If you're looking to send a parcel to Russia, you may already be aware that major courier services have stopped shipping to the country as of 2022. However, there's good news: Time Saving Machine still offers a worldwide parcel delivery service, and their algorithm for compound orders allows you to deliver a parcel to Russia in 2023-2024 just like before.
To achieve this, we utilize our carrier chain service to deliver parcels to Russia from the UK. One of our trusted courier services picks up your package and delivers it to a transit point in a third country. From there, the parcel to Russia, as well as a letter or cargo is transferred to another carrier to ensure it reaches its final destination. This same process applies when sending packages from Russia to anywhere in the world.
Algorithm of delivery from the UK to Russia in 2023
Now let’s tell you how it works.
Choose a reliable delivery company
You may be familiar with various courier services that specialize in international shipments. However, due to recent events in 2022-2023, companies such as DHL, FedEx, TNT, and UPS no longer operate in Russia. Therefore, it's important to choose a reliable carrier with experience in delivering to Russia. It's not advisable to contact a stranger and ask them to deliver a parcel to Russia.
TSM transport company has been operating in the international logistics market since 2014. In 2023, our logisticians established new delivery routes for shipping to Russia from the UK, allowing for the legal transportation of parcels, letters, samples, and cargo between the two countries. With its own aggregating platform, TSM enables you to continue parcel delivery from the UK to Russia despite sanction restrictions.
Find out the ways of shipping from the UK to Russia
Shipping to Russia has become quite challenging in recent times, especially in 2023-2024. The fastest way to deliver a parcel to Russia is through express delivery by air, but it can be quite expensive. Due to sanctions, shipping by road has almost disappeared.
TSM offers three options for international shipping from the UK to Russia:
- The first option is parcel delivery by a dedicated air courier person by plane.
- The second option is the traditional way of express delivery, where a delivery person comes to the sender's doorstep anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and picks up the parcel to Russia. The package is then sent over to Russia. The receiver gets it from hand to hand within a week or two. This method is slower than personal air courier but faster than Royal Mail.
- The multimodal option involves using various means of transportation and consolidation warehouses. This method is the most cost-effective, but also the slowest.
Decide how urgently you need the parcel to be delivered to Russia
Time Saving machine can deliver different types of packages from the UK with varying shipping times:
- For plain-paper documents, letters, and hardcover documents, it usually takes 24-72 hours.
- Personal belongings, gifts, product samples, cars and machinery parts, and art objects typically take 8-12 working days.
- For products, items that are not urgent, machines, and equipment, delivery to Russia can take up to 28 working days.
However, we pride ourselves on being able to offer parcel delivery to Russia with the shortest possible shipping times for any tariff, regardless of the contents.
Decide what shipping cost from the UK to Russia will suit you
In general, the cost of shipping to Russia depends on the transport company's expenses and the tariff you choose. However, there are other factors that affect the price:
- If you need your package delivered quickly, it will be more expensive. Express parcel delivery involves air transport, which is the most expensive option, and requires more working hours due to individual handling of each package and the use of smaller vans that carry less cargo.
- Shipping to remote or isolated areas also generally costs more.
- The location of the origin also affects the cost of the first mile shipping, so if it is far from major cities, the price will be higher.
- The price of shipping is determined by the weight and size of the package. If the parcel is larger than 50 inches or heavier than 150 pounds, there will be additional fees.
In a competitive market, businesses strive to keep parcel delivery prices low to attract customers. However, if there are no other options, companies may increase profits.
What documents are required for express delivery to Russia from the UK
At Time Saving Machine, we assign a personal manager to each client who assists with customs documents. These documents include:
- An invoice which provides important details about the shipment such as the description of goods, their value, origin, consignee, and terms of sale.
- A packing list is included with all items in the shipment and may include information about weight, size, and quantity.
- An export declaration is also required.
- A certificate of origin may be necessary to assess customs duties and taxes.
- Finally, an airway bill or bill of lading is included which contains information about the destination, consignee, and carrier.
Due to sanctions, we complete the necessary documents as if the package is being shipped to a location in Asia instead of Russia, so that the true destination remains unknown.
Check if it is possible to track a package to Russia
If you're dealing with an individual or a company that operates in a grey area, it's hard to be certain about the whereabouts of your package. However, if you use TSM for international delivery, you'll receive a tracking number and a link to a website where you can keep an eye on your parcel to Russia or documents as they make their way through the logistics process.
Additionally, a dedicated manager will monitor the delivery to Russia and the customs clearance process to ensure that you're always up-to-date. If your package changes carriers, we'll send you a new tracking number.
Find out restrictions on the delivery of certain goods from the UK to Russia
The UK and Russia have put restrictions on certain items that cannot be shipped, as well as specific requirements for shipping packages. To avoid any legal issues, it's recommended that you make sure your package meets the import regulations. Some items that are commonly prohibited for shipping from the UK to Russia include:
- drugs;
- explosives;
- weapons, ammunition;
- counterfeit goods;
- sensible printed materials;
- some food products;
- live animals and animal products;
- plants and plant products;
- hazardous materials and chemicals;
- cultural artifacts and precious metals and gemstones.
It's crucial to stay informed about the latest information from relevant customs authorities and shipping providers before sending items from the UK to Russia.
When going through customs, they'll assess the value of the goods being delivered, and anything over 300 euros will have restrictions imposed by the EU. The UK also has its own restrictions in terms of price, such as 10 or 250 pounds for certain items, 630 or 840 pounds for electronics, and so on. Time Saving Machine can help you legally ship packages to Russia that contain expensive items while complying with all relevant laws.
