I retired from USA and moved permanently to Punta Cana earlier this year. I am looking for a way to import my 2003 Ford Taurus SEL (the fully max'ed out edition with every available option, luxury model -- VERY nice) -- like brand new -- only 26,000 miles -- from Miami USA to DR. I am its original owner, it's been garaged, driven only 3,000 miles a year, and maintained in showroom new condition inside & outside & under the hood, and I assure you that the car is equivalent to any new or like-new car which would cost me $25,000+ here. It has a powerful 24-valve, 6-cylinder engine that gets 27 mpg.
But the "no importing cars over 5 years old" law stands in my way. So I keep looking for a waiver letter -- or a Customs official that will "cooperate" with me.
I have a recent DR Pensioner Residency (with cedula) which has the benefit of (a) Law No. 14-93, of August 26th, 1993 on Customs Tariffs of the Dominican Republic, which exempts home furnishings and personal goods from the payment of taxes; and (b) Law No. 168 of May 27th, 1967 on Partial Exemption of the Motor Vehicle Taxes -- one automobile per shipper (registered in the shipper?s name for more than one year) is partially exempt from duty payment, by virtue of Dominican Republic Law 168.
OK, when I asked this question before, people instead tell me to sell the car in the USA -- but that's not a good idea, because the Blue Book value is only about $7,000, and if I converted the car to cash in the USA, you know what kind of car that $7,000 (275,000 pesos) will buy here -- I already know ... not a like-brand-new, near-luxury car. No thanks. If I can have my car (which is easily as good as any $25,000 car here), I would happily pay the extra fine (if it were possible to do so), and I'd still end up paying less money overall, <st1:stockticker>AND</st1:stockticker> I'd have a nicer car than any other "Plan B" alternative method, for the same (or much less) money that I would have to spend, either way.
Which brings me to this question for the forum. I saw the following posting on the Internet. You guys have mucho "street smarts" here, so I ask you, is the following True or False?
It said, "The best way to import and older car from the USA to the Dominican Republic is to ship it to Puerto Rico and then take the ferry < http://www.ferriesdelcaribe.com/ > to Santo Domingo. It is more expensive than a flight from the USA, but it is for the car as well. Keep your license plates on the car from where you come from, because you won?t be able to register it in the Dominican Republic. You won't be able to sell the car later in the Dominican Republic, but you can bring it back to Puerto Rico and sell it there, and it will sell for more in PR than in the USA. PR is a territory of the USA and it has USA postal zip codes. The ferry from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic leaves from Mayaguez and arrives in San Pedro de Macoris which is an hour from Santo Domingo."
True or false?
----------------------------
ASIDE QUESTION: Does anyone see any possible change to the law, based on this 9 July 2012 article? "Used auto dealers feel the pain, want old car import ban lifted" -- http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/lo...-feel-the-pain-want-old-car-import-ban-lifted
But the "no importing cars over 5 years old" law stands in my way. So I keep looking for a waiver letter -- or a Customs official that will "cooperate" with me.
I have a recent DR Pensioner Residency (with cedula) which has the benefit of (a) Law No. 14-93, of August 26th, 1993 on Customs Tariffs of the Dominican Republic, which exempts home furnishings and personal goods from the payment of taxes; and (b) Law No. 168 of May 27th, 1967 on Partial Exemption of the Motor Vehicle Taxes -- one automobile per shipper (registered in the shipper?s name for more than one year) is partially exempt from duty payment, by virtue of Dominican Republic Law 168.
OK, when I asked this question before, people instead tell me to sell the car in the USA -- but that's not a good idea, because the Blue Book value is only about $7,000, and if I converted the car to cash in the USA, you know what kind of car that $7,000 (275,000 pesos) will buy here -- I already know ... not a like-brand-new, near-luxury car. No thanks. If I can have my car (which is easily as good as any $25,000 car here), I would happily pay the extra fine (if it were possible to do so), and I'd still end up paying less money overall, <st1:stockticker>AND</st1:stockticker> I'd have a nicer car than any other "Plan B" alternative method, for the same (or much less) money that I would have to spend, either way.
Which brings me to this question for the forum. I saw the following posting on the Internet. You guys have mucho "street smarts" here, so I ask you, is the following True or False?
It said, "The best way to import and older car from the USA to the Dominican Republic is to ship it to Puerto Rico and then take the ferry < http://www.ferriesdelcaribe.com/ > to Santo Domingo. It is more expensive than a flight from the USA, but it is for the car as well. Keep your license plates on the car from where you come from, because you won?t be able to register it in the Dominican Republic. You won't be able to sell the car later in the Dominican Republic, but you can bring it back to Puerto Rico and sell it there, and it will sell for more in PR than in the USA. PR is a territory of the USA and it has USA postal zip codes. The ferry from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic leaves from Mayaguez and arrives in San Pedro de Macoris which is an hour from Santo Domingo."
True or false?
----------------------------
ASIDE QUESTION: Does anyone see any possible change to the law, based on this 9 July 2012 article? "Used auto dealers feel the pain, want old car import ban lifted" -- http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/lo...-feel-the-pain-want-old-car-import-ban-lifted