How I Entered Armenia with Lithuanian Plates and Two Passports

How entering Armenia with Lithuanian plates begins

I drive into Armenia, and the border guards give the car a long, hard look (Lithuanian plates), then me, then the car again, then me again, and say:
— Riiiight, so you have a Russian passport. Under Customs Union rules, you need to leave a cash deposit for clearing the car through customs — $25,000. You'll get it back when you leave.

$25,000 in cash? Just leave it in the mountains, no big deal

Yes, that's exactly how I pictured it: I hand over a fat stack at customs, and two weeks later, out there in those empty mountains, an envelope is patiently waiting for me and simply gets handed back.

How a second passport saves the day at the border

Hold on, though — that's only for Russian citizens, and as it happens, I've got another passport.

— (a long, weary sigh) In that case, no duty required. Just pay a $10 gynecological-ecological fee at the bank and drive on through.