In the Lviv region, customs officers discovered two attempts to import into Ukraine new iPhone 18 Pro Max without declaring, the sales of which began yesterday in Europe. The smartphones were transported across the border by cars through the simplified customs control lane "green corridor".
In the Lviv region, customs officers discovered two attempts to import into Ukraine new iPhone 18 Pro Max without declaring, the sales of which began yesterday in Europe. The smartphones were transported across the border by cars through the simplified customs control lane "green corridor".
According to the State Customs Service, the suspects are a 32-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, residents of the Lviv region. During the inspection of the cars, customs officers found new Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max, the cost of which exceeded the established norm for import without declaring and paying customs duties.
For both facts, protocols were drawn up on violation of customs rules under Part 2 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. The smartphones were seized.
Let us remind you that the new models are officially scheduled to appear in Ukraine on September 25.
At the same time, new rules apply this year for importers of mobile phones. Starting from September 4, 2026, when importing phones into Ukraine, the IMEI of each device must be entered into the customs declaration. If the phone has two or more IMEIs, each of them must be declared separately.
Information about IMEI is entered in column 44 of the customs declaration under the code "9113", and in column 31 it is indicated "See "electronic list".
You can now check whether the IMEI of a specific smartphone is included in the customs clearance data online at the State Customs Service service. It shows information about customs clearance of phones carried out since September 4, 2026.
The State Customs Service notes that the service can be useful not only for importers, but also for buyers who want to check the legality of importing a smartphone. At the same time, it checks only the presence of IMEI in customs data and does not determine the authenticity of the device, its warranty status, or the fact that it is blocked by the operator.
The State Customs Service links the new rules for declaring IMEI with the work on de-shadowing the mobile equipment market. The data obtained during customs clearance can be used in the future by law enforcement and regulatory authorities to verify the legality of importing phones that are already in warehouses or for sale.
