Customs regulations for your trip to Armenia

Customs regulations

Import regulations:

Free import of:

• 200 cigarettes;
• 2 liters of alcohol;
• 6 items of perfumery products, with a maximum of 5 liters;
• personal goods valued up to USD 10,000.- and 50 kilograms in weight (for residents and non-residents).
• The customs declaration filled out on arrival must be retained by the passenger.

Importing Samples

Sample products should be declared at the entry in the country.As they are also considered as temporary “importation”, no particular taxes should apply.

Non Tariff Barriers

Armenia is considered as having one of the most open tariff regimes. Although Armenia is a member of WTO and the Customs Code is in full compliance with WTO rules, the application of market value, rather than transaction value, in the valuation of goods is a common practice, creating an unpredictable and intimidating environment for international traders as well as domestic firms. At the same time, customs officials complain that importers systematically under-report the transaction value of goods to avoid tariffs. Besides, it should be noted that there is no quota for imports from other WTO member countries.

Most imports are free of licensing requirements. However, there are some restrictions for health, security, or environmental reasons. Medicines must be authorized by the Ministry of Health and agricultural chemicals by the Ministry of Agriculture.

In the event of complaints against the Customs Authorities the importer may appeal to the superior Customs authority or to the courts.

Import Requirements and Documentation

Customs officials require importers to present a customs declaration form with a commercial invoice indicating the specifications, quantity, and value of goods being imported. Armenia’s customs authority has implemented an on-line declaration process (Direct Trader Input, or DTI) that reduces personal contact between customs officials and importers.

A declaration must be supported by the following documents (where applicable): contracts, commercial documents such as commercial invoices and packing lists, transport documents, import licenses, TR TS (technical regulation of technical safety) certificates, certificates of origin, sanitary certificates, import permissions and licenses for certain goods, and documents confirming the legitimacy of declarants, brokers, and importers.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) maintains a unified list of goods for which import and export limitations and prohibitions apply in order to monitor and control movement of goods classified as sensitive by the member states or by the international community. In Armenia, import licenses are issued by government agencies in accordance with the unified licensing rules of the EAEU. Information about legislation, licenses, and bans and restrictions on the movement of goods is available on the State Revenue Committee website. Licenses can be obtained online through an electronic system.

Dutiable items

A uniform rate of 10% applies to majority of the imports (all exports from Armenia are duty free). Some essential goods like foodstuffs, raw material and fuel are exempt from customs duties. Customs requires importers to present a customs declaration form with a commercial invoice indicating the specifications, quantity, and value of goods being imported. The State Customs Committee has implemented an online declaration process (Direct Trader Input or “DTI”) which reduces personal contact between customs officials and importers. Tobacco and alcoholic beverages require a certificate of quality issued by the national certification body, Armexpertiza.

Also, according to the Customs Code no duties are levied on goods in the following categories:

• Transit shipments;
• Imports into a customs warehouse;
• Imports into a customs free warehouse;
• Imports into a duty-free shop;
• Temporary import for inward processing;
• Temporary imports

Prohibited Item

• narcotics
• pornographic materials
• fruits and vegetables without proper documents

Miscellanous

Arms and Ammunition regulations:

Passengers can import firearms and ammunition if holding a permit, license or pre-advice obtained via the website www.police.am . They must be transported as check-in luggage and be declared prior to departure.

Wild Fauna and Flora:

The import of certain endangered species of plant, live animals and their products is prohibited or restricted under CITES.
For further details please refer to CITES: www.cites.org.

Additional Information on regulations:

Pieces of art should be accompanied by a document from the Agency of Cultural Heritage Preservation for export.

Passenger must hold a photo of each piece of art.

Armenia Pet Rules and Requirements

All animals entering Armenia are required to have an Import Permit issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and a pet passport. Remember that this import permit has a validity of only one month. Armenia does not allow pets to be imported with an expired import permit. For the purposes of identification (which is very important) your pet should have a microchip, complying with ISO standards, or tattoo number attached to it. It is recommended that you bring photographs of your pet and to also attached these photos to the travel crate.

The vaccination card or certificate should mention that your dog is identifiable and has been vaccinated against rabies, Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), Canine Parvo Virus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis and Leptospirosis.

If it is a cat, then it should be vaccinated against rabies, Feline Pan Leukcopenia (FPV), Feline Rhinotrachitics (FHV-1) and Feline Calicivirus. Dogs and cats must be vaccinated for rabies within the last year.

As a precondition for allowing any pet into Armenia, 21 days should have elapsed after the rabies vaccination date. Also required is a certificate for Rabies Serum Neutralization test. Keep in mind that if you are coming from Australia, Austria, Andorra, Ascension Island, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bahrain, Bermuda, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, KSA, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Malta, Montserrat, Mauritius, Mayotte, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Vincent & the grenadines, Saint Kitts & Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, U.S.A, Vatican City, Vanuatu, or Wallis & Futuna, you do not need this certificate! But if you are not, then you need to obtain it. It should come from a governmental laboratory or accredited laboratory.

If your pet is under 4 months of age, it will not be allowed into Armenia. Aggressive animals are also not allowed. Dogs or cats under 4 months of age will be kept in the quarantine station until it becomes over 4 months of age! All costs of housing, care, feeding, medical services and others will be paid by you so be careful in this regard.