Ask Afpop
In this new monthly column, afpop, Portugal’s largest foreign residents’ association, aims to answer some of the most frequently-asked questions by members.
Q: My brother recently moved to America and wants to send a Christmas parcel to us. It will include some gifts but also some items from my nephew and niece which they’ve made for us. Will the parcel get through customs in Lisbon?
afpop Answers: Not all parcels are stopped by customs when they arrive in Lisbon, but, of course, it’s wise to assume that yours will be and either CTT or the customs service will require information and sometimes even payment of taxes before they will allow them to be released to the intended recipient.
Post from outside the EU enters Portugal usually by air via the CTT sorting office at Lisbon Airport, where they are inspected and selected taking into account the instructions of the Tax and Customs Authority. Where there is any doubt or lack of documentation, CTT will notify the intended recipient of the package.
When goods are purchased from abroad, the seller who posts them to you must include a copy of the invoice outside of the packaging. This invoice will include codes and identifying symbols which will enable CTT to ascertain what is inside the parcel and whether it needs to be stopped and checked.
If the parcel is from a family member, they should also include a document describing the contents, including invoices if they have them, in a sealed envelope on the outside of the parcel.
This is fine for parcels that include a purchased item, but what if it includes drawings that children have done or a painting that a relative has created themselves or any other item that has no commercial value? In these cases, there is a document called ‘Declaração de Valor’ that can be downloaded from the CTT website and which can be downloaded by relatives for them to include with the parcel.
Of course, if it’s a surprise gift you won’t know in advance, so it might be worth the time to download this document now and simply send it to anyone in an email that might conceivably send you a parcel in the future.
The ‘Declaração de Valor’ is in Portuguese and English and is a simple, one sheet, document which can be used to identify the contents of a parcel. The ‘Declaração’ can also be requested from the afpop office by quoting “Algarve Resident – Ask afpop”.
You can contact CTT via the website www.ctt.pt or call the CTT line 707 26 26 26, available Monday to Saturday from 8am to 10pm (they speak in English). If you do have to contact them by telephone though, make sure you have all documentation with you as the phone calls can be expensive if you have to search for documents.
For more information about the benefits of membership of afpop, the largest association for foreign residents in Portugal, you can visit their website www.afpop.com; email them direct on info@afpop.com or call the afpop office on 282 458 509 or 938 252 100). Please remember to quote the Algarve Resident when contacting them.
