NO.
YES or any other passport for that matter.
If the vehicle qualifies for import.............you need to pay the tariff/taxes/first license plate fee..........not an insignificant amount.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
- Thread starter sealuva
- Start date
Importing a car to DR
If the vehicle qualifies for import.............you need to pay the tariff/taxes/first license plate fee..........not an insignificant amount.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
I ordered a new car a couple of weeks ago . This will be the second car I bought and used in the DR. After reading all the horror stories here on DR 1, I am of the opinion that buying a car here and paying far more than the purchase price in the states is worth it. Remember Stress=minus years on your life. So easy to go to SD, pick out a car, go to lunch with your honey and wait for the call that your car is ready for pick-up.
As to new, I would agree but with one caveat. The vast majority of new vehicles sold in the DR were not built in the US. What does that mean? Everything from component parts for motors and transmissions to tires may be of a lesser quality to meet certain price points in the countries they are shipped to.
As to used, I have always shipped my personal vehicles from the US to the DR. And it is, a royal PIA, but I know the vehicles, their history, their quality, and the hassle and expense is worth it to me.
An aside to this for those considering importing without residency, you may want to consider electric vehicles. And yes I know the issues involving electricity costs and charging and range, That having been said, the government has cut the taxes by 50% if the vehicle is all electric. In October I transferred to a buyer 9 Nissan Leafs at the port of Caucedo. That is on top of the 11 Leafs brought in June. All of those were purchased in conjunction with a tourist project in the east region..............which also carried another tax reduction.
If your travel is mostly under 100 miles in a day and you have a home charging set up............this certainly seems to now be viable in the DR...........at least for some.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
By "salvage vehicles" do you mean one that currently has a salvage title? In that case this rule wouldn't apply to a car with a "rebuilt" title? What is the workaround in use for bypassing this salvage" restriction?
If the vehicle is an American-built car, then there should be no import tariff. correct?
I plugged in the figures on the DGA website calculator and it showed no tariff under the CAFTA rule. I hope that applies regardless of the residency status of the importer.
You’ll be shocked at the total cost of bringing in a car. No older than 5 years. Ball park it at close to half the value if you have no discount as a new legal resident or returning Dominican.
Salvage vehicles cannot be imported.........wink wink. I have seen them arriving with my own eyes........so the workaround is either a payoff or they are classified as a "parts" car.............and then magically fixed and then sold.
Rebuilt titles (what the car is issued after being issued a "salvage" title and then repaired....................are allowed in but only after being registered elsewhere for 1 year prior to import.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
There may or may not be a tariff............regardless of DR/CAFTA.
That being said, without some sort of a further reduction, your costs will be 18% ITBIS and 17% first placa + transportation, insurance, and the other "port charges."
The rule of thumb as AE pointed out above, and it is a good one, your costs will be 50% additional added to the value of the car...............which value is determined not by you............but by ADUANA.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
Does that 50% reduction apply to just the import tariff or to the 18% ITBIS and 17% first license plate fee? Thanks!
Are they firm on this one-year prior registration requirement, or can that be by-passed with a little palm-greasing ? (wink, wink!)
Near as I could tell it amounts to 50% reduction across the board............but you may get more/less reduction on Gravamen or ITBIS or first placa. Not sure how it is calculated, as my clients also had an additional tax reduction because the cars were imported with an additional exoneration granted to a tourist project.
In the end, each of those EV's I transferred at the port in June and October paid no more than $2,000.00 USD per unit........some less.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
Answer is...........it depends on your contacts at the port..........and even before that, many brokers/shippers know the rules and will not accept it to be loaded onto their ship..........lest it get rejected at the port before unloading.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
Is there a certain table of values they use, or KBB values, or does it depend on who is doing the valuation, and how well you know them? Also can you recommend a reliable, well-connected customs agent in SD? Thanks
I do not use a customs agent as I have my own "contacts" at the port.....if needed.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
When I brought a car in - the Aduana had their own list of values... and applied the price, their price
It wasn't unreasonable
I came in as a new resident so my import tax was reduced significantly
It wasn't unreasonable
I came in as a new resident so my import tax was reduced significantly
We used Jacqueline Sanchez when we brought our car in, everything went very smoothly, the people at the office in SD where we processed the paperwork and paid everything knew her well. It ended up finishing late in the day, and she even had someone pick up the car and drive it out of the port before it closed for the night so we didn’t have to return the next day.
She only speaks Spanish. (829) 602-5566. If you call her you can tell her Nani recommended her.
She only speaks Spanish. (829) 602-5566. If you call her you can tell her Nani recommended her.
If you like the vehicle you are driving in your home country and you know it is reliable and well maintained, then by all means avail yourself of the one time tax reduction opportunity to bring it in with your other home goods. That of course presumes it meets the requirements for import.
As to whether you are better off importing or buying in the DR..........that is a personal decision only you can make. Mine has always been to import, regardless of the taxes...........
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
