Egypt

HHG & P/E Egyptian Customs Regulations

*  Documents required for Customs Clearance:

-Consignee original passport with a resident visa.
-Authorization Letter or power of attorney to Sea Bird to effect Customs Clearance and receive the shipment from Customs area.

*  Duty Exempted Admission:

Applicable for the diplomatic and/or American citizens who are working for any of the USAID Projects in Egypt with presentation of the following documents:
-For Diplomatic shipments: Local Embassy or Diplomatic Mission releasing commitment letter and Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Form Code 4KM or Franchize).
-For USAID Shipments: Customs releasing commitment letter on the consignee company letterhead, Egyptian sponsor releasing commitment letter, USAID local office letter.

*  Temporary Admission / Bonded Admission Until Re-Exportation:

Applicable for those who are working for a project sponsored by an Egyptian Authority or Governmental Department and/or Organization with presentation of the following documents:
-Customs releasing commitment letter on the consignee company letterhead endorsed by the local Egyptian sponsor and addressed to Egyptian customs.
-Temporary Admission is applicable against a Bank Letter of Guarantee covering the required amount of customs duties and taxes.
P.S.Customs Duties must be paid for any consumable articles (such as Foodstuff, shampoo’s…Etc.) and/or all other items that are sold or rid-of locally and could not be re-exported with the shipment whenever it is to be shipped out of the country.

*  Customs Duty Paid Admission:

To be applied to all other cases including the Egyptian citizen.
Autos and HHG & P/E should be for personal use and not for resale.

*  Automobile Requirements and Restrictions:

For duties exempted and/or duties paid release basis, the automobile must be imported within the SAME YEAR of manufacturing.
For the temporary release basis automobile can be imported regardless of the manufacturing year as long as automobile will eventually be re-exported out of the country.

*  Prohibited Articles:

Firearms or ammunitions, high frequency telephones either wireless or related equipment and pornographic materials.
P.S.alcoholic beverages are not Prohibited but it is always advisable not to be included in the shipment as of the extreme duty percentage (3000 % + 100 % Sales Tax) per 1 Liter. It is also not advisable to include Jewelry.

*  Procedures:

Customs inspectors will inspect Shipments. As a result of the inspection books, magazines and other printed matter, all audio and videocassettes, CD’s and Floppy diskettes…etc. are subject to censorship. Color printers and photocopiers must be approved by Anti-Forgery dept., weight scales, Golden and Silver items by the standardization Dept., lumber products, including lift vans, are to be inspected by Agriculture Dept. Communication equipment and satellite equipment to be inspected by Communications control Dept.