Customs rules for imports and exports

Hello Frank, Welcome on board !

Please note that I have created a new thread from your post on the Colombia forum so that members already here might guide you.

all the best,

Bhavna

THANK YOU!

What are custum rules for bringing stuff here for natives or expats. How can I get involved in exporting or importing on a small scale.
-@frankie3215

It all depends on if you are bringing in a few items that you can convince customs they are for your personal or family use, versus bringing in items in quantities large enough or often enough on multiple trips, that they believe will be for sale as commercial items.

Even if items are for personal use, you might end up paying taxes/duties on them. If in customs they determine you have items imported for commercial sale, you'll have to get an import license and still you will pay duty on most items.

DIAN is the customs and taxing agency. Here they give a brief outline for bringing in items in less than commercial quantities:

https://www.dian.gov.co/Viajeros-y-Serv … jeros.aspx

You would probably have to fill out Form 530, and for sure if you exceed the specified quantity for an item. There is a link to the form in the above link.

These links will briefly explain what you need to do, to become an importer, even on a small commercial scale.

https://www.mincit.gov.co/estudios-econ … a-colombia

https://tramitesyrequisitos.com/colombia/importar/

https://blog.legis.com.co/comercio-exte … a-colombia

You should know by now that in Colombia, there is stifling bureaucracy in just about everything - and it is often without rhyme or reason, it seems, designed not to enhance commerce or make life easier, but just the opposite...

Hi Frank, my fellow Angelican as I hail from the OC, spent my teenage years and beyond in Huntington Beach so I am a beach kind of guy.

My first visit to Colombia and 4 month stay was 32 years ago as I had an assignment in Bogota, that was in November of 1990 and since then for decades have been returning to Colombia more times than I can count, literally filled my passport pages.

I have been living in Medellin ( a pueblo on the north end of the Aburra valley) for 5 years and I travel almost non-stop on long road trips everywhere in Colombia and Ecuador in my car, always starting/ending my road trip in Medellin.

I spend weeks and months every year on the Colombian coast including Cartagena, Tayrona, Santa Marta, etc...I have been just about everywhere in Colombia and it has become "small" to me.

As an example in 2022 I did 4 long road trips each lasting from a few weeks to a few months, probably covered 20,000 + km in my car just in 2022.

I give this background so maybe you can relate, being that you too spend considerable time in Colombia, or rather I should say that you will come to appreciate a life here in Colombia full time. I have been everywhere in the world, Central and South America and have settled here and could not have made a better choice.

As for traveling with your gf/fiance back and forth to the US the ONLY option other than the marriage/fiance visa route is that she gets a tourist visa, period end of story. Been there and done that with my paisa gf/novia/wife 10 years ago (ended 5 years ago) so now I am solo and could not be happier.

Hope this Helps.

Donald

Most people just sell or dump their stuff back home and buy here.

Less hassle and probably cheaper.

But then I am bit of a nomad.

Nomadic folks such as Voyager generally are

advised not to 'dump there stuff' in the

original country and buy here.

As a rule..  dump-sell-donate back home ..

avoid buying property in Colombia.

Spend time in Ecuador if necessary to

avoid being a tax resident of Colombia.

cccmedia

By dumping stuff and buying herev I mean furniture and personal items  and not property of course.

Which was the subject we were talking about