Porhibited And Restricted Items

UPS International (Costa Rica)

Additional Import Documentation
All shipments must be accompanied by an Export Customs Declaration from the country or territory of origin. This document must include the following:
  • Product description
  • True value of goods
  • Commercial invoice number
  • Gross and net weight
  • Container number or flight guide number and courier name

    Shipments not in compliance will be held by Customs until proper documentation is received. Fines may be charged.

    • Goods under IATA Special Provisions A67 require a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).

    It is not required for all, however shipments can be held by local authority in United Arab Emirates after screening due to lack of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) or NON DG (Dangerous Goods) declaration letter from the shipper resulting to misconnections and impacting end-to-end service.

    It would be advisable for all shipments originating, transiting and terminating for UAE to have MSDS or NON DG declaration from shipper enclosed in the shipment and copies to be uploaded in IDIS.

    Additional Export Documentation
    No Information found on this topic for the selected country or territory.
    Additional Clearance Information
    All merchandise valued greater than US$20.00, all catalogs and brochures weighing over 20 kg (44 lbs.), and all samples exceeding the one unit per type price are considered non-documents.
    Documents are sent with an established cartage company. If the consignee is easily accessible, some cartage companies deliver door-to-door. If the consignee is not easily accessible, the shipment will be held for pick-up. Union Pak or a third-party broker must clear non-documents.
    Shipments valued over US$1.00 will clear in 1 working day and delivery will be made the next business day.

    Only documents are cleared by a simplified entry with no charge or delays. Samples, personal effects, and non commercial shipments will be kept at customs facilities to be cleared by the consignees with no charge of duties and taxes, but if the clearance is done by UPS or any customs agencies, the consignee will be charged duties and taxes and/or a warehouse handling fee.

    Shipments which contain medication, legal drugs, food, personal care products, vegetable or animal products require a health permit before customs clearance.

    Shipments over US$1000.00 and between countries or territories with free trade agreements, duties exemption, and health permits require an individual formal entry.

    Some cities require that the consignee be pre-contacted by the Service Partner.
    UPS cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address. All packages require a consignee's contact name and complete street address including apartment, suite or unit number if applicable. The consignee's telephone number should be provided if known.

    Areas Served
    Service is provided to and from certain cities.

    Shipments destined to Boca Del Toro are moved via ground service. If a shipment arrives for Isla Colon, the consignee is contacted to see if it can be sent to Boca Del Toro. If so, the shipment is moved via ground service and upon arrival in Boca Del Toro, UPS will contact the consignee to pick up the package. If the consignee refuses, the shipper is notified, resulting in RTS or the abandonment of the shipment.

    This also applies to the city of Altamirante, which is an extended area.

    UPS cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address. All packages require a consignee's contact name and complete street address including apartment, suite or unit number if applicable. The consignee's telephone number should be provided if known.

    Saturday, Sunday, and official holidays.
    Spring -0600/ Fall -0600
    Spanish
    Costa Rican Colon(CRC)
    Billing Options
    • Shipping charges can be billed to the shipper, receiver or a third party.
    • When billing the receiver, either the shipper or receiver's account number is required.
    • When billing to a third party, the third party's name, country or territory and account number are required.
    • Duties and taxes can be billed to the shipper, receiver or a third party.
    • When billing a third party, the third party's name, country or territory and account number are required.
    • If the duties and taxes are billed to an account outside of the destination country or territory, a "Duty and Tax Forwarding" surcharge will be applied.
    • Please note the following third party billing exceptions:
      • Shipments to and from the same country or territory (domestic shipments) cannot be billed to third party payors in other countries or territories. For example, shipments from Mexico to Mexico or Canada to Canada cannot be billed to a third party payor in the U.S. This rule does not apply to UPS domestic services in European Union countries or territories. For example, shipments from Germany to Germany can be billed to a third party payor in the U.S. (as long as the payor is a business and has a VAT or Tax/EIN ID on file with UPS).
    • When paying by credit card, check, or cash, only the shipper can be billed the shipping charges
    • The freight and duties can be billed to the shipper or a third party
    • The taxes can be billed to the receiver or a third party
    • A surcharge will be applied for the SDV billing option
    Commodity Specific Stipulations

    There are special stipulations on the following commodities when shipping to Costa Rica. If you plan to ship one of the commodities listed below, be sure to adhere to the following stipulations in order to avoid delays and holds at customs.

