Guinea-Bissau Customs Information

Guinea-Bissau Customs Information

Duties and Tax Exemption

Emergency Response:

No streamlined process for crisis times has been formalized

Agreements / Conventions Description	Ratified by Country? (Yes / No)
WCO (World Customs Organization) member	Yes since 19 August 2010
Annex J-5 Revised Kyoto Convention	No
OCHA Model Agreement	No
Tampere Convention (on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations)	No
Regional Agreements (on emergency/disaster response, but also customs unions, regional integration)	Member of ECOWAS

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response):

Organizational Requirements to obtain Duty Free Status

United Nations Agencies

Registration with Ministério Afares Estrangeiros

Non Governmental Organizations

Registration with Ministério Afares Estrangeiros

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure:

Duties and Taxes Exemption Application Procedure

Generalities (include a list of necessary documentation)

Franquia Diplomatica – template in ANNEX
Origin Certificate
Donation certificate
WB

Process to be followed (step by step or flowchart)

Humanitarian organizations are tax exempted when importing humanitarian goods.

The organization must send an official request - Nota Verbal - for exemption, signed ad stamped, to:

Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Cooperação Internacional e Comunidades

Direção Geral do Protocolo de Estado,

Bissau

c/c:

Finance Ministry

Depending on the nature of the goods, other competent ministries must also be copied. (eg: Drugs: Health Ministry)

Clearing and Forwarding Agent

The Finance Ministry will evaluate the documents and authorize Customs Authorities to proceed with custom clearance process.

The exemption legislation promulgated by the “Ministério dos negócios estrangeiros” is inserted in the Boletim Oficial. – In ANNEX

The below articles concern the importation of goods and equipment:

Lei 2/95 do “Regime geral de isenções publicado no 24 Maio 1995
Artigo 28 - Capitulo V “Mercadorias enviadas a organizações de natureza caritativa ou humanitária”
Artigo 45 Secção IV “Organizações não-governamentais” e Secção V “Missões diplomáticas e consulares e organismos internacionais

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Duties and Taxes Exemption Certificate Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicle & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
Invoice	Yes Original	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	AWB/BL/ACQUI Original 1 copy	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Original 1 copy	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Packing Lists	Yes	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Other Documents			Approval from Ministry of Health
Additional Notes

Customs Clearance

General Information

Customs Information
Embargoes	*None*
Prohibited Items	*Drugs, Weapon, Protected Species, Plastic bags*
General Restrictions

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Customs Clearance Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicles & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
D&T Exemption Certificate	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to both UN and NGO	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Invoice	Yes 1 copy	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes 1 copy original	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Yes 1 copy	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Packing Lists	Yes 1 copy	Same	Same	Same	Same	Same
Phytosanitary Certificate	Quality certificate	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other Documents			Approval from Ministry of Health
Additional Notes
Electronic and communication equipment There are no restriction to electronic and communication importation, including VSAT, HF and VHF equipment. UN agencies and NGO are tax exempted for importation and obtaining frequency licence.

Transit Regime

Commodities destined foranother country can be escorted to the indicated border. All customs clearance related documents must report – IN TRANSIT – caption.

Price of the escort service is 50.000 FCFA/truck

Main Customs Offices:

Bissau is the National Customs office.

Bafatá and Gabu offices for the East Region, supervising entry points from Senegal and Guinea.

Sao Domingos Custom office is the main office for North Region supervising entry point from Senegal

Contacts

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link below: 4.1 Guinea-Bissau Government Contact List