MOVING YOUR HOUSEHOLD TO COSTA RICA

Importing of used household goods and personal belongings to Costa Rica.

The import duties that you have to pay for your household goods and personal effect depend on how and when you bring them into Costa Rica.

There are 3 ways that you can bring in your goods.

1. With you as luggage on the airplane

2. Sending a small shipment as air cargo

3. Sending as a consolidated freight (LCL) or full container (FCL)

BRING USED GOODS AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS AS LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE.

Costa Rica has been successful in becoming a popular tourist destination. The Costa Rican Government understands that tourist come here to enjoy and that have many different hobbies, likes and motives to come visit, and that in order to fulfill their enjoyment they need to bring many different things like: Surfboards, Bicycles, Kayaks, Musical instruments, Photo equipment, Portable Stereo, etc.

So in order to accommodate the tourist they have made a law defining the items a tourist can bring without having to pay import duties. The basic idea behind this law is that these personal items have to fall into certain criteria:

1. They have to be for personal use
2. hey are not intended for resale or commercial use
3. Their quantity has to be reasonable in relation to the length of the stay
4. The items have to be carried by a person as luggage and therefore have to be portable

Luggage is considered:

Clothing, jewels, purses, umbrellas, medicines, instruments, medical apparatus of hygiene or toiletries and disposables used with these, in quantities according to circumstances and needs of the traveler. The items have to be portable.

Strollers, toys, wheelchair if disabled, sporting goods such as muscular tension machines, walker, bicycles, exercise, surfboards, sail boards, boats, tennis rackets and ball, golf clubs, fishing poles, etc.

One video camera, one photo camera, one film camera, one tape recorder and its accessories up to 6 rolls of film or magnetic tape, one radio receiver, one portable television, one set of binoculars or portable telescope, all portable items.

One portable personal computer or portable typewriter, one calculator, tools, supplies and manual instruments pertinent to the trade or profession of traveler as long as these do not constitute a complete set of work shops, offices laboratories or similar. Books, discs, tapes, photographs for none commercial use. The luggage allowed to be taken on the plane by airlines is limited and the weight is 20 kg.

PROCESS TO GET THROUGH CUSTOMS:

While in the plane you have to fill out a Customs declaration form. If you are bringing anything that is not considered luggage under the law, declare it with a very low price.

Once you have picked up your luggage from carousel you have to go to Customs. If they red light you then you have to go for customs inspection, unless you walk through unstopped.

If your luggage is according to the law, Customs cannot tax you. In case that you have items that are not considered luggage and are dutiable, there is another law that can help you; there is a duty free exemption for up to $500.00.

2. AIR CARGO

Air Shipment

In case you have a small shipment of stuff that you could not take with you as luggage and are able to be sent properly packed with freight forwarder by air, the rules of importing these goods change.

The reason is that the luggage is considered carried and an air shipment is a separate shipment and does not travel with you.

When your shipment arrives to Costa Rica, the airline will transfer our goods to a bonded warehouse (This is a private Customs facility).

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CLEAR YOUR SHIPMENT FROM CUSTOMS:

• Passport (Copy of the main page and last entrance to Costa Rica

• It must not exceed 90 days)

• Original Air Way Bill

• Packing list

Used items means more that 6 months old.

3. CONSOLIDATED FREIGHT (LCL) OR FULL CONTAINER (FCL)

Surface Shipment

The surface would be another option and it is the most common. There are three ways to send it.

1. In 1x20 container

2. In 1x40 container

3. LCL ¼ of a container

In a container you might even ship your car together with your household goods.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NCESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CLEAR YOUR SHIPMENT FROM CUSTOMS.

• Passport (copy of the main page and last entrance to Costa Rica, it must not exceed 90 days)

• Original Ocean Bill of Lading

• Packing list

BOAT AND YACHT IMPORTATION

It is mandatory to present the following documents for the importation of boats and yachts:

Commercial Invoice

Precise and exact characteristics of the vessel, measures, brand, type, motors, casing, etc.

Bill of Lading

Exportation Statement

Once the vessel is nationalized it has to be registered in the Public Registry (“Registro Publico”). For this paperwork you will need certified copies of the DUA. After this procedure is done, the vessel has to be registered with the correspondent port Captain office (that where the vessel will be anchored)

In case the owner wants to get the inspection of the vessel (the National Flag) and obtain the navigation license, the correspondent paperwork has to be presented in the Ministerio de Obras Pulicas y Transporte” (Maritime and Pertaining to Ports Division)of the Navigation and Security Branch.

In those cases were the owner wants to use the vessel for fishing activities, the procedures for obtaining a fishing license have to be done with the INCOPESCA office.

FURNITURE AND DECORATION IN COSTA RICA

You have decided to relocate and begin your new (and improved) life here in Costa Rica. Well good for you! However, you are now wondering what you should bring with you and what you should sell. Let me say that Costa Rica has plenty to offer when it comes to Furniture, Lighting and Decoration. There are many outstanding stores offering furniture in all styles and shapes. Whether your taste leans toward traditional furniture or you prefer a more avant garde style or anything in between, you can be sure you will find it here. There are plenty available to choose from in imported furniture from Europe and North America, so you will recognize all those famous furniture maker names but you can also get custom furniture of world class quality that is made locally. It is not necessary to bring containers and containers filled with all your belongings. My advice is choose those pieces which are either unique or have sentimental value to you. Perhaps your wine collection and other hobby items could be included as well, but in general, when it comes to furniture, carpets, decorative items, and such, you are better off to purchase them here. There are excellent specialized stores offering everything in lighting for your homes. Beautiful quality ceiling fans in all shapes and sizes are available as is custom framing for your favorite photos and works of art. Fine crystal is also available as well as custom kitchens both locally made and imported. All types of the fine wood floorings are also available and in most cases at much better prices than in North America or Europe.

Thinking of a little outdoor fun to enjoy this great climate? Perfect, here you can find great Spas for your home in all sizes and shapes and when it comes to having that custom pool built, you will be amazed by the variety and quality that is being offered locally by so many fine stores, so enjoy your shopping trip to furnish and decorate your new home in paradise.