Sending goods to Cape Verde
If you are reading this, you should also read the article 'Overseas Removals' within this section.
Things should have improved slightly by July 2010!
Some experiences 2006-7:
AIR FREIGHT: Some expats paid a considerable amount to send their new business equipment by air to Sal. Unfortunately, the Cargo Terminal charges on arrival at Sal for Import Tax was twice the total of the postal and equipment costs put together.
POSTING ITEMS: April 06 - It was around £88 to post up to 30kg of goods to Sal from UK. A box I wanted sent over from the UK to Sal via the normal postal service weighed around 35kgs, the size of the box was ok but apparently the weight was not. Further enquiries with DHL made the cost of sending it over would be £500. I was told that to send a 30kg package would cost only £88 to send out via normal post, so I took 5kg out obviously.
One of two parcels that was posted in the UK in middle of May 06 arrived 14th August (3 months). The other parcel arrived two weeks later. If you are sending something in a parcel, please check before you send it what it will cost the other person receiving it. Although I paid to the post office in the UK to send my TV and some other things sent over, the Post Office in Santa Maria also charged me another 4,700 escudos to collect it. I am not sure whether the full costs of the items were declared on sending in the UK instead of a lower price, they should/could have been sent as a 'Gift'...the word 'gift' should be clearly written on the outside of the parcel/packet. Please check this out as it could save you money.
I had a friend contact DHL on my behalf to enquire about sending express mail, under 500grams to Sal from the UK to arrive within 5-7 days, the cost I was told would be £68. Unfortunately some bright spark decided to write on the sealed envelope that the Republic of Cabo Verde was in South Africa. Not only did this delay the documents arrival but they also charged me another 10,000esc to have it forwarded from Durban.
One person had 4 out of 8 parcels returned to the UK, as someone in the post office in Portugal wrote on the parcel ‘this is not in Portugal’. The parcels had the full address of where the parcels were to be delivered to on Sal, on various parts of the parcel, together with the address it had been sent from in the UK. Perhaps a large map on the front of the parcel, showing where The Republic of Cape Verde was in relation to Portugal may help!
If you use the right postal address (see below) then letters should arrive here within 2weeks, as long as no-one in the post office in UK adds that Cape Verde is Portuguese (in Portugal) or in Africa!!!!
Postal address for Santa Maria arriving at the Post Office:
Name of person
Santa Maria
Posta Restante
Ilha do Sal
Republic de Cabo Verde
COD 4111
Most ex-pats tend to send letters back to UK via people who are returning to UK, its usually quicker especially if its important.
Importing & Importers:
Import License: You can import your belongings at a cost. There are people who have an Import License who can import goods for you, some charge 10% to do this, and others will charge you a lot less.
It has been difficult and costly for some ex-pats and businesses who weren't prepared for certain difficulties and additional costs when trying to import goods themselves.
Note : see the article on 'Overseas Relocation'.
Container: It seems that unless you identify and list on your inventory every single item down to a red plastic bucket and one teaspoon in your container (even if they are old ones) when having it shipped over from the UK to Sal, the container base staff at Ports would take the unlisted items out and class them as ‘new’. You will then have to pay import tax on the ‘new’ items (very costly). If you have 133 items listed in there, they should be able to check them easily.
One person paid around £2,500 to send a 20’ container of goods from the UK to Sal, it was sent on 25th March 06. Although quoted 21 days to arrive on Sal, it took longer. There is no guarantee when the cargo ship is allowed to dock in Palmeira, when it can be inspected or when the container can be delivered to its destination.
October 08 : UK businesses still have a number of difficulties with containers arriving on time or at the right destination. Ships have stopped off in other countries, unloaded the container, then loaded it again and sent it back to the country where it came from instead of onto Cape Verde.
You will have to consider the loading of the container in the UK, as generally you have to do this yourself with some help from friends etc. Some containers arrive on a lorry and stay on the lorry outside your house; and the driver may not be insured to help you load up. The base of the container is about 4/5’ off the floor, so lifting heavy goods may be a problem.
As an alternative some companies can offer a shared container. You can ship a pallet 1m x 2m high over for about £250. However the container may have to have its full quota of pallets before it will leave. Therefore the departure date may be some months away (or longer) if it is only half full! You will need to consider sharing the costs of Import tax, costs at the Port or any holding fees whilst it is being sorted out, delivery costs from Palmeira to your property, Dispatcher costs etc. All this adds up and should be shared between those sending out the equipment on each container. The costs can vary.
