www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I will be making my fifth trip to CR within the next week to two weeks to meet a business associate and deliver a small quantity of commercial merchandise (electronics) that I hope to carry on the plane. I'll have about $5,000 retail value in goods.

Can anyone tell me if I can clear this stuff through customs at the airport or do I have to have the package shipped to a customs officer or a customs broker? Also do I need to have someone who speaks Spanish to work through the process?

Thanks in advance.

CCR

If it is small enough to carry on the plane, and not obvious, I would try to walk it through customs as part of your luggage. If you try to declare it, you are going to be in hell. It will take up a lot of time and they will hit you hard on taxes. I've never been questioned going through customs.

You are allowed to bring up to $500 worth of merchandise duty free every six months. If they catch you with more than that you will have to pay duties. Hopefully you can avoid getting flagged in customs by spreading out the merchandise over several pieces of luggage. Never bring it as boxes not in luggage as they will always flag it. If they flag it they will take it and send it to some freight forwarder. Make sure you have receipts (or made up reciepts) for the merchandise. You than have to go to the freight forwarder and get an invoice. Then bring that to a customs agent who will give you a bill for the duties. Then go to the bank and pay it. Then take the paid receipt back to the customs agent who will sign for the release. Then go back to the freight forwarder with the paperwork and they will release the merchandise. For this reason, try to hide it well in your suitcases, maybe take it out of the original boxes, have a good story about why it is for your personal use and make a fake receipt for less than $500.

_________________
If it floats, flies or fucks, rent it, dont buy it.

I've muled in $1000+ of new clothing through various people without any inspection. It is common lore that they don't inspect turistas. They don't even look at my customs declarations. They scan every bag, but I have no idea what they are looking for.

In any event, I have a troubleshooter who I use to take care of tax issues. I never pay over 400 colonies in taxes for anything. I pay him about $30 - $60 for his services (he's a gringo)

I've brought electronics as well, several DVD players, computer, and gameboys.

_________________
Gremlin, no resemblance to the AMC product

I have heard of people getting caught and having to pay, but my experience has been that at the airport here they don't pay much attention to tourists. They never take my customs form and the last 2 times, they told me I did not even need to put my bags thru the x-ray machine. (several are use to seeing me come thru). AND the last time I had 14 I-pods, 12 pair of nike and addis shoes and other merchandice equalling close to $4000. AND I had been "bonificado" coming back from Panama 2 months before- was really sweating it!

Actually crossing the border from Panama is much more of a hassle in my opinion. I have been "bonificado" the last 2 times and the 1st time I had $502 in new items with reciepts and the last time I only had $213 and told them I had reciepts but they did not seem to care--they still stamped my passport. (luckily they did not see the stamp from 3 months earlier.) Strange thing is; last week they did not even look in my bags and I know he saw the stamp from less than 3 months ago. GO FIGURE!!!!

My feeling is that if the items are not in clear view--mixed in with your cloths; you are not likely to have a problem here at the airport.

_________________
Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

You can bring your own personal property without monitary limit. If the merchandise is in packaging you can have a problem. If it is your own property for your own personal use, there is nothing for you to claim.

So is sort of depends on what you are bringing in and how it is presented. One of everything and unpackaged and you should have no problem.

Go to Goodwill, buy two suitcases, gernerally boxes get opened suitcases do not. Throw away the $2 suitcases when you get here.