Mandatory documents for export and import

If you are exporter or importer in Costa
Rica, you need to understand the mandatory documents that are required for shipping to Costa Rica. You need to
know about how many documents are required in Costa Rica for exporting and
importing goods. 

Costa Rica custom procedures are
complicated and bureaucratic. Recent improvements like electronics one stop
import and export windows known as single windows have significantly reduced
time required for custom processing.  So
when you are planning for Costa Ricarelocation, it is important that you know about the Custom formalities so
that your relocation becomes a hassle free process.

In regards to documentation, Costa Rica
only requires commercial invoices, bills of lading, and air way bills for the
entry of goods. Mail shipments require only postal documentation. Bulk
agricultural items need phytosanitary certificates.

Imports of cosmetics, pharmaceutical,
vitamin supplements, medical devices, chemical, toxic substances, insecticides,
pesticides and agricultural chemicals need an import permit from Costa Rican
Ministry of Health.

This permit can be obtained upon
presentation of quantitative and qualitative analysis certificates, goods
manufacturing practices and free scale certificates which must be provided by
the foreign exporter.

The registration process for
pharmaceuticals has become very slow in many cases taking more than 6 months
for approval. However, the Ministry is working towards reducing time frame. For
imports from CAFTA countries, certification of origin of goods must be
presented to Customs authority. There is no specific format to present this
information. The local importer can use any format available for this purpose.

Violating the documentation for imports and
exports carry heavy fine. Also great care must be taken to avoid any kind of
errors and infractions. All the imports processing need to be carried out by
certified custom broker.

The Costa Rican government implements its
TICA system in which custom brokers declares all goods that are being imported
and exported by all means of transportation in all customs territories created
in the country.

Customs might require the monitoring of
handling of shipments in person based on the traffic light system. This means
the shipment entering the country will pass through a random pre studied system
that classifies shipments into physical inspection- red colour, documental
inspection – yellow colour, or no inspection- green colour.

Sometimes customs of Costa Rica requires
that some shipments are handled internally with an electronic seal to monitor
their delivery from the port to customs warehouses and all the way until it
pays the pertaining custom duties and is fully legalized.

Also, there is a new import procedure for
most imports entering via APM terminals moin in which customs and control drug
policy might be requiring shipments to be scanned. The aim of the government is
to reach 100% scanning of all imports and exports in the country through all
ports via land, water or air.