Two persistent misconceptions surround motorcycle imports into Kazakhstan. The first is that a motorcycle pays a recycling fee based on engine size, like a passenger car, so a big V-Twin is especially expensive. The second is that a private buyer clears a motorcycle at the Customs Union "single rate". Neither matches the documents in force. Below is what actually goes into the budget for a Harley-Davidson from Canada, with links to the primary sources.
Recycling fee: motorcycles are not in the table
Kazakhstan's recycling fee is calculated under the Methodology approved by order No. 448 of 02.11.2021. The rates are in Annex 4, reissued by order No. 54 of 20.03.2026. The table has five lines: M1 (passenger vehicles, heading 8703), N1–N3 (trucks, 8704), M2–M3 (buses, 8702), tractors and combines (Recycling fee methodology). Category L, i.e. motorcycles, does not appear in the table at all. Tricycles are additionally excluded from the M1 line by name.
The conclusion is simple: no recycling fee is charged on a Harley-Davidson, whatever its engine size. That is a notable difference from a car: for a passenger car of 1,001–2,000 cc the fee is 50 MCI × 3.5.
Duty: why a litre-plus Harley pays less than a 650
Motorcycles are classified under heading 8711, and the rates there do not rise with size. Up to 250 cc: 14%; 250–500 cc: 15%; 500–800 cc: 15%; over 800 cc: 10%; electric motorcycles: 14% (EAEU CCT, Chapter 87). A big motorcycle lands in the lowest rate in the heading. Every Harley-Davidson in our stock is over 800 cc: Milwaukee-Eight 114, 117 and 121 ci, Revolution Max 975T and 1250T. So all of them go under code 8711 50 000 0.
Heading 8711 has no new/used split. A 2024 motorcycle and a new 2025 one pay the same 10% of customs value. The euros-per-cc rates that apply to older cars do not apply to motorcycles.
| Payment | 2026 rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EAEU CN FEA code | 8711 50 000 0 (engine over 800 cc) | EAEU CCT, Ch. 87 |
| Import duty | 10%, the same for new and used | EAEU CCT, Ch. 87 |
| VAT | 16% | Tax Code of Kazakhstan, Art. 503 |
| Excise | not charged: heading 8711 is not on the excise list | Tax Code, Art. 537 |
| Recycling fee | not charged: category L is not in the table, tricycles are excluded | Methodology, Annex 4 |
| Customs fee | 6 MCI = 25,950 tenge | Resolution No. 171, MCI 2026 |
| How a private buyer pays | combined customs payment | EEC Decision No. 107 |
No excise arises on a motorcycle either. Among vehicles, Art. 537 of the new Tax Code names heading 8703 vehicles with engines over 3,000 cc, passenger cars valued at 18,000 MCI or more and vessels valued at 24,000 MCI or more. Code 8711 is not on the list (Tax Code of Kazakhstan). The customs declaration fee is a fixed 6 MCI, which is 25,950 tenge in 2026.
Private buyers: a combined payment, not the "single rate"
The "single rate" (48–54% of value, or euros per cc by age) in EEC Council Decision No. 107 applies only to passenger cars. Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters of heading 8711 are named in item 1 of Table 2 as goods on which a private individual pays the combined customs payment (Decision No. 107). Under Art. 266 of the EAEU Customs Code, the duty within it is calculated under the CCT and the taxes under national law. For a Harley that means 10% duty and 16% VAT, paid as one sum. The other general rules for Kazakhstan, including how declaration works, are covered in our article on importing a car from Canada to Kazakhstan.
TR CU 018, the electronic passport and the service centre
A motorcycle is a road vehicle, so it is assessed under TR CU 018/2011 "On the safety of wheeled vehicles" as category L3: a two-wheeled vehicle with an engine over 50 cc (TR CU 018/2011). It receives a type approval (OTTS) or a vehicle design safety certificate (SBKTS), followed by an electronic vehicle passport (EPTS). A motorcycle does not need the ERA-GLONASS emergency call system: clause 13.1 of the regulation requires it only of categories M and N.
The motorcycle is registered by the police, with documents submitted through a specialised Public Service Centre (spetsTsON). Art. 64 of the Law "On Road Traffic" names motorcycles, tricycles, ATVs and mopeds among the vehicles registered by the authorised body (Law "On Road Traffic"). Riding one requires a category "A" licence.
Three-wheelers: Road Glide 3, Spyder, Ryker, Canyon
Three-wheelers raise an open question: which heading EAEU customs will place them in. In the European Union, a three-wheeler with car-type steering geometry was classified under 8703 21 10 by Regulation (EU) No 301/2012 (Regulation (EU) 301/2012). The EU Court of Justice upheld that approach specifically for the Can-Am Spyder in case C-145/16 (CJEU). The EAEU position on this point is not settled, so we calculate two scenarios:
- if 8711: Ryker 600 — 15% (500–800 cc); Ryker 900, Spyder and Canyon with the Rotax 1330 ACE — 10%;
- if 8703: Ryker 600 and 900 — 15% (8703 21 109 9); Spyder and Canyon — 15% (8703 22 109 9).
We confirm the code when we calculate. We treat the Harley-Davidson Road Glide 3 trike the same way. Three-wheelers pay no recycling fee in either scenario, because the Methodology excludes them from the M1 line. Certification is under TR CU 018, with the Spyder and Ryker in category L5 (symmetrical three-wheelers). Licence: subcategory "B1". Under Art. 73 a "B" licence also covers it, and an "A" licence covers tricycles with motorcycle-type handlebars. The electric Can-Am Pulse and Origin are two-wheeled electric motorcycles, for which heading 8711 sets a rate of 14%.
Which Harley for your riding
From our 2024–2025 model-year stock:
- Long-distance touring: Road Glide with the 121ci Milwaukee-Eight VVT, Street Glide and Street Glide Limited.
- Tarmac plus gravel: Pan America 1250 Special with Adaptive Ride Height.
- Cruisers: Fat Boy 114, Heritage Classic 114, Breakout 117 and Street Bob 114.
- Performance cruisers and baggers: Low Rider S and Low Rider ST.
- Liquid cooling and less weight: Sportster S and Nightster.
We supply only motorcycles from the Canadian market: new or clean used, with no US auctions and no salvage brand. We check every bike's history by VIN; see our piece on VIN and history checks. The full journey of a motorcycle from a Canadian dealer is described in our guide how to import a Harley from Canada. The full list is in the motorcycle catalogue.
Shipping and the estimate
The motorcycle travels in a container, secured in a crate. For Kazakhstan we use the Trans-Caspian route: by ocean to Poti or Batumi, through Georgia and Azerbaijan, then by ferry across the Caspian to Aktau or Kuryk (Middle Corridor). We give the timing for each shipment when we calculate. We do not publish motorcycle prices. We prepare the estimate before purchase: duty, VAT, the fee, certification and delivery to your city. Send an enquiry with the model.
Rates are current as of October 2026 and may change. The final calculation is made on the date the declaration is filed.