    Proyectos
    Books are not considered as documents.
    An import permit is required for cosmetics and beauty products. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of cosmetic shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with the Health Ministry.
    CD's containing intercompany information, blueprints, graphics, VHS with info, intercompany mail etc., can be imported with no value declared.
    An import permit is required for all medicine, including veterinary medicine. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of medicine shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with Customs. Medicines must have a physician's prescription. All medication is inspected by the Health Ministry prior to customs inspection. If the Health Ministry classifies it as an illegal medication, clearance cannot be done.
    An import permit is required for food and candy. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of food or candy shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with the Health Ministry.
    A special Import Permit is required. There is an additional fee for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the specific commodity shipped. Please allow one additional day for clearance.
    An import permit is required for prostheses. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of medical item shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with the Health Ministry.
    An import permit is required for all medicine, including veterinary medicine. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of medicine shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with Customs. Medicines must have a physician's prescription. All medication is inspected by the Health Ministry prior to customs inspection. If the Health Ministry classifies it as an illegal medication, clearance cannot be done.
    Non-negotiable bonds, drafts only.
    An import permit is required for vitamins. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of vitamins shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with the Health Ministry.
    Gift Exemptions
    50.00 US Dollar USD
    company-to-company
    per shipment

    Shipments valued up to US$50.00 are subject to duties and taxes. However, depending on the shipment's contents, a lower rate of tax may be applied. This is not always the rule; customs may impose duty on personal shipments.

    In addition to a detailed description of each item, write additional comments of "gift shipment" on the invoice and in the Special Instructions box of the UPS Waybill to insure a proper assessment of duties and taxes.

    500.00 US Dollar USD
    company-to-individual
    per shipment

    Brokerage can be done by the consignees without payment of Duties and Taxes for shipments considered as personal or non commercial with a CIF declared value up to US$ 500.00, but they must be cleared between customs inspectors and the final consignee. If UPS or any customs agencies clear the parcel for the customer, the consignee will be charged with duties, taxes and Brokerage and/or Handling fees, depending on the type of merchandise

    0.00 US Dollar USD
    individual-to-company
    per shipment

    These types of shipments are considered commercial shipments and require a Formal Entry. They are subject to duties and taxes.

    50.00 US Dollar USD
    individual-to-individual
    per shipment

    Shipments valued up to US$50.00 are subject to duties and taxes. However, depending on the shipment's contents, a lower rate of tax may be applied. This is not always the rule; customs may impose duty on personal shipments.

    Write "gift shipment" on the invoice and in the Special Instructions box of the UPS Waybill to assure proper assessment of duties and taxes.

    Invoice Requirements
    Non-document shipments to Costa Rica must include 1 original and 2 copies of a commercial invoice.

    Pro forma invoices will not be accepted since they are considered by Customs like simple quotations. They are not good for customs purposes, as may be modified by exporter / seller in case of any variation of the initial conditions, so they offer no guarantee that make clear the price actually paid or that will be paid.

    Invoices must be translated into Spanish for Customs clearance. To avoid delays, include an extra invoice in Spanish with the shipment. The invoice must include the following information:

  • Nature of contents
  • Net weight of the shipment
  • Quantity of articles
  • Terms of the purchase (for example, CIF, FOB, or other)
  • Total gross weight of the shipment
  • Value of articles

    • Descriptions of contents such as spare parts, samples, computers parts, machine parts, gifts and similar ones are not accepted. The descriptions must be very specific and must describe the purpose of use.

