South America - declaring gifts on customs form - Chile

Hello all,

I'm flying into SCL next week, going to visit friends and i'm staying with a friend and their family in their home. I'm bringing gifts for the family as a thank you for hosting me (some semi-expensive stuff...a bowl from tiffany's for the mom, and ipod for one of the kids, a digital camera for another, etc.) these are mine, and i am obviously not selling them, but i'm concerned as to how it's going to look at customs...what is the proper protocol? do i need to declare these items?

would it be better if i took them out of their original packaging so they don't look as "new?" any advice would be great...

eta: my friend, whom i'm going to see, says because i'm an american, there won't be an issue at customs, i am sure that's anecdotal and not actual fact, but if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing, please let me know!

Hello all,

I'm flying into SCL next week, going to visit friends and i'm staying with a friend and their family in their home. I'm bringing gifts for the family as a thank you for hosting me (some semi-expensive stuff...a bowl from tiffany's for the mom, and ipod for one of the kids, a digital camera for another, etc.) these are mine, and i am obviously not selling them, but i'm concerned as to how it's going to look at customs...what is the proper protocol? do i need to declare these items?

would it be better if i took them out of their original packaging so they don't look as "new?" any advice would be great...

eta: my friend, whom i'm going to see, says because i'm an american, there won't be an issue at customs, i am sure that's anecdotal and not actual fact, but if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing, please let me know!

My experience with chilean customs is that they are more interested into fruits/vegetables in order to protect their environement and eventually drugs.

No kidding about fruits/vegetables, make sure you do not have any of these when entering Chile.

I would not mention any of the items you are bringing as a present.

As an average looking traveler or expat from the developed world entering Chile on a tourist card, a boxed run-of-the-mill digital camera, a boxed ipod and a boxed bowl should not draw much if any attention at all.

If you have multiple boxed iPods and cameras, that might raise some questions or more generally, a quantity of anything that crosses the reasonable line of personal use and commercial intention.

There is nothing wrong with saying they are gifts for people you know in Chile if questioned.

In the very unlikely worst case scenario, you will just need to pay the 19% value added tax + 6% more depending if the products are from a country that Chile does not have a FTA.

I know many expats who frequently bring in two or three suitcases full of non-agro/non-organic goodies and hardware who never have a problem or hardly any questions from Customs.

Put them in your bags before you go through Customs (all bags are scanned by X-ray machine at Chile Customs) and only engage in conversation about the items if specifically asked. Remember the items are personal gifts and are part of your personal use allotment in your personal baggage. Firm and polite arguments along those lines should work but if not, you will just pay tax.

Good luck.