GENERAL CUSTOMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA.

 

MOST IMPORTANT WARNING

 

FOR PASSENGERS ARRIVING IN CUBA FROM ABROAD.

 

THE GENERAL CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA HEREBY INFORMS THAT – STARTING FROM NOVEMBER 1st., 2002 -  A NEW SELECTIVE PROCEDURE FOR THE VALUATION OF ARTICLES BEING IMPORTED BY PASSENGERS SHALL COME INTO FORCE.

 

This new valuation method has the primary goal of providing an upgraded passenger service which will make clearance procedures more uniform and transparent.   

 

·        A “WEIGHT VALUATION” method shall be established for articles classified as “MISCELLANEOUS” (clothes, shoes, personal hygiene and care products, and other similar items). This “Weight valuation method”  is based upon the parity of 1 kilogram = US$ 25.00;  and preserves the right of passengers to import up to an amount of US$ 250.00 only once during each natural year.

 

·                           This new procedure shall enable passengers to exactly know the weight of their entire luggage, EXCEPT FOR THE MEDICINES THEY CARRY APART, as well as the exact payable amount of importation duties. At the same time the procedure allows for uniformity during passengers  clearance, with total transparency regarding the valuation of imported goods. 

 

·                           Household electric appliances and other equipment, as well as their parts, components and other similar pieces shall be valuated individually and independently. These appliances, equipment, parts and pieces shall not be weighed and will be considered as being part of the total limited value of US$ 250.00 which passengers are entitled to import once during a natural year.

 

·                           Self-operated automatic luggage weighing machines for selected passengers shall be installed inside airport terminals premises. The weighing procedure shall be performed without the physical  intervention of any Customs official. 

 

·                           Upon arrival at the entrance hall of the airport terminal, the selected passenger will be in the obligation of weighing his/her luggage (both hand-carried and the suitcases transported inside the airplane). Weighing procedure - which does not include the package or bag of medicines when carried apart – will require passengers to place on the scale – separately one by one and as part of one single operation - the bags, parcels, cases and suitcases he/she is carrying. Once the weighing procedure is completed the automatic scale shall issue a note detailing the number of luggage units, their total weight, and the total amount of Customs duties if these should be payable.

 

·                           The passenger - after having complied with the weighing procedure and according to the printed note issued by the automatic scale – shall: 

 

 

-         Address the Customs Inspector in charge of the Green Channel at the exit of the airport terminal hall, or

-         Address the Cashier in order to pay Customs duties, if any, or

-         If so advised in the note issued by the automatic weighing machine - address the Customs Control Station with the luggage.

 

Passengers are entitled to import:

 

With exemption of Customs duties:

 

·                           20 kilograms of personal belongings,

·                           10 kilograms of medicine, as long as these are transported separately from the rest of the luggage (medicines are not weighed).

·                           2 kilograms of articles intended for gifts or for use, valued at a rate of US$ 25.00  each kilo.

 

Subject to payment of Customs duties:

 

·                           Clothes, shoes, personal hygiene and personal care items, and other miscellaneous goods, up to  a limit of 8 kilos, which shall be valuated at a rate of US$ 25.00 each kilo. Exemption to this 8-kilogram weight limit provision are the cases when passengers wish to import items which fall under the category of those valuated individually or independently and are not weighed.

 

Passengers can co-operate in speeding up clearance procedures and avoid any unnecessary delays and nuisance by advising Customs officers, before they head towards the weighing machines, on cases when:

 

·        Travelers carry shared luggage (cases when belongings from different travelers are united into one or several luggage units) ;

·        Travelers wish to import household electric appliances or other equipment, spare parts and components for any equipment or similar items;

 

Passengers can pay an important contribution to the agility of clearance procedure and receive a high quality service when:

 

·                           They carry medicines separately from the rest of their luggage,

·                           They adjust themselves to the limited value of US$250.00 in imported goods, and

·                           They do not carry items the importation of which is prohibited or when they do not carry items without the required import permits issued by the relevant Organizations.

·                           They separately carry electric household appliances or other equipment, components and spare parts for any equipment, and similar goods.

 

WHERE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION?

 

You may request information at any Public Attention office of every Cuban Customs Houses, at the Secretary of the General Customs Administration of the Republic of Cuba, located in 39 St, and 6 St., Nuevo Vedado, City of Havana, or by email to wwwadm@agr.aduana.cu