proceeding from this, it is advisable to purchase a policy of Russian "general citizenship" in one of the numerous branches-kiosks of insurance companies located in the area of the border crossing between Latvia and the Russian Federation. After all, the validity period of the "Green Card" is limited.
To understand the current figures in this segment of the Latvian financial market, we will give examples:
- The cost of an MTPL policy for a Volvo S80 model year 2002 averages € 21.6 / 3 months.
- For the Skoda Octavia insurance, which rolled off the assembly line in 2007, you will have to pay at least € 20.5 / 3 months.
About additional costs
The prices for used cars in Latvia are really very low, but the purchase may require considerable additional costs. Let's consider one of the most economical options - a transaction in Daugavpils.
On the Internet you can find a large number of attractive offers for the sale of used cars from Europe in this city. For example, for the 2021 Opel Astra with a mileage of only 64 thousand km, with a leather interior, an on-board computer, halogen headlights and other special edition attributes, they ask for only 9,900 euros. At the same time, bargaining is appropriate.
Before leaving for Latvia, the future car owner needs to pay a customs deposit to the FCS office at the place of registration. After that, he will be issued a guarantee certificate with a mark on the receipt of money.
There are 2 options regarding the amount of the deposit:
- the make and model of the vehicle are known. Then the amount of customs duties levied for the import is entered;
- if this information has not yet been established, the tariff is calculated in accordance with the requirements of the order of the Federal Customs Service No. 302 dated 21.02. 2021. For example, for a car not older than 5 years, the power of the power unit of which does not exceed 90 liters. pp., the standard deposit is 134,905 rubles (about 1809 euros).
Foreign expenses begin with booking a place in one of the hotels, in our case Daugavpils. The average room rate is approximately € 30 / day with breakfast. That is, for 2 days (and this is the minimum period for completing a transaction), you will have to pay about 60 euros.
One serving in an inexpensive restaurant costs approximately € 5.25. If you eat there 2 times a day (we have breakfast at the hotel), then 21 euros will be spent on food in two days.
Now about fuel costs. For example, if you plan to enter the territory of the Russian Federation through the Burachki-Terekhov checkpoint, then to get to it from Daugavpils, you will need to drive 154 km. With an average consumption of 6 l / 100 km and the cost of AI-98 gasoline € 1.23 / l, the fuel will cost € 11.37 only in Latvia. If the final destination is Moscow, then on the territory of the Russian Federation it will take € 26.57 for refueling.
Summing up, including the average insurance € 21, we get: the additional costs will amount to almost 1949 euros (slightly more than 145,312 Russian rubles).
Passage of customs control
For registration of the purchased car and its further use on a legal basis, it is required to go through the customs clearance procedure. It is held at the customs authority at the place of registration of the newly made car owner.
When entering the territory of the Russian Federation at the customs post, a mark about crossing the border is put in the declaration of the person importing the car into the country. We remind you that the OSAGO policy is drawn up in the same place. A Russian-style PTS will be issued to a citizen upon completion of customs control and after all payments have been made.
Operation of a non-cleared vehicle in Russia
Domestic legislation establishes that persons of two categories have the right to use a car from Latvia without customs clearance on the territory of the Russian Federation:
- Citizens of the Republic of Latvia who have registered for a temporary stay in the Russian Federation. In this case, a foreigner at the customs post formalizes the temporary import of a car registered at home. At the same time, he does not pay any customs taxes and duties. The vehicle can operate during the entire stay in Russia, but no more than 12 months.
- Russians who bought a car registered in Latvia and issued a temporary import when entering the territory of the Russian Federation. Such a car can stay in Russia for no more than 6 months within a year. At the same time, its owner will need to pay a number of customs taxes and duties.
After the expiry of the above terms, one of the options is possible:
- the car must leave the Russian territory with mandatory closure at the customs point of temporary import;
- the car owner at the customs authority at the place of his registration extends the period of temporary import.
Information about the implemented option must be provided to the customs office where the import was processed. The car owner is given 15 days for this from the moment of closing or extending the period of stay of the car in Russia.
If this information is not submitted in time, the vehicle will be entered into the customs database of “not exported vehicles”. And this means that in relation to it all customs payments will have to be levied.
This procedure for temporary import is governed by the provisions of the customs legislation, agreed and adopted by the member states of the Customs Union.
Conclusion
You don't have to visit Latvia to buy a car in Latvia. Many Russians, even those who know how to drive a car from Latvia, resort to the services of Russian dealers who specialize in importing vehicles from abroad. These organizations will not only deliver the model specified by the client, but also help with customs clearance.
If a Russian wants to drive a car from Latvia on his own, he only needs to open a visa - the absence of a residence permit or citizenship of the country is not an obstacle to concluding a deal. You will need to register the purchased car in your name with the Latvian Traffic Safety Inspectorate.