Make sure you can ask for help if you have any questions or problems with shipping from the UK to Russia
At Time Saving Machine, each customer is assigned a personal accompanying manager who helps them with everything related to international shipping. This includes:
- solving any problems that may arise;
- providing advice on packaging;
- monitoring the delivery process along the logistics route;
- and answering any questions.
Our managers are fluent in both English and Russian, and can communicate with customers via messengers, phone, or email.
Find out what form of payment is for delivery from the UK to Russia
If you prefer to pay in GBP, you may encounter some challenges as not all companies that accept this currency offer delivery to Russia. Alternatively, some companies that do deliver to Russia may not accept GBP.
Our courier delivery service, Time Saving Machine, offers the convenience of online payment in any world currency. It's important to note that we require 100% prepayment and finalizing the transportation contract before scheduling the courier. This document holds legal weight and acts as a guarantee of delivery provided by our transport company to our valued clients.
Transit Times and Delivery Options
The Russian Federation covers thousands of miles from north to south and west to east, which means travel by plane can take hours and by car up to 10 days. Typically, our delivery process works like this:
- You book and pay for delivery on day one, and we schedule the courier.
- On day two, the courier picks up the package. If you choose air courier, the package goes to the airport and flies to a transit country before arriving in Russia on the same day.
- Finally, on the last day, the package is delivered right to the recipient's doorstep within Russia.
- If you go for standard delivery to Russia, your package will be grouped with other cargo and mail and sent to a transit country before heading to Russia by either land or air.
Keep in mind that we need to take into account the upcoming holidays in the UK and Russia.
Factors Affecting Transit Times
Time Saving Machine provides three different tariffs and ensures that your package will arrive at its destination within the promised timeframe:
- Express delivery to Russia takes between 24 to 96 hours for shipping.
- The standard option takes 8 to 12 working days, including the necessary customs clearance time.
- The budget-friendly option takes up to 28 working days.
We'll handle the invoices and airway bills, and they're already included in the price. We'll also help you gather the necessary paperwork on your end to reduce the risk of customs delays.
But if you're sending a package to Russia right before the holidays, whether from the UK or within Russia itself, there may be some delays that are beyond our control. Specifically, this tends to happen during December, the first part of January, and the latter half of April - which are also major holidays in the UK, like Easter and Christmas.
Remote Area Surcharges
When your package is sent by air, it'll usually arrive in Moscow. However, there are also other possible arrival cities like Sochi, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Ufa, and Novosibirsk. Tickets to Moscow are the cheapest because there's more traffic, but the tickets to Irkutsk or Kamchatka cost more than two or three flights from London to Dubai. So, basically, the farther away a place is from Moscow and major air routes within the country, the more expensive it is.
If a package is delivered to Russia by land, it usually comes from the southern neighboring countries. That's why the last 1000 miles may cost less if the destination is in the southern regions of Russia, like Krasnodar, Astrakhan, Orenburg, or Chelyabinsk. Anyway, the price is calculated manually to make sure everything is accounted for.
Sending Gifts to Russia
After 2022, a lot of folks in Europe and around the globe missed out on the chance to send gifts to Russia. But fear not, because in 2023-2024, the Time Saving Machine is here to assist you in sending your presents to friends, family, or business associates in Russia. The first step is to make sure that the items you wish to export from the UK are permitted. Don't worry about sanctions restrictions against Russia, as we'll deliver your package to a company's address located somewhere in Asia.
Typically, folks from the UK send over authentic, high-quality items like souvenirs, clothing, tableware, home textiles, perfumes, cosmetics, toys, and home decor. On occasion, we also help deliver gadgets, devices, books, and even pieces of art.
We don't really suggest sending alcohol or tobacco. If you do decide to send cosmetics substances, just make sure you can give us the necessary safety and health certificates. It's super important to package everything properly so it doesn't get damaged on its way to its destination.
Packing Tips for Sending Parcels to Russia
Some items require extra special handling, like things that are fragile, have sensitive surfaces, or can't handle any vibrations or bumps. This will affect what kind of materials you use to package them, like boxes, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, jammed paper, or styrofoam elements.
Box Selection
We recommend buying a new box so it's nice and clean without any labels or marks. If you're sending a regular item in a parcel to Russia, just pick a box that's only a little bit bigger than the contents. You don't need any fancy fillers or pads.
If you're sending delicate items, you'll need a bigger box. For fragile objects, you should use a box that's at least 3 inches larger in each dimension to accommodate the packing peanuts or other filler. For instance, if you have a dish that's 1 inch high and 6 inches in diameter, you'll need a box that's 8 inches high and 13 inches by 13 inches at the base. Otherwise, even a minor bump could damage the item inside. Alternatively, you could use a smaller box or a plastic, plywood, or wooden case, in which case one inch of filler should suffice.
If the item you're sending has sensitive surfaces, you may only need to add an inch to each dimension of the box for the filler or pads. However, it's even more important to secure the object and keep it from coming into contact with other items.
Item Wrapping and Packing Material
A good tip is to wrap delicate items with paper or bubble-wrap. You don't need to go overboard with the tape, just one strip will do. When shipping to Russia, customs officers may open packages if they seem suspicious or if they can't see what's inside on the scanner. Adding too much packaging can make unpacking difficult.
If you're sending something fragile, one layer of bubble-wrap should suffice to protect the surface. For more delicate items like thin glass Christmas ornaments, two layers are recommended. Avoid wrapping the box itself in bubble-wrap as this will require a larger box and additional packaging charges from the carrier.