customs

Hi all,

I am going to Brasil next week and a friend of mine asked me to bring him a laptop as it is quite expensive in Brasil. I will sell him my barely used one.

So crossing the border in Rio GIG I should mention the laptop in the customs form as mine personal - will it be a problem when I am leaving without that laptop (most probably I will leave to Argentina in Iguacu).

Or maybe it is better not to mention it in any form and just pass - is there any strict check at the airport or so??

Thanks a lot
peter

Nobody is going to even bother asking about the laptop, except maybe when you pass your bag through the x-ray machine, let alone record you have one. Don't bother, besides in the impossibly remote chance anyone did, wouldn't you just reply it was stolen?

I agree with carlos69. You won't have any problem with this. I bring in gifts all the time (ipods, laptops, digital cameras, etc.) and leave without them. Unless you are bringing in large amounts of expensive gadgets, you will pass right through customs without a glance.

First two posters will, of course, pay the customs duty if you get nabbed. I have brought in a new laptop and not been nabbed, but it looks brand new you could be dinged for 50% of its value. And I would hesitate to tell someone else to bring in goods on which you are supposed to pay duty and not say anything. Your choice, your risk. You could just say you did not declare it because it is for personal use and is not new (not sure if it is a general dule, but last time I passed through customs at the Sao Paulo airport, those who had not finished their customs forms by the time they got to the front of the line were all being sent to the inspection area, and others just passed through). Not sure if there has been a crackdown recently, but I ordered stuff from Amazon.com for months with no problem, but recently they wanted to charge 40% duty on the value of the merchandise (a DVD) AND the shipping cost (customs duty on shipping costs?).

sorry, that 50% may be 100%.

The Receita Federal (Brazilian Inland Revenue/IRS) makes no distinction between Brazilians and foreigners. Your nationality doesn't count, what matters is whether you are a Brazilian resident or not. If you are not a resident, and are visiting Brazil on tourism, you can bring along your own personal stuff, be it a really expensive camera or a laptop, for as long as it seems reasonable - ie, you would have a hard time justifying a power saw or five laptops/cameras. It helps if the laptop has already been used and is not still inside the box, all the wrapping intact.

So. You don't have to declare your laptop - hence, no one will ask about it on your way out. And in the unlikely event of any customs official stopping you, it is your laptop and you travel with it for personal use. Nothing wrong with that. As simple as that. It's the law of the land.

Now, residents entering the country with undeclared goods... if caught (chances are slim, but they do exist), you are in serious serious trouble, not because of the hefty fine you'll pay, but because of the charges that will be brough upon you for lying on your customs form.

Thanks a lot guys.
It looks very straghtforward - I just won't mention it anywhere as it is my laptop for my personal use. I thought you have to declare even things you bring in for your personal use and then on the way out the customs might check if you are taking out things you have declared once you were getting in.

Thanks
Peter

Peter, on your way in you only have to declare money if you are carrying more than R$10,000 with you (that includes cash and travelers' cheques). This requirement applies to tourists as well.