The customer must be in Venezuela before the arrival of his household goods and personal effects in order to have the necessary  documents for customs, which will have to include the page of the passport with the recent entrance to Venezuela.

Required Documents

• Diplomatic Non Citizens

a)  Diplomatic exoneration documents (Diplomatic Franchise), transacted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the SENIAT by the diplomatic organization.

b)  Packing list.

c)  Passport.

d)  Original bill of lading or air waybill.

e)  Signature on local Customs forms, signed.

f)  Diplomatic Identification Card.

g)  Authorization letter or a power to the custom agents, signed by the client.

h)  Letter of Declaration of Value, signed by the client.

• Not Diplomatic Venezuelan returning or Residents Non Citizens in Venezuela

a)  R.I.F. (Registro de Información Fiscal) granted by a local organism (SENIA) and that consist with an evidence and number.  It is obtained with the presentation of a copy of the passport or identification card and filled in a special form.

b)  Certificate of use, stamped by the Venezuela Consulate in origin - if available or in the near one. It should be pointed out that the Venezuelan Consulates will stamp the certificate of use only for returning Venezuelan Citizens or Foreigners Citizens with resident visa, that in both cases, they are returning to Venezuela, after to have outside the country at least six months.  Without the stamped certificate of use or if it brings new articles (less than six months of use) by more of US$1,000.00 (air) or US$2,000.00 (sea), the shipper must be prepared to pay duties, taxes and vat.

c)  Packing list.

d)  Original bill of lading or air waybill (two copies).

e)  Original invoices for items that are new.

f)  Passport.

g)  Signature on local customs forms.

h)  Importation of Household Goods under a Temporary Import Permit

i)  Diplomatic Identification Card.

j)  Letter of authorization or power to the customs gent, signed by the client.

k)  Letter of Declaration of Value, signed by the client.

• Importation of Household Goods and Personal Effects under Temporary Permission of Entrance

The application for the permit must include a detailed list of the items, giving color, sizes, serial numbers, etc. as well as copy of the shippers passport and work of letter from the client addressed to the General Manager of the customs office.

The application in writing must be presented to the customs, while the household goods remain at the point of origin and must be accompanied by a letter of demonstration with all attachments, indicating the estimated date of the arrival of the shipping.

If granted, the permit is good for 6 months, may be renewed for an additional 6 months, after which, the goods be exported or the duties paid.

A bond of guarantee must be posted for the value of the duties, or a deposit must be made at the customs office.  This amount will be refunded to the shipper once the export is made.

Automobiles

• Importation with a Temporary Import Permit for new and used autos

The application for the temporary import permit must be made before the auto arrives in Venezuela. It is recommend to apply for this permit while the auto remains in the country of origin. Copies of the title, invoice and registration paperwork, must accompany the application.

If granted, the permit is good for only 6 months. It may be renewed for 6 additional months, after which the auto must be exported.

• Permanent Importation of Used Autos by Returning Venezuela Citizens and Residents Only

The owner must be a returning Venezuelan Citizen or a Foreigner who holds a visa called "Residente" , in both cases, they are returning to Venezuela, after to have remained 11 months outside of the country.  Individuals holding other types of visas are not eligible.

To be imported duty free, the original value of the auto when brand new must have been less than US$20,000.00. If the original value was over US$20,000.00, duties will be 35% of the CIF value.  The value of the auto will be determinated by a local organism (SENIAT), the shipper request for an trade where this organism will inform the value of the auto that must be used for effects of customs, to decide if it pays taxes (US$20,000.00) or if not pays taxes (US$20,000.00) or in used conditions (depreciated) in order to determine the bases of that amount, that will pay the taxes, when the auto is in new conditions, exceeds the US$20,000.00.  The SENIAT takes approximately two weeks to give to this trade, as of the date of the request.

Import tax is 1% of the CIF value and it is paid in all the cases.

The shipper must have owned the auto for over 11 months as indicated on the original invoice and title.

The shipper must present a certificate of use that mentions the make, model and year of the auto. The certificate of use must be stamped by the Venezuelan Consulate in origin. (The certificate of use will not be supplied for pick up trucks, therefore, they cannot be imported as used autos by Returning Citizens non Residents except as a brand new auto).

The shipper must be at least 18 year old.

Only one auto may be imported per person. It may not be sold for a period of 3 years.

If the auto were used for more than 11 months and the CIF value of the auto is more than US$20,000.00, it will have to pay customs burdens, according to a new car.

• Importation of New Autos by Venezuelan Citizens and Non Citizens

The auto must be brand new. The model must be of the same year as the year it is being imported.

The original invoice and title, must be notarized at the point of origin.

The shipper must be at least 18 years old and must be in Venezuela when the auto arrives.

Import tax is 1% of the CIF value.

Import duties are 35% of the CIF value.

Vat is 14.5% of the sum of the CIF value, plus duties and taxes on an auto.

Vat is 20% of the sum of the CIF value, plus duties and taxes on autos worth more than US$20,000.00.

Vat is 30% of the sum of the CIF value, plus duties and taxes on autos worth more than US$44,000.00.

For autos of the year 2000 in ahead, the shipper must obtain in Venezuela for the nationalization of his auto, the Certificate of Transmissions of Mobiles Sources.  With the Origin Certificate emitted by the manufacturer and a special format that must be filled, it is addressed to the office of Environment Quality of the Ministry of the Atmosphere, in order to request these documents.

Pets

Dogs & Cats

As accompanied baggage, required documents include:

a)  Health certificate stamped by the Venezuelan Consulate in origin.

b)  Vaccination certificate, stamped by the Venezuelan Consulate in origin.

As unaccompanied baggage, required documents include:

a)  Sanitary permit issued by agriculture Department in Venezuela, before the arrival of the animal.

b)  Health and vaccination certificates, stamped by the Venezuelan Consulate in origin.

c)  Statement of value.

d)  Passport of owner.

Prohibited Articles

-  Firearms, ammunition, drugs, pornographic material, foods, alcoholic beverages, live plants.

-  Articles that should not be included in the personal effects jewelry, coin and stamp collections, currency.

Penalties

Collections of delays from the 10 days of the arrival of the container to the facilities of the warehouse of the consignee, having to delay the shipping, since US$10.00 until US$35.00, per day, depending the consignees and collection for lift of containers: US$500.00 by container, pay to the representative of the shipping, before the lift of the container and refund 20 days after given the container to the line representative.