Customs Baggage
For "Frequently Asked Questions" regarding customs baggage, amongst various other topics, please visit the website of the Secretariat of the Federal Revenue of Brazil:
http://www.receita.fazenda.gov.br/principal/Ingles/faq.htm
The customs treatment of baggage is regulated by IN SRF no. 117, of 10/06/98, IN SRF no. 120, 10/15/98, and IN SRF no. 140, of 11/26/98, issued by the Federal Revenue Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance. The following text is provided for informational purposes only; any interpretation thereof should be based on the complete original texts in Portuguese:
The Brazilian Customs considers as “baggage” the goods, whether new or used, destined to be used or for personal consumption, compatible with the circumstances of the trip. “Accompanied baggage” is baggage brought with the traveller in the same means of transportation by which he or she is travelling, provided that no bill of lading has been issued for the baggage contents. “Unaccompanied baggage” is baggage with a bill of lading or similar document.
Customs regulations exclude the following from the concept of “baggage”:
• goods whose quantity, nature or variety demonstrates importation or exportation for commercial or industrial purposes;
• automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles with an engine, rolling houses and other land automotive vehicles;
• aircraft;
• ships of all kinds, jet skis and similar, and ship engines;
• cigarettes and liquor made in Brazil, destined to be sold abroad;
• liquor, tobacco and similar manufactured products, when the traveller is less than 18 years old;
• goods purchased in duty free shops upon the traveller’s arrival in Brazil.
If you are a Brazilian living abroad and you have decided to return to Brazil, please see the page Atestado de Residência for further information regarding customs baggage.
Upon arrival, all travellers must present to the customs authorities a Declaração de Bagagem Acompanhada - DBA (“Accompanied Baggage Declaration”) form. The flight attendants always distribute copies of the form during the flight. In the Customs area, the traveller must go to the “Goods to Declare” desk if his or her baggage includes:
• animals, plants, seeds, foodstuffs and medication subject to health inspection, weapons and ammunition;
• other goods, when the traveller wishes to get proof of their admittance into Brazil;
• goods subject to the regime of temporary admittance, only when their listing on the DBA is required (for instance, goods worth over US$ 3,000.00);
• goods not considered by Brazilian law as baggage (such as goods brought for commercial or industrial purposes);
• valuables (cash, cheques or traveller’s cheques) worth over R$ 10,000.00 (or equivalent in foreign currency).
The baggage of a non-resident traveller is admitted into Brazil under the regime of temporary admittance. Any Brazilian claiming non-resident status must produce a permanent visa granted by the country he or she lives in.
Books, leaflets, periodicals, as well as clothes and other garment articles, toilet articles and footwear intended for the traveller’s personal use are exempt from customs duties.
Goods purchased at a duty free shop in Brazil upon arrival are exempt from customs duties up to an overall limit of US$ 500.00 per person.
Arms and Ammunition:
Brazilians and foreigners entering Brazil with arms and ammunition, including gas pressure or coil action weapons, are required to present them to Customs. The arms and ammunition will be retained at Customs (the traveller will be given a legal document stating the retention), though the remainder of the traveller’s baggage will be allowed to proceed through customs clearance. Following that, the traveller should present a written request for clearance in due form to the Army through the office of the relevant Military Region, attaching the international import certificate – CII (issued by the Army prior to the trip; foreign travellers, though, are not required to present the CII in this case).
The clearance granted by the Army does not waive the traveller from the legal requirements of the Customs Authority. If the Army does not clear the equipment, it will be returned to the traveller upon his or her departure from Brazil.
Plants and Live Animals:
For the admittance into Brazil of plants and live animals, the traveller must present to the Consular Authority a plant health certificate or the animal health certificate, issued in the area of origin of the plant or animal. In the case of dogs and cats, the traveller must also present a certificate of anti-rabies vaccination.
If you wish to travel to Brazil with your pet (dog, cat or bird), Brazilian law requires compliance with following procedure prior to boarding:
STEP 1: You must obtain from a licensed veterinarian:
a) an animal health certificate (certifying that the animal is in good health one week before boarding and declaring that no contagious disease was verified in the area of origin in the 10 days before boarding)
b) a certificate of rabies vaccine
The certificates may be issued by the veterinarian as one single document. They are valid for seven (7) days only.
STEP 2: Both the health certificate and the rabies certificate must be endorsed by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry;
STEP 3: Present both the endorsed health certificate and the rabies certificate to the Consular Sector at the Embass of Brazil for Legalisation (see Legalisation of Original Documents). There is no quarantine for pets in Brazil. As the certificates are valid for only seven (7) days, the complete documentation and correct consular fee should be presented so as to avoid delays in receiving the legalised certificates back.
The admittance of other kinds of animals is subject to a prior license from the Ministry of Agriculture.