Owners of cars with Russian license plates get 6-month grace period in Estonia

Owners of vehicles with Russian license plates have six months to register their vehicle in Estonia or take it out of country. Photo: Elmo Riig

The government decided on Thursday that owners of vehicles with Russian license plates have six months to register their vehicle in Estonia or take it out of Estonia.

Minister of the Interior Lauri Laanemets pointed out at the government's press briefing that starting from Sept. 13, vehicles with Russian license plates have been prohibited from entering Estonia.

"However, when it comes to the vehicles with Russian number plates that are already in Estonia, we will not make any changes to the law in their case, but will implement the current legal regulations," he said.

The minister explained that Estonian residents are obliged under law to register a vehicle they have brought to Estonia from another country for their own use in the Estonian register within five days. Foreign nationals must re-register their vehicle when it has been in use in Estonia for one year. Therefore, vehicles with Russian license plates should have been registered in the Estonian register long ago, he said.

Now all owners of vehicles with Russian license plates must register their vehicle in the Estonian register in six months or take it to Russia. VAT and a customs duty must be paid upon registration. For example, for a car costing 20,000 euros, the duty is close to 2,000 euros and VAT is 4,400 euros, Laanemets explained.