International moves are unique in the amount of preparation required to relocate from one country to another. In addition to securing the services of an international moving company, packing your belongings and planning your moving budget, you must also consider the customs regulations in your destination country. These regulations often vary and are subject to change.
Whatever your reasons for relocating to the Congo, you'll need to be properly prepared when entering the country through customs.
Here's what you need to know when moving to the Congo from the United States:
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY
When you're traveling overseas for a move, the first thing you should pack is your passports, visas and other travel-related documents that you'll need to get through customs clearance. You should keep these documents with you at all times during the move. Losing any of these documents will make your move a lot more difficult and possibly delay you from reaching your destination.
- Passport
- Certificate of Change of Residence (obtained from origin location)
- Residence permit or work permit
- Original Bill of Lading or original Air WayBill
- Attestation Reservation de cale
- Complete valued inventory (must be in French, dated and signed by the owner of the shipment, detailing all items contained in the shipment)
- Complete inventory of new items less than six months old (in French, dated and signed by the owner; must have receipts)
- Power of Attorney( granting permission for the Destination Agent to arrange customs clearance for the customer)
- Letter of employment from company (stating the details of customer's employment contract, if relocating for work)
SHIPPING AND CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
You most likely won't be alone when you move to the Congo - you'll have an entire shipment of belongings coming with you. Whether you have your belongings shipped ahead of time or you bring them with you through customs, acquaint yourself with the shipping regulations in your destination country:
- All shipments entering the Congo will be fully inspected
- All used household goods and personal effects may be imported into the Congo duty free if they have been owned by the customer for longer than six months and if the customer has lived abroad outside of the Congo for at least one year prior to arrival
- All household goods and personal effects must be imported within six months of arrival in order to be duty free
- Personal effects shipments are subject to two taxes (a computer tax, at 2 percent of CIF value, and an assurance tax at 0.8 percent of value)
- All documents should be sent to the Destination Agent no less than 15 days prior to the arrival of the shipment
- Personal effects and household goods cannot be sold, lent or disposed of otherwise during the duration of the customer's stay
PROHIBITED ITEMS
The following items are prohibited from being imported into Congo through customs and may be seized by customs and border authorities upon arrival:
- All narcotics and illegal drugs of any kind
- Weapons, firearms, explosives and ammunitions
- Pornographic materials
- Satellite or telecommunications equipment
- All perishable, non-canned food items
RESTRICTED ITEMS
Restricted items are items which may be limited to certain quantities or may require additional duties, taxes or fees to be paid before they can be cleared by customs officials. Here are the items that are restricted and dutiable by the government of the Congo:
- Tobacco products may be imported duty free as long as the amount falls below these limits:
- 200 cigarettes
- 200 grams of tobacco
- All electronic items and furniture must be at least six months old and require invoices to be imported duty free (all new electronics and furniture items are subject to tax and duty)
- All computers are subject to duties and taxes
- Alcohol must be shipped separately and is limited to 30 bottles per customer
- All prescription medications require a signed health certificate from a health professional at the origin location
MOTOR VEHICLE REGULATIONS
Thinking of bringing your car along with you when you move overseas? Not so fast. Some countries have strict regulations regarding how cars can be transported and which cars are allowed to be imported. Here are the motor vehicle regulations for the Congo:
- All vehicles are subject to import taxes and duties of at least 54 percent of the vehicle's estimated value as determined by the Customs Authority
- The vehicle's original Bill of Lading must include the vehicle chassis number, engine number, cubic capacity, year of manufacture, brand and model
- All vehicles seven years or older are prohibited
- Other required documents include:
- Original vehicle title and registration
- Original vehicle bill of sale
- Original commercial invoice
PETS AND ANIMAL REGULATIONS
Bringing your pets with you on your overseas move is a necessity; after all, they are a part of the family. Before you move, check out the regulations and what you need to obtain to safely allow your pet into your new country:
- A Health Certificate signed by a veterinarian and issued no more than five days before departure is required
- Must possess a Certificate of Vaccination
- Must have proof of rabies vaccination less than six months prior to arrival
To help you prepare for your move, we've provided you with a few links to learn more about the complicated international moving process: