Sabor a Selva Life in the Peruvian Amazon…

We have received several thousand views of our post on sending and receiving packages to Peru, link HERE. It has also generated a lot of comments. It has been a very constructive dialog and helps me to better understand issues people are facing when receiving mail in Peru.

I have been planning this post for some time, but I needed to wait for a test package to arrive to further investigate and verify a few items in the post.  Recently, I have had two very different experiences with aduanas, the Peruvian Customs agency. Some background: Aduanas is a division of SUNAT (think of a draconian tax collection agency modeled after the IRS in the States) is actually responsible for about 90% of issues with packages being sent into Peru. There are many reasons for this, but first and foremost, their job is to collect duties (taxes) on imported goods. If you look at countries that comprise Latin America, you will notice those that have the lowest or no taxes, make up for it by charging import duties on just about every item brought into the country. Fortunately, Peru is not that bad.  You just need to follow some common sense guidelines to avoid most potential issues.

This information is only for packages sent using your home country’s national mail system to Peru.

First, a clarification. SERPOST and ADUANAS are not the same thing. They are two completely separate government agencies. SERPOST just sends and receives packages. ADUANAS/SUNAT is responsible for most of your packages being delayed and potentially taxed.  All packages arrive in Lima in Callao, through ADUANAS and are then routed along to their destinations by SERPOST after they have cleared customs.

Link to SERPOST

Link to SUNAT/ADUANAS

Potential Red Flags

• Value: US$100 or less. Over that increases the chances the package will be selected for further inspection.  As cited in my previous post and confirmed my agents of ADUANAS, the limit is NOT US$200. (If I missed a relevant update, please email me at [email protected])
• Weight: About 5 (five) pounds or 2kg. Anything over that weight needs to be picked up.
• Size: Big and bulky is more likely to be selected.
• Item count: Yes, really. If you send a bottle or two of vitamins, not going to be an issue in about 90% of cases.
• Prohibited Items: Just like any country, Peru does not allow certain imports, used clothing for example.  There are not many items of the list and most of them are industrial, chemical or agriculture related.
• Customs Declaration: Make sure it is clearly and properly filled. (See model photo below).

My package got flagged

What happens? You will receive a notice from SERPOST that you have a package being held for you. They will list the location and time the inspector is available to see you. In Pucallpa, they see 8 people per day between 8am and about noon, Monday and Thursday ONLY.  If you owe tax, you can pay at some SERPOST offices or in Pucallpa, at the ADUANAS office.

• Good outcome – Package is released locally without issue.
• Less optimal outcome – Package is held for various reasons.  You may need to pay taxes and/or provide further documentation on items in the package.

Avoiding the less optimal outcome:

• Try avoid the potential red flags listed above.
• Use your country’s postal service, not one of the famous overnight delivery services.
• Make sure you send the item using tracking. It does help.
• For the sake of saving yourself a lot of money, please make sure receipts are enclosed in the package. If NOT, they use a computer database to determine your tax.
• With clothing, leave the tags attached to prove they are new, not used. There have been many issues related to this.
• Make sure the package is sent with the EXACT name on the recipient’s identification: Passport/CE/DNI.
• Sometimes, no matter what, your package is going to be selected. The law of averages catches up to you eventually.

Handling the less optimal outcome: These people are human. They have a job to do, don’t hate them for it. In customer service, just like life, you usually get a lot further, a lot faster if you are polite.  So,  your package needs some extra attention, big deal, it happens!  They are going to ask you what is in the package, what is it used for, is it a medication, how much did it cost, where is your receipt, they may ask you to demonstrate how something works, etc. They may say we just wanted to confirm what was in the package and send you on your way (OR) they may tell you to jump through several hoops to  finally receive your package.  Ask what your next steps are and collect whatever forms are provided to you. Most offices do not have English speakers, so you might need to speak Spanish or have someone that can translate for you.

Recent less than spectacular experience: A few months ago a friend sent a package to us. It contained supplements, vitamins and a bunch of other stuff. It was just supposed to be a few items, but ended up being about 15 pounds worth of randomness.  Guess what happened… I got the dreaded notice from my mailman. What could have been a huge hassle turned out to be relatively minor. The ADUANAS inspector was not super helpful at first, gave us some forms to fill out and told us to bring them back. We went back a few weeks later because I had a second package. A different inspector was working, they rotate between the airport, port and post office. He was really helpful and told us to come back in the afternoon for the damage (taxes). It turned out we had to pay about 400 soles total, but we got our packages.  The outcome could have been much different, technically they could have made me go to Lima, get a certificate for my vitamins and prescription for them too.  At no time in the process were bribes solicited or offered.

Duties paid 18% of US$605 = US$109.

Recent spectacular experience: On March 17^th I ordered something online from the UK called Sugru, a silicone based fix stuff material.  It shipped on the 18^th and arrived on April 1^st. I paid a whopping US$3.00 for shipping! The total value as you can see in the photos was about US$30. So, I am under $100 bucks, my package is the size of a paperback book, and it weighs in at a whopping  0.08kg. April 1, 2013, the mailman rode up to my house on his motorcycle and delivered the package you see in the photo. A friend also had 2 bottles of vitamins and a separate package arrive during the same time period.  Both were delivered right to his house.  No hassles, no issues.

Will this really help me?  I sure hope so! So far, the comments support our experiences. Placing your trust in a process you know nothing about is never a good thing.