Household goods to Guyana: the settler exemption, the box rates and what is prohibited
Anyone who comes to live in Guyana as a settler, for at least three years, pays no import duty on a reasonable quantity of household goods, personal effects and tools of trade. You have to apply for that status; the Customs Act names three months after arrival. Boxes and barrels of personal effects clear customs at fixed rates of 1,500 to 4,000 Guyanese dollars per box.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
If you go to live in Guyana, you can bring your household goods free of import duty, but only with a status: that of settler. The Customs Act defines a settler as someone not yet resident in Guyana who "within three months of his entry" satisfies the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that they will live there for at least three years. According to the GRA a settler pays no import duty on "a reasonable quantity of tools of trade, personal and household effects".
Boxes and barrels of personal effects clear customs at fixed rates per box.
| Situation | What the GRA states |
|---|---|
| Settler, household goods and tools | no import duty on a reasonable quantity |
| Settler, arms, communication equipment, goods needing a licence | no exemption; licence and taxes separately |
| Box of personal effects, extra large | GYD 4,000 per box |
| Large | GYD 3,000 |
| Medium | GYD 2,500 |
| Average | GYD 2,000 |
| Small | GYD 1,500 |
| Shipment up to 500 dollars | simplified declaration (IMS4, formerly C73) |
| Commercial quantities | the ordinary customs tariff |
GYD is the Guyanese dollar.
How do you become a settler?
The Customs Act sets the limit at three months after entry. According to the GRA the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides whether you are a settler, re-migrant or returning student; the GRA then determines which items are exempt, after an interview with its exemptions division. You then receive a CG Tax Exemption letter with the exemptions and the conditions.
The ministry's desk is the Re-migration Unit on South Road in Georgetown. The information the ministry puts online is mainly about returning Guyanese. How a Dutch citizen applies for settler status, and with which documents, we did not find set out there.
Work to the shortest deadline. The Customs Act names three months after entry; the GRA names six months after resettlement for the application. So register in the first weeks, and only have your container released once the exemption letter is in.
The same status applies to the car, with its own conditions; see car and driving licence in Guyana.
How do you clear boxes and barrels?
Personal effects in boxes, barrels and packages, sent through a recognised shipping agency, are cleared like this:
- With the arrival notice from the shipping agency and identification you go to the shipping agent.
- The agency's brokerage section prepares the customs declaration and states the cost of that service.
- At the bond, the supervisor arranges the inspection; the customs officer examines the cargo and assesses the duties.
- After payment you get a cart note and the cargo is released.
If the examination shows commercial quantities, you pay the ordinary rate. The GRA may randomly select shipments for further examination, and you must always be able to show the supporting documents.
What may you bring in your baggage?
The Customs Regulations count as passengers' baggage the personal and household effects of the passenger and their family, plus small gifts that you declare. Articles for sale or exchange are not included. On arrival you answer the customs officer's questions and fill in a declaration about yourself and your baggage.
What may not enter Guyana?
The GRA lists, among other things, counterfeit money, food declared unfit, obscene images, infected animals and animal parts, opium and its utensils, matches with white phosphorus, fictitious stamps, and goods without an indication of the country of origin, unless the GRA decides otherwise. Anything another Guyanese law prohibits may not enter either. Arms and ammunition never fall under the exemption.
Animals need their own permit; see pets to Guyana. You get your TIN from the GRA: registration and numbers.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.2: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Guyana or go straight to step 4.2 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Guyana Revenue Authority — the exemptions for re-migrants, settlers and returning students — gra.gov.gy
- Customs Act, Cap. 82:01, section 2 and the Customs Regulations, regulations 75 and 76: the settler and passengers' baggage (Ministry of Legal Affairs) — mola.gov.gy
- Guyana Revenue Authority — personal effects in boxes and barrels, procedure and rates — gra.gov.gy
- Guyana Revenue Authority — goods prohibited from import into Guyana — gra.gov.gy
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guyana — the Re-migration Unit and the desk for the status — minfor.gov.gy
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