Ukrainian mobile phone importers are required to indicate the IMEI of each device in customs declarations. The new mechanism aims to help detect illegally imported smartphones but does not include the blocking of phones that are already in use. This was stated by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak in a video on the YouTube channel 'Iron MP'.
According to the deputy, about six out of ten iPhones enter the Ukrainian market illegally. The Bureau of Economic Security estimates potential additional revenues to the budget after the implementation of control at 5 billion UAH per year.
How the import of smartphones to Ukraine will change in 2026
IMEI is a unique number that identifies a specific phone. During the registration of a commercial shipment, the importer must submit an electronic list of codes for all imported devices to customs. Without this information, the processing of the goods cannot be completed.
When law enforcement agencies discover a batch of smartphones in a warehouse or store, they will be able to check the IMEI in the customs database. The absence of a number will provide grounds to investigate the origin of the equipment.
The new requirements do not apply to a person who purchased one phone abroad for personal use and brought it to Ukraine.
At the same time, Zheleznyak identified three loopholes that could reduce the effectiveness of the new system:
- importers may undervalue the customs value of devices;
- IMEI does not yet need to be specified on the fiscal receipt;
- cash sales without receipts remain outside of automatic control.
Will 'grey' iPhones be blocked in Ukraine after the IMEI accounting?
Zheleznyak assured that the state does not plan to retroactively disable phones whose IMEI are not in the customs database. According to him, ordinary consumers should not be held responsible for the ineffectiveness of control, especially if they purchased a smartphone in a store and were unaware of its origin.
For complete tracking of the equipment, it is necessary to add IMEI to the fiscal receipt and establish automatic information exchange between customs, the tax service, and the Bureau of Economic Security. Then it will be possible to track the device's path from crossing the border to its sale to the end consumer.
Earlier, Zheleznyak reported details of a lawsuit against him by businessman Timur Mindich.