Bringing in stuff through customs??!!

Borec

New member
Dec 20, 2005
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I am moving to DR in march probably, and I want to bring my computer stuff; hubs and switches, motherboards and harddisks, my good old laser printer and scanner in my baggage, reading through some of the threads here I see that there might be a problem with this at customs (all this stuff is old ? like 2-3 years but it works so why changing it). At the moment I live in Bolivia, and you can bring in U$1000 dollars worth of stuff free (if you carry it on you), what is the deal in DR, can you bring in any stuff at all without paying tax? I also have hundreds and hundreds of CDs and DVDs with stuff (understand pirated) that I have downloaded from internet or bought on a black market, is this a problem with the customs? I was also planing to buy some electric appliances in Miami (since all my stuff is 220v - like iron, toaster etc.) and carry it in - we are family of four, so you looking at 8 big suitcases and 4 heavy carry-ons. Will I get wasted by the customs?

Thanks
 

rellosk

Silver
Mar 18, 2002
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Borec said:
At the moment I live in Bolivia, and you can bring in U$1000 dollars worth of stuff free (if you carry it on you), what is the deal in DR, can you bring in any stuff at all without paying tax?
Unless you are officially establishing residency in the DR, there is not exclusion.
Borec said:
I also have hundreds and hundreds of CDs and DVDs with stuff (understand pirated) that I have downloaded from internet or bought on a black market, is this a problem with the customs?
Probably not, unless there is a CD/DVD that the inspector wants to own.:)
Borec said:
I was also planing to buy some electric appliances in Miami (since all my stuff is 220v - like iron, toaster etc.) and carry it in - we are family of four, so you looking at 8 big suitcases and 4 heavy carry-ons. Will I get wasted by the customs?
Yes. Although it's been told that some of the agents will accept a bribe to look the other way.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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I would imagine so , be prepared to bribe them. Asking for a lot of help to smuggle in your pirated software is expecting real generosity. Well at least it isn't heroin.

Also prepare between the Bolivian and Dominican luggage handlers to lose or have broken a few items as airline baggage is a pretty unsafe way to ship computers.

I think you are better off buying irons and toasters at Plaza Lama than Miami.

Remember the airlines limit each bag to 50 pounds so that won't allow for much unless you are happy paying $100's in excess baggage charges.

US Customs may be interested in the pirated material before you even get to the DR too.
 

Borec

New member
Dec 20, 2005
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Well I will not fly AA (due to the 50lb limit) , thinking about the bolivian airline LAB, and then spirit, as far as I know they still have the two piece system with 70lb each. Well I will probalby buy two huge Hard Drives and copy all the software (images) to the HD and have those in a pocket or something. I see that DR is similar to Bolivia in many things, oh well.