drvb

I will be flying Paris-Moscow-Novosibirsk with Aeroflot. Do I need to carry my check-in baggage through customs in Moscow, just like you have to do when enterring the USA and then connecting domestically?

Mbcan

Yes, this is usual procedure in Moscow

Concerto

When I flew MUC-SVO-KUF, i.e. Munich to Samara with a transfer in Moscow Domodedovo I did not have to collect my baggage and reclaim it like in the USA. I was fully expecting to have to do this and hung around in the baggage hall for a while, asking a couple of people. But they assured me it would turn up in Samara and it did. This was on S7 Airlines.

eastindywalrus

So where did you pass through customs with your suitcase? DME (not SVO, which is Moscow Sheremetyevo) to Samara would be a domestic flight, so did your suitcase effectively bypass customs?!

Concerto

Totally right, it was DME to KUF, not SVO ... sorry about that. I don't recall passing any customs with my suitcase whatsoever. I just picked it up in KUF, amazingly efficient there, and off I went. Maybe they just x-rayed it, or had a look inside.

Temedar

You don't if all of the following conditions are met:
1) You depart from an eligible airport (Paris is eligible)
2) Your luggage is checked through to your final destination (shouldn't be a problem, but be sure to verify at check-in)
3) You don't have any items that require filling a customs declaration

pmrowczynski

Recently did a flight SFO - JFK - SVO - LED and only checked the bag in at SFO. Avoided the customs portion at JFK and picked up the checked in bag at LED.

Coming back, LED - SVO - JFK - SFO I had to pick up my bag at JFK and clear customs, then wait for the SU agent to do the transfer to the domestic airlines.

OpenSky

The only exception is LED, VVO and I believe AER ( well maybe not anymore in AER, but true during major events) . There are certain airports where luggage is transferred over automatically ( due to having Russian customs officials on staff during airport opening hours) .

OVB should have that, but nothing surprises me about silly Russian rules that often make no sense..

The airports I know where SU would check luggage through ( without having to pick them up in Moscow) is LED, AER, VVO ( from
personal experience). If you are connecting anywhere else, you will need to pick up your bags from the carousel when you head down the escalator and bring them over to to the recheck area. A 2 minute walk. Then head up the stairs / escalator again for security check before heading to the cramped domestic gate area.