Freight Forwarder Register Is Now Mandatory
Russia’s freight forwarding sector entered a new regulatory framework in 2026. Since March 1, the legal right to perform freight forwarding activities has been linked to having the company or individual entrepreneur included in a dedicated register.
The register operates through Russia’s national digital transport and logistics platform known as GovLog. Businesses already engaged in freight forwarding on March 1, 2026 were given a 60-day transition period to submit their notification.
The requirement was introduced through Federal Law No. 140-FZ, which amended Federal Law No. 87-FZ on Freight Forwarding Activities.
Registration is therefore not simply an administrative formality. It is now a legal condition for conducting freight forwarding activities.
Registration Triggers a Separate FSB Procedure
Entry into GovLog does not complete the compliance process.
Under Government Resolution No. 1318, a freight forwarder must submit an application to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, to begin the required interaction no later than the 45th calendar day after its information is entered in the register.
Within 30 working days after the application is registered, the relevant FSB authority identifies the unit responsible for working with the freight forwarder.
Another important deadline is three months from registration of the application. Within that period, the company and the designated FSB unit must jointly develop a plan covering the installation, connection and operation of the required technical systems.
This means compliance cannot necessarily be reduced to purchasing a universal off-the-shelf “SORM” package. Resolution No. 1318 refers to equipment and software-and-hardware systems, with the implementation plan developed through interaction with the designated FSB unit.
What Data Must Be Retained
One of the most significant changes for freight forwarders concerns the volume and structure of information they are required to retain.
Federal Law No. 87-FZ requires companies to keep information in Russia covering freight forwarding contracts, contracting parties, subcontractors, cargo, cargo-handling operations, routes and modes of transport.
Government Resolution No. 1317 provides greater detail. Depending on the information systems used by a company and the data actually recorded by those systems, the retained information may also cover customer registrations, timestamps of activity, network addresses, payments and electronic geolocation monitoring data.
The required information must be retained in full on Russian territory for three years after completion of the relevant freight forwarding contract.
Connecting the Data May Be Harder Than Storing It
For major logistics groups, the new regime is primarily another IT and compliance project. Smaller freight forwarders can face a different challenge because their operational information is often spread across multiple systems.
Contracts may be stored in one application, transport orders in another, communication with carriers in messaging apps and email, payment records in accounting software and operational information in spreadsheets.
Individual pieces of information may therefore exist while reconstructing a complete history of a particular shipment remains difficult.
The practical challenge is to connect customers, contracts, carriers, cargo, routes, payments and subsequent changes into a traceable sequence rather than simply accumulating separate files. This issue is also highlighted in the industry material provided as the basis for this article.
Regulations Provide for Remote Access
Government Resolution No. 1317 regulates not only storage but also access to the information.
Freight forwarders must provide the designated FSB unit with round-the-clock remote access to equipment and software-and-hardware systems for legally authorized operational-search activities.
At the same time, the stored information must be protected against unauthorized access by third parties.
For companies, this means the requirement goes beyond maintaining a document archive. It also affects information-system architecture, access controls and data security.
Minimum Fine Is RUB 500,000
Russia’s Administrative Code already establishes penalties for failure to comply with the relevant obligations.
Failure to retain or provide legally required freight forwarding information can result in a fine for an individual entrepreneur or legal entity equal to 0.001–0.003 of annual revenue, with a minimum penalty of RUB 500,000.
A repeat violation increases the penalty to 0.01–0.03 of annual revenue, with a minimum of RUB 1 million.
Comparable minimum penalties also apply to certain failures involving the equipment and technical systems required for interaction with authorized authorities.
Operating as a freight forwarder without being included in the register carries a separate penalty. A legal entity can be fined RUB 100,000–300,000, rising to RUB 500,000–1 million for a repeat violation.
Smaller Companies Need to Map Their Data First
For a small freight forwarding company, the first practical step is not necessarily choosing a software provider. It is determining the company’s current compliance position.
Businesses need to establish whether they are properly registered, whether the FSB interaction deadlines have been met, which information systems are actually used and where mandatory information is stored.
They then need to determine whether changes are traceable, whether information from different systems can be linked to a single contract and shipment, and whether the required three-year retention period in Russia is being met.
Companies that still rely heavily on spreadsheets, email and messaging services may face the greatest organizational challenge. Having the necessary information somewhere within the business does not automatically mean that the storage and access requirements have been satisfied.
There Is No Single Solution for Every Forwarder
The new regulations are creating demand for technology services across the logistics sector, but freight forwarders need to distinguish legal requirements from commercial claims made by software vendors.
The regulatory procedure requires an implementation plan to be developed between the freight forwarder and its designated FSB unit. The technical arrangement therefore has to correspond to the scheme agreed for the particular company.
For freight forwarders, the objective is not to purchase a particular branded product. It is to establish an information environment capable of collecting the required data, linking it to individual transport operations, retaining it for the statutory period and supporting the technical interaction required by law.
