How to ship items from abroad

In general, try to buy what you can here - locally - in Venezuela, rather than importing from abroad. Caracas is a large and cosmopolitan city and you can probably find 99% of what you need if you start looking and asking around.

One owner, a customs specialist, says: "I recommend buying anything you need (as I am going to do) down in Venezuela; TV's etc. are more expensive than in the States however it comes out easier, and cost-wise probably a wash considering the shipping, inbound customs duty and broker's fees to clear the order/shipment. I wanted to ship down NEW rattan furniture and found the cost prohibitive in the end so will end up buying in Venezuela."

Having said that, there may still be cases where you want to ship something down. In that case, read on.

LET OTHERS HELP

Isla de Oro has 200+ owners, many of whom live abroad and frequently travel to and from Venezuela. Consider asking one of your neighbors to get special items which you can't get here. It is done frequently, so it won't be an unreasonable favor to ask (within moderation).

Some tips -

Make it easy for them: Buy it yourself, online, so they only do the carrying (and don't have to face traffic or crowds at the mall).
Nothing large or heavy: Small items, non-perishable are best.
Don't abuse the favor: Buy special things which are not available in Venezuela. Don't just ask them to carry soemthing down just because it is more expensive here (and you save 10% by getting it in the States).

SMALL ITEMS UNDER $100

Almost anything worth less than $100, as per the invoice, can be shipped through mail- and courier services with no import duties, taxes or processing of any kind. A lot of the stuff you buy online can be shipped down this way via Mail Boxes Etc and similar companies, with no hassle or extra payments as long as you keep the $100 limit in mind.

Any of these companies will rent you a virtual address in Miami for a small monthly fee (usually around $20). You can then buy items online as if you were living in the States. They transport it to Caracas, where you pick it up on average a week later. The monthly fee includes a basic, mimimum amount of mail. The more mail and boxes you receive, the more you pay; calculated on a weight basis with an extra fee calculated on a per gramme basis. Be careful about how much mail you get through this method, as fees can quickly add up for the recipient. This is especially true for unsolicited mail (junk mail) and heavy mail order catalogs.

Customs fees and duties: If what you buy is over $100 you will be charged sales tax (currently 14%) and import duties which range from 0% - for books and printed matter - to as high as 25% for some items. The average seems to be around 15% but since the companies also charge a processing fee, usually $20 on top of everything else, in many case it is not economical.

HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS

If part of a move, used household goods can be shipped here and imported tax-free. Venezuelan consulates have a form which must accompany the shipment, so contact them first (see link to form at the end of this page) to coordinate such a move.

If the form is not included with the stamp from the consulate, there will be levied a tax on the value of the goods being imported. The shipper (owner) must have detailed list of items with depreciated values, and it would probably be smart to have several copies of this and each notarized. In addition, there will in all cases also be a charge for the local customshouse broker to clear the merchandise (paperwork fee, in reality). One of our owners at Isla de Oro who has many years of experience in the industry as a professional in international shipping says that he recommends paying for this service. Otherwise you, as an outsider, will get an all-day runaround as all transactions are done in Spanish language, and probably will end up shelling out a lot of "tips."

USED VEHICLE(S)

As with other items, it will be easier to just buy your car here. But if you don't, then this form should be used and will help you get your used vehicle into the country almost tax free. There is a lot of red tape, with the main rules being only one vehicle per person. The car must have been owned by you, in your name, for at least 11 months. You will get Venezuelan license plates for the car and must pay a 2% duty on the value of the vehicle. The value, new, should be under US$20,000 or you will pay full import duties on the excess. You are prohibited from reselling the vehicle for the next 3 years.

WARNING

Some of the local companies in the shipping business, including customs brokers, are not as service-oriented as we are used to in the States. For that reason, it is YOUR responsibility to stay closely in touch with them and follow up on anything new that happens. If there is a problem, be pro-active and work with them to solve it, rather than expect that they will automatically solve it for you.

If the problem is not solved quickly, storage costs will add up. This, again, is your responsibility. The company should work with you to sort this out quickly, but if you are late with the requested paperwork or with their payment, they will not work with you to solve it quickly as you would expect. Meanwhile, more storage costs will add to the frustration of your experience. If this happens, please do not blame Isla de Oro or anyone else. A lot depend on how you work with the company and how the company works with you. If we recommend a company, we do so in order to help you, but we can not be held responsible for the actions of third parties.

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