1. What does a customs broker do?

Customs broker is a professional of the service customs, which license enables him/her to provide services to others as a manager in the clearance of goods. Customs brokers can provide service at any custom of the country.

2. When do I request the services of a Customs broker?

If you want to import goods, of more than a US $1.000 - FOB, and in export of goods, over the US $2.000 - FOB.

3. What types of goods could be entitled to Free Trade Agreements that Chile has?

All goods are traded. Some TLC requires merchandise to be new.

4. What goods can be imported?

You can import any goods, except those that are expressly prohibited by law, for example, used motorcycles, used motor vehicles (subject to legal exceptions), asbestos in any form, pornography, toxic industrial waste, including others.

Sometimes the product being imported, by their nature, may be subject to approval, authorization or supervision by state control services, so it is necessary to obtain it in advance.

5. What goods can not be imported?

• Used cars (subject to exemptions set out in regulations).

• Used motorcycle and quadricycles.

• Used and retreaded tires.

• Asbestos in any form.

• Pornography.

• Toxic Industrial Waste.

• Goods that are dangerous for animals, for agriculture or human health (for example, some agricultural pesticide, DDT, endrin, dieldrin, toys and infant use containing toluene-based adhesives made volatile solvents, etc.), which are forbidden by decree of the Ministry of Health, including marijuana, hashish, the Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies.

• Other goods, according to current legislation, to meet with import ban as infringing the intellectual property.

6. How do I import a commodity or goods in Chile? 

Depending on the value of the goods, the import process has two systems:

a) If the value of the goods does not exceed US $1,000 FOB value: the procedure may be performed by the importer at Customs, in simplified form. In this case, the importer must submit the following documents:

• Original Bill of Lading or document in lieu thereof, as the transport route.

• Commercial Invoice.

• Power of Attorney of the owner or agent for a particular office, where the person is a third party processing.

• Clearances or certifications when required.

b) If the value of the goods exceeds US $1,000 FOB value: the importer must hire a customs broker. In the event that the clearance of the goods shall be given to this professional, the importer must submit the basic documents needed to prepare the Income Statement, which may be presented to Customs via the Internet.

Regarding the basic documents, it is necessary to clarify that there are some that are mandatory for all commercial import, and other documents which are required only occasionlly.
The following documents are required for all commercial import:

• Original Bill of Lading, consignment note or air waybill, which shows the dominance of the goods by the consignee.

• Original commercial invoice stating the goods bought and sold and their values.

• Affidavit of the importer on the price of goods, in a form provided by the Customs broker.

• Mandate established by the mere endorsement of the original bill of lading.

Among the documents that are required only for certain import operations are the following:

• Certificate of Origin, if the commodity makes use of any tariff preference under a Trade Agreement.

• Packing list, where appropriate, corresponding times in case of goods packed in containers.

• Certificate of insurance, where the value of the premium is not entered in the commercial invoice.

• Note of expenses, when they are not included in the invoice.

• Permits, visa requirements, certification or approval, when required.

7. What goods can be exported?

In general, you can export all kinds of goods except those prohibited by law.

8. How I can hire the services of the Customs Agency, if I live in a city where there is no branch office?

By email, sent through the Contact section of the website, or phone, phones listed on the page.

9. I am abroad and want to contact you to hire your services as Customs Agency Alberto Romero Sánchez y Cia Ltda.  What is the procedure?

You must contact us via the website of the Agency Contact section or the phone number on the page.

10. If I'm Chilean and I have lived abroad for over a year, returning to Chile I bring my car.  Can I import my vehicle and how do I do it?

The Chileans who have stayed abroad, continuously and without interruption for one year or more, and finally returning to the country, are entitled to import a vehicle only, per person older than 18 years, regardless of its activity, it can be new or used, paying all customs duties and import taxes.

In the case of used vehicle, exemption is the from the surcharge of 50% customs duty that applies to the used goods, transferred being prevented from trading in any act that means change of ownership, for a period of three years counted from the date of importation into the country.

11.-  Is there an special treatment for luxury goods, such as gold jewelry, precious stones? 

Luxury goods have and additional tax of 15%  according to our chilean legislation.

(D.L. 825, Ley sobre Impuesto a las Ventas y Servicios , article 37)

The first sell or import of normal or luxury goods, considered like that, by law, pays an additional  tax with a tax rate of 15% over the value that is disposed of. Among these articles, we find: gold, pieces, platinum, ivory, fine jewelry and precious stones, furs, rugs, tapestry and any other article of that kind, classified as fine by the Internal Revenue Service (Servicios de Impuestos Internos), motor homes self-propelled vehicles;  preserved caviar and its substitutes; weapons of compressed air or gas, accessories and missiles, other thansubmarine hunters.