Transporting Products into Costa Rica from the USA

Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world which place a premium on environment conservation. As such, it has several laws in place that seek to protect our world from further degradation.

One such law is with regard to the production, manufacture and importation of motor vehicles. In particular, a Costa Rican law enacted last June 7, 2000 provides that all vehicles being shipped into this South American nation will need to pass an EPA Smog Test before being allowed entry. The test should be duly certified by a representative of the Local Consulate stationed in the country from where the vehicle in question is being exported from.

The law should be of particular interest to many foreign tourists seeking to bring in various items to Costa Rica, specifically, motorized vehicles. This is because apart from dealing with high customs duties for imported cars, foreigners now have to abide by the provisions of the new environmental law now being enforced by the Costa Rican government.

For all other items being brought in to the country, Costa Rican customs will levy the appropriate import duties even if these are second-hand and have been declared for personal or household use. Brand-new items, on the other hand, will incur even higher charges and will need to be presented alongside their respective original receipts.

In this regard, if the items being shipped into Costa Rica are fairly large electrical appliances, the requirement is that there must only be one of each type. Otherwise, additional charges may be imposed. Additionally, when these appliances are claimed at Costa Rican customs, pertinent information such as the price, the brand name, the model, and the serial number should be provided. In some cases, a document showing the insurance coverage of the shipped appliance may be requested as well.

In the case of imported automobiles, the documents needed for these to be cleared by Costa Rican customs authorities include the Registration Card or Property Title and the invoice of purchase. Consignees are advised to present only the original documents as photocopies will not be accepted.

Once the above documents have passed the inspection, payment of the customs taxes will need to be made. The amount due will usually depend on a number of factors. These can include the car model, its current market value, the year when the car was manufactured, its total weight in cubic centimeters, and the accessories applied, if any.

Despite the generally high import taxes currently being imposed on all imported products, Costa Rican customs currently does not provide concessions to foreigners wishing to ship in various items to Costa Rica even if these are for personal use only. At present, the only people who are exempted from paying import duties levied by Costa Rican customs officials are foreign diplomats and members of different governmental and international organizations. Costa Rican nationals who have resided outside of the country for the past 24 months are likewise not required to pay customs duties. However, they are still duty-bound to pay all national taxes.