The Notification on Encryption (cryptographic) products, most widely known as FSB notification or FSS notification, is a mandatory document for the import of equipment containing encryption functions into the territory of the Customs Union, currently known as the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This notification is part of non-tariff regulation measures, and it is designed to control the import of equipment that could potentially endanger national security.
While "FSS" is an abbreviation for the Federal Security Service, "FSB" is just a romanization of Russian “ФСБ” — acronym for “Федеральная Служба Безопасности” (“Federal security service” in Russian). Both definitions “FSS notification” or “FSB notification” are interchangeable.
In Belarus, the KGB (State Security Committee) is responsible for the notification.
In Kazakhstan, the registering authority is the KNB (National Security Committee).
In Armenia, the National Security Service is handling the notifications.
Manufacturers and importers are obliged to inform the governments of the EAEU if the imported devices contain cryptographic elements. The notification procedure allows the government to record, register, and control the circulation of such devices.
Obtaining FSB Notification
The FSB notification can only be filed by a legal entity registered in the EAEU. A foreign producer needs to authorize the legal entity to act on their behalf by a Power of Attorney that must be properly compiled and authenticated with an apostille or a consular legalization.
The process of obtaining the FSB notification involves several steps:
- The director or an authorized person of the manufacturer issues a power of attorney to the applicant in his country of residence.
- This person refers to the local notary office with a request to confirm his authority to represent the Manufacturer and create an Apostille for a power of attorney. This results in 3 documents — PoA, confirmation of authority, and apostille.
- The scans are sent to us for confirmation.
- The originals are delivered.
- Notarized translation of all documents is carried out and submitted to the FSS.
Registration of a Notification in Kazakhstan offers a convenient shortcut as there is no need to provide a paper hardcopy of the PoA — the scan thereof is sufficient. Upon receiving the scan of the duly authorized PoA, we carry out the notarized translation of all documents and submit to the Authority.
Validity of the Notification
Each Notification can include one or several models of similar equipment.
All registered Notifications are publicly available for use by anyone, regardless of the country of registration. If a device has already been listed in the register of the EAEU by an importer, no notification is required.
The typical validity of the Notification is set to 10 years and does not require periodic maintenance.
The Scope of FSB Notification
The list of products requiring FSB notification is established by the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated April 21, 2015 N 30 "On measures of non-tariff regulation".
The FSB notification is required regardless of whether there is encryption on the device or not, as long as it contains a technology or a protocol that makes encryption possible.
Certain types of devices with complex encryption algorithms or longer key lengths imported to Russia may require an import license from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Determining if a specific device requires FSB notification or a license requires the following information:
- product type,
- HS code,
- description of the used encryption technologies.
Full list of products subject to FSB Notification
| Name of product |
EAEU HS code |
| Printers, copiers and facsimile machines and their electronic modules with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8443 31
from 8443 32 100 9
from 8443 32 300 0
from 8443 99 100 0 |
| Pocket machines for recording, reproducing and displaying data with computational functions, having encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8470 10 000 0 |
| Pocket computers with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8471 30 000 0 |
| Computing machines and their parts with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8471 30 000 0
from 8471 41 000 0
from 8471 49 000 0
from 8471 50 000 0
from 8471 90 000 0
from 8473 30 200 8 |
| Devices of computers with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8471 70 500 0
from 8471 70 980 0
from 8471 80 000 0 |
| Electronic modules and parts of pocket machines with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8473 21 100 0
from 8473 21 900 0
from 8473 30 200 8
from 8473 30 800 0 |
| Subscriber communication devices with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8517 11 000 0
from 8517 12 000 0
from 8517 18 000 0 |
| Base stations with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8517 61 000 1
from 8517 61 000 2
from 8517 61 000 8 |
| Telecommunication equipment and parts thereof with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8517 62 000
from 8517 69 390 0
from 8517 69 900 0
from 8517 70 900 |
| Software encryption (cryptographic) means, regardless of the storage medium |
from 8523 29 310 1
from 8523 29 310 2
from 8523 29 330
from 8523 29 390
from 8523 49 250 0
from 8523 49 310 0
from 8523 49 390 0
from 8523 49 450 0
from 8523 49 910 1
from 8523 49 930 0
from 8523 51 910 1
from 8523 51 930 0
from 8523 52
from 8523 59 910 1
from 8523 59 930 0
from 8523 80 910 1
from 8523 80 930 0 |
| Key documents |
from 3704 00
from 3705 00
from 3706
from 4821 10
from 4901 10 000 0
from 4901 99 000 0
from 4911 99 000 0
from 8523 21 000 0
from 8523 29 310 1
from 8523 29 310 2
from 8523 29 330
from 8523 29 390
from 8523 49 250 0
from 8523 49 310 0
from 8523 49 390 0
from 8523 49 450 0
from 8523 49 910 1
from 8523 49 930 0
from 8523 51 910 1
from 8523 51 930 0
from 8523 52
from 8523 59 910 1
from 8523 59 930 0
from 8523 80 910 1
from 8523 80 930 0 |
| Equipment for radio broadcasting or television and its parts with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8525 50 000 0
from 8525 60 000
from 8529 90 200 1
from 8529 90 650
from 8529 90 970 0 |
| Radio navigation receivers, remote control equipment and parts thereof with encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8526 91 200 0
from 8526 91 800 0
from 8526 92 000
from 8529 90 650
from 8529 90 970 0 |
| Equipment for access to the information and communication network "Internet" and television receivers with a communication function, their parts that have encryption (cryptography) functions |
from 8517 62 000
from 8528 71 150 0
from 8529 90 650
from 8529 90 970 0 |
| Electronic integrated circuits, storage devices with encryption (cryptography) functions or containing encryption (cryptographic) means |
from 8542 31 901 0
from 8542 31 909 0
from 8542 32 900 0 |
| Other electrical machines and equipment with individual functions, containing encryption (cryptographic) means |
from 8543 70 900 0
from 8543 90 000 0 |
| Normative and technical, design and operational documentation for the encryption (cryptographic) means specified in paragraphs 1 - 16 of this section (on any media) |
from 3704 00
from 3705 00
from 3706
from 4821 10
from 4901 10 000 0
from 4901 99 000 0
from 4911 99 000 0
from 8523 29 310
from 8523 29 330
from 8523 29 390
from 8523 29 900 0
from 8523 49 450 0
from 8523 49 510 0
from 8523 49 590 0
from 8523 49 930 0
from 8523 49 990 0
from 8523 51 930 0
from 8523 51 990 0
from 8523 59 930 0
from 8523 59 990 0
from 8523 80 930 0
from 8523 80 990 0 |
