Foreign Trade Contract Registration with the Bank · Контракт.Онлайн
Currency Control under 173-FZ

Foreign Trade Contract Registration with the Bank

Registration with the bank under 173-FZ: the 3 and 6 million ruble thresholds, how to get a unique registration number, what the bank checks — and how to get your contract approved the first time

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Ready in 5 minutes · DOCX · 2 990 ₽
6M ₽
export threshold
3M ₽
import threshold
1 day
registration issued
173-FZ
currency control
181-I
CBR instruction

Three steps to registration with the bank

The bank accepts the contract on the first submission when it includes all the mandatory sections

1
Prepare the contract

The contract must state the subject of the deal, the amount, deadlines, payment terms, and both parties' details. Our generator creates a document with these sections.

2
Submit it to your authorized bank

Submit the contract to your foreign-trade bank — in person, through online banking, or by email. Most banks accept documents online.

3
Receive the registration number

Within 1 business day the bank registers the contract and assigns a unique registration number. Quote it in every subsequent payment document.

Draft a contract for the bank

Choose the type of deal — the generator builds a document with the mandatory sections required to pass currency control

Contract accepted by the bank vs. rejected

The bank rejects contracts missing mandatory details — our generator rules out this mistake

What the bank checks
Common mistakes
Контракт.Онлайн
Subject of the deal
Vague description without an HS code
HS code + description
Amount and currency
No total amount stated
Price and total filled in
Performance deadlines
Delivery deadlines not stated
Delivery and payment deadlines
Parties' details
Seller's SWIFT/IBAN missing
Full bank details
Payment terms
Payment mechanism not described
Advance / post-payment / instalments
Bilingual format
Russian only
Bilingual EN/RU

What the bank checks during registration

Under Bank of Russia Instruction No. 181-I, the bank must confirm that all mandatory sections are present

Subject of the agreement: name of the goods or services, HS code
Unit price, settlement currency, and total deal amount
Performance deadlines: delivery date or completion of work
Payment terms: conditions and payment deadlines
Russian party's details: tax ID, bank account, address
Foreign partner's details: name, address, SWIFT/IBAN
Delivery basis under Incoterms (for contracts involving goods)
Signatures of authorized representatives of both parties
For export: currency repatriation terms
Date and place of contract execution

A contract the bank accepts on the first try

Fill in the form — get a bilingual DOCX with all the details needed to pass currency control under 173-FZ.

All the details the bank requires
173-FZ · 181-I
Bilingual EN/RU
2 990 ₽
per document
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Questions about foreign trade contract registration

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Under 173-FZ and Bank of Russia Instruction No. 181-I — for deals of 3 million RUB or more (import of goods/services, loan received) or 6 million RUB or more (export of goods/services, loan issued). Below these thresholds registration isn't required, but the contract is still needed to justify the payment to the bank.
The unique registration number identifies the contract once it's registered with the bank — it replaced what used to be called the "deal passport." It must be quoted in every subsequent payment document for that deal. Without it, the bank won't process a payment once the threshold amounts are exceeded.
The bank checks that the contract includes: the subject of the deal with a description of the goods, the amount and currency, performance deadlines, payment terms, and full details of both parties (including SWIFT/IBAN). Missing any of these elements is grounds for rejection and return of the documents for revision.
Under Instruction 181-I the bank must register the contract within 1 business day of receiving the complete set of documents. In practice, major banks issue the registration number the same day when the request is submitted through online banking.
Yes. If the contract amount isn't fixed at signing, state an estimated amount or a calculation formula. The bank will register the contract, but will require the updated amount as obligations are performed once the threshold values are exceeded.
The bank will refuse to process the payment once the 173-FZ thresholds are exceeded. In addition, the violation carries administrative liability under Article 15.25 of the Administrative Offences Code: a fine of 20,000 to 30,000 rubles for officials, and 40,000 to 50,000 rubles for legal entities.

Foreign Trade Contract Registration: Procedure and Bank Requirements

Since 2018 the deal passport has been abolished. In its place is a system for registering foreign trade contracts: the authorized bank opens a file and assigns a unique registration number. The procedure is governed by Federal Law No. 173-FZ "On Currency Regulation and Currency Control" and Bank of Russia Instruction No. 181-I.

Threshold amounts for registration

Mandatory registration is required at: from 3 million rubles — for import contracts and loan-received agreements; from 6 million rubles — for export contracts and loan-issued agreements. Amounts are calculated at the official Bank of Russia exchange rate on the date the contract is signed. Below these amounts registration isn't needed, but the contract is still presented to the bank as the underlying document for every payment.

What's in the currency control file

After registration the bank compiles a file: the contract, performance documents (invoices, certificates of completion, CMR waybills), supporting-document reports, and payment orders. The bank keeps the file for 3 years after the contract obligations end. All document exchange is handled through online banking or in person, at the client's choice.

Common reasons banks reject registration

The most common mistakes: no amount or deadlines stated in the contract, a vague description of the subject without an HS code, incomplete details of the foreign counterparty (missing SWIFT or address), or a mismatch between the amount in the contract and in the payment document. Our generator rules out all of these mistakes — the document is built with the mandatory sections required by Instruction 181-I.

Amending a contract after registration

If the amount, deadlines, or details change in a contract already registered, the bank must be notified and an additional agreement submitted. The bank updates the file within 1 business day. The registration number itself doesn't change — it remains the single identifier for the deal for its entire term.

See also: draft a contract for the bank online, foreign trade contract: bank requirements, how to conclude an international contract.