Harley-Davidson from Canada to Armenia in 2026: 10% Duty for New and Used, 20% VAT, Category A Licence

From the Armenian customs point of view, a motorcycle is simpler than a car. It has its own HS code, a single duty rate for new and used, and no line in the environmental tax table. There are still traps: trikes and three-wheeled Can-Am models, whose code is not clearly settled in the EAEU, and the 800 cc boundary where the rate changes. Here is how importing a Harley-Davidson from Canada into Armenia works in 2026.

The general rules in brief. As an EAEU member, Armenia charges duty under the union's Common Customs Tariff, while import VAT is 20% under the Armenian Tax Code. The code has no recycling fee; cars are instead subject to an age-based environmental tax. We cover passenger cars in our article on importing a car from Canada to Armenia.

Code 8711 50: the bike's age does not affect the duty

Motorcycles with an internal combustion engine above 800 cc are classified under subheading 8711 50 000 0. The rate is 10% of customs value, and it is the same for new and used bikes: unlike cars, this line has no age split. Motorcycles from 500 to 800 cc fall under 8711 40 000 0 at 15%, from 250 to 500 cc also 15%, and up to 250 cc 14% (EAEU CCT, Chapter 87).

For Harley this means the entire range in our stock lands in the cheaper line. The smallest engine is the 975 cc in the Nightster (Revolution Max 975T); the Sportster S and Pan America have 1,252 cc; the tourers, Softails and cruisers carry Milwaukee-Eight engines of 114, 117 or 121 cubic inches. The tariff paradox: a heavy Road Glide pays a lower rate than a 650 cc bike.

The lack of an age scale has another consequence. A two- or three-year-old used Harley does not pick up the "penalty" euros per cubic centimetre that used ATVs and cars do. Duty is based on value alone, so a clean used bike from the Canadian market does not get more expensive at Armenian customs because of its age.

Charges table

A caveat on the environmental tax: our conclusion is based on Article 171 in the official translation of the code, where the tax is set for motor vehicles of headings 8702–8705. If the current wording has widened the list, we will see it in the calculation. We do not publish a customs fee figure because we found no current official confirmation. It will be a separate line in the estimate.

Private buyer: no "flat rate"

EEC Council Decision No. 107 places motorcycles, mopeds and scooters of heading 8711 among goods for which an individual pays a combined customs payment (EEC Decision No. 107). The "flat rate" familiar from passenger cars does not apply. Within the combined payment, duty is calculated by the tariff and taxes by the law of the importing country (EAEU Customs Code, Art. 266). In practice an individual pays the same 10% duty and 20% VAT as a company, just in one sum.

Trikes and three-wheeled Can-Am: we agree the code in advance

If you are looking at three-wheelers rather than a classic motorcycle — the Harley Road Glide 3 or a Can-Am Spyder or Ryker — the classification needs checking before purchase. We found no official EAEU position on these vehicles. In the European Union a tricycle with car-type steering is classified in heading 8703, and the EU Court of Justice upheld this approach specifically for the Spyder (case C-145/16).

For a buyer in Armenia the difference is noticeable. If the Spyder and Ryker go under 8703, the rate is 15%. Under 8711, the 1,330 cc Spyder and the Ryker 900 take 10%, while the Ryker 600 takes 15%. So for three-wheelers we calculate both scenarios and agree the code before buying. A tricycle in Armenia requires a category B1 licence.

Road-ready: certificate, plates, licence

• Certification. A motorcycle for public roads is certified under TR CU 018/2011 in category L3 — two-wheelers above 50 cc or 50 km/h. The emergency call system is mandatory only for categories M and N; the requirement does not extend to motorcycles (TR CU 018/2011).
• Registration. Motorcycles of 50 cc and above intended for public roads must be registered. Plates are issued by the Road Police (Decision No. 1251-N).
• Licence. Category A1 covers motorcycles up to 125 cc and 11 kW; category A covers all others. Any Harley requires category A (Law HO-166-N).
• Property tax. The official translation of the Armenian Tax Code sets 40 drams per horsepower per year for a motorcycle. We check the current wording when preparing the estimate.

Which Harley for which job

• Long trips with a passenger and luggage — Road Glide (Milwaukee-Eight 121ci VVT, 115 hp) or Street Glide (Milwaukee-Eight 117ci, 105 hp).
• Tarmac and gravel in one trip — Pan America 1250 Special with Adaptive Ride Height and 150 hp.
• Town and short rides — the liquid-cooled Nightster or Sportster S.
• Classic cruiser — Fat Boy 114, Heritage Classic 114 or Breakout 117.
• Performance cruiser — Low Rider S or Low Rider ST with the 117ci engine.

The full range is in our motorcycle catalogue. How we prepare a bike for shipping is covered in our piece on bringing a Harley over from Canada.

Canada only, and the route through Georgia

We source motorcycles only on the Canadian market: new from dealers or used with a clean history. US auctions full of insurance write-offs are not our source. For every used bike we check the VIN and history before buying, not after.

The motorcycle is secured in a container and shipped by sea from our Canadian warehouse to a Georgian port — Poti or Batumi — then by road through Georgia to Armenia. We give the timing when a specific sailing is booked and do not promise it in advance.

What we calculate before you buy

Motorcycle prices are on request: the total depends on model, year, trim and the exchange rate on the clearance date. Before purchase we prepare a full estimate — duty, VAT, certification, registration and delivery to Armenia. For trikes and Can-Am, in both code scenarios. To get a calculation, send a request with the model or the job you have in mind.

Rates are current as of October 2026 and may change. The final calculation is made on the date of customs clearance.