I have been told that you will need a 'Bill of Laden', which has to be sent by the Dispatcher (Freight Company) in the UK to the receiver i.e. you, in Sal. There will be a reference number on the Bill of Laden. The Freight Company will seal the container in the UK. The receiver (you) will have to have the original Bill of Laden as well as the official Council letter confirming that the listed items are correct. A copy of the letter and the list has to be translated into Portuguese.
Items of furniture and fittings/linen are best brought over from the UK, but consider how you are going to do this, especially if sending new items in a container or by Air freight! Could be costly.
Dispatcher: If you are sending a container over to Sal from the UK, there is a Dispatcher in Espargos who speaks English. He has come recommended by a few people who say they have tried others before but he is the best to use and could get your container out of the dock within 2-3 days. Contact : Anselmo R.T. Lopes dod Santos. Telephone : (00238) 241 21 93. Email: anselmosantos_4@hotmail.com. He does prefer faxes.
There are a few British Importers, they can be found within the Yellow-E-Services within our Expats website :
http://www.expatscapeverde.com/yellow-e-pages
You must provide the name of the Dispatcher (Freight Company) and the name of the Forwarding Agent in Sal, before the container leaves the UK.
Another person who imports his own goods has said that the tax payable on arrival on Cape Verde on average is 50% of the total amount i.e. If your goods are worth £4000 and shipping £2500 = £6,500 they add 50% on top + tax!!! so it will cost you a lot more than you thought. Also that Duty,IVA,Import fees are sbject to status: Resident/ Foreign Worker / Visitor / Emigrant. I understand its easier if you say you are moving to Sal and bringing all your personal goods over, than if you are importing goods for a second home, they may class them as new items if they think you still have another furnished home back in the UK.
A number of people were told in the UK that no more costs would be incurred when their container arrived on the islands, but there are, so please check with the Dispatcher on the islands it is being sent to. He can also tell you what the various taxes are going to be for the different types of goods you send over.
There are higher taxes for some items i.e. cars over a certain age. Since the above was written, some rules may have changed so please make your own enquiries.
Contact should be made with experienced importers to Cape Verde. Some British companies have experience of this.
British Export/Import
The following information was supplied by an exporter visiting Sal (June 07):
Re. Import charges on goods arriving in Cape Verde :
From my 40years experience in the shipping industry, charges at port of arrival can be down to numerous reasons, the most common are as follows:
DUTY IMPOSED BY CUSTOMS IS FOR THE ACCOUNT OF RECEIVER OR THE PERSON RECEIVING GOODS IN CAPE VERDE.
TERMINAL CHARGES, THESE ARE IMPOSED BY THE LOCAL SHIPPING COMPANY AT PORT OF ENTRY AND CAN BE INCURED.
BY THE PERSON RECEIVING GOODS AT POINT OF DESTINATION , THEY INCLUDE CHARGES FOR CUSTOMS DOCUMENTATION.
PREPARING PAPERWORK IN ORDER TO CLEAR GOODS THROGH CAPE VERDE CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES, TERMINAL CHARGES.
FOR HANDLING GOODS AT PORT OF ENTRY , DELIVERY CHARGES FROM PORT TO LOCAL DESTINATION.
ALL ABOVE SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR BEFORE SHIPPING FROM THE UK PEOPLE SHOULD REQUEST SHIPPING COMPANY.
TO QUOTE FOR GOODS TO BE SHIPPED ON A DOOR TO DOOR BASIS [ALSO KNOWN AS COLLECTED DELIVERED INCLUDING ALL TERMINAL HANDLING CHARGES.
BUT NOTE IN ALL CASES CUSTOMS DUTY AND COST OF CLEARANCE IS DOWN TO THE RECEIVER IN CAPE VERDE, THESE CHARGES CAN BE ESTIMATED PRIOR TO SHIPPING BY A REPUTaBLE UK SHIPPING COMPANY (SUCH AS MYSELF !!!} HOWEVER IN ALL CASES IT IS THE PERSON SHIPPING GOODS TO GIVE A TRUE AND FULL DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. FAILURE TO DO THIS CAN RESULT IN SEZURE OF GOODS, FINES AND OR IMPRISONMENT.
For more information on specialist importers you can contact, please use the enquiry form on this page. They can also provide insurance cover and rates for an excess baggage service for international or local shipment.