    The consignee's telephone number, if available, must be on the invoice. Original invoices are required by law and prevent Customs delays. Invoices on company letterhead are preferred. All other types of invoices could cause shipments to be delayed in customs.

    The original invoice is required in order to release any package from customs, but it is essential that it clearly shows the actual conditions of the purchase-sale transaction (prices, quantities, Inco term used, currency, etc).


    UPS Paperless Invoice is available for small package exports from this country or territory.

    UPS Paperless Invoice is accepted by Customs for small package imports into this country or territory.

    Items Classified as Documents

    The destination country or territory considers the following items document shipments. If criteria are listed, the shipment must meet those criteria to be considered a document shipment. Customs can change the classification of the product and charge duties and taxes. If an article is considered a non-document and is detected during customs inspection, the shipment will automatically lose the simplified clearance and will go through the regular customs process requiring a formal entry. Documents must not have a declared value or they will be considered by customs as a non-document shipment.

    Document weight limit is 1 kg. If shipment exceeds the weight limit, it will be considered a non-document.
    Weight limit: 5 kg (11 lbs) and must be for personal use only. If the shipment exceeds the weight limit or more than one unit of catalogs is shipped, it will be considered a non-document. The shipment must not list a declared value.
    Document if canceled check.
    Document weight limit 10 kgs.
    Document limit is one credit card.
    When informative, not software. For personal use only.
    For personal use only, limit 2 rolls.
    To ship intercompany data on diskette or CD in the UPS Letter Envelope, you must follow these guidelines:
    Specifically write "intercompany data on diskette/CD-ROM" in the Description of Goods field of the waybill.
    Mark an "X" in the Documents Only box on the waybill.
    They must have no declared value.
    No weight limit.
    Must be declared as a document and have no declared value.

    UPS can recommend which forms you need based on a few simple criteria. Forms can be completed online or printed. See which forms you need.
    Prohibited or Restricted Commodities

    In addition to the prohibited commodities listed here, it is prohibited to ship the following commodities to Costa Rica.

    An import permit is required for chemicals. An additional fee is charged for the permit. The cost of the permit depends on the type of chemical shipped. Allow 2 additional days for clearance. The importer must be registered with the Health Ministry and present to UPS representatives the security sheet data form.
    Personal effects cannot be shipped between these countries or territories.
    Saturday Delivery Available

    Saturday Delivery Available: No

    Service Options

    Always check Calculate Time and Cost for details of service availability and guarantee information within a country or territory. All Service Levels may not be available to or from every address within a country or territory.

    • UPS Worldwide Expedited
    • UPS Worldwide Express
    • UPS Worldwide Express Saver
    • UPS WorldWide Express Freight
    Special Clearance Requirements
    New requirements have been implemented for small package shipments and are based on the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, which is entitled "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade". ISPM 15 was adopted internationally in 2002, and is gradually being introduced by countries or territories worldwide. Wood or wood products covered by ISPM 15 include items such as packing cases, boxes, crates, drums or similar packing, pallets, box pallets and other load boards, pallet collars and skids, but exclude such processed woods as orientated strand board, particle board, plywood or veneer, created using glue, heat and pressure or a combinations thereof, and, raw wood which is 6mm or less thick. It is recommended that if a question arises on this issue, please check with the authority that issues the Phytosanitary certificates in your country or territory.
    Value Limits

    Private Shipments

  • 50.00 US Dollar (USD)
      • In most cases, when the value of the shipment is equal to or less than the Deminimis Value, the shipment may enter the country or territory duty and tax free.

    Commercial Shipments

  • 50.00 US Dollar (USD)
      • In most cases, when the value of the shipment is equal to or less than the Deminimis Value, the shipment may enter the country or territory duty and tax free.

    Weight and Size Limits
    70 kg (150 lbs.) per package
    274.00 cm (107.9 in.)  per package
    419 cm (165 in. ) per package
    Length and girth combined


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