Shipping furniture to DR

There is lots of information concerning shipping on this website. If you go to the forum section and click on the topics drop down, you will find lots of threads. Several are new info. Long story short. Bring whatever you can in suitcases and buy the rest in country. Shipping is $$$.

I felt I need to explain the clothes part.
The fact that four decades later I still wear the same size since high school, well, it kind of adds up. Not fads, or trends, just basics. Aslo, I worked at Macy's and Lord & Taylor for years, that didn't help.

Honey you don't have to justify your wardrobe to anyone!!!!

Ok do you have or will you get residencia? If you do then you can bring in a container of personal,items tax and duty free. There are rules attached to this so make sure you understand them.

If no - You will pay tax and duty plus the cost of shipping to bring this in. Tax is 18%. Duty depends on what it is.

You can send packages with a value of less than US 200, including shipping duty and tax free. But that sounds like a big hassle!

The reason I mentioned suitcases is cause I have found, for some of the things we are bringing, paying for another suitcase or 2 is not too expensive.

Yes,  on the residency. It will mean making a new life, I also have a past one. I've been trying to work with a lawyer in Santo Domingo, unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working. I will be looking for a new one.

I can recommend Wilson Rood in  Santo Domingo honey, speaks good English and he has great help.  [email protected]

Planner or Bob K -ANYONE - need immediate advice. I tried checking threads but must be buried too deep about reference to Customs, being married  to a Dominican lady/National and some legality of duty free/reduced customs charges on a one time basis. Just trying to check because my three pallets have cleared Customs and they want 83,564.30 pesos - I have mainly clothes, knick knacks and some used tools but also two new Samsung TVs, and a new portable generator......can anyone provide reference to something legal - I want to give to my lawyer who is good, but has not a lot of experience with Customs......appreciate any info - thanks - you can pm me!

Is this with your first residencia or not?

Launica,  One thought to investigate, is getting a business class ticket, you get your first 2 bags free (the third still cost what a 3rd would) BUT you get 70# per bag instead of 50# per bag, so if you pay for the 3rd between the 3 bags, you get the weight of 4.  My wife and I have done the math a few times before (Moved to Belize, and now to the DR), and it comes out close to a wash to get the business class ticket and you get a way better seat, for the same cost as check 4 bags. (3 70# bags vs 4 50# bags per person)

We did the bag thing last time. Delta credit card, first checked bag free. 2nd bag, charged as 1st. And, we both had carry on. Our were only 50lb, but it was a fairly efficient, inexpensive way to get a lot of stuff into our condo.

I have a guy who says he can ship to Santiago. But I am waiting for him to run the numbers. We do not have residency so there will be duty and taxes.

83,000 peso is not all that bad, imho. Electronics are more expensive in DR. Might be worth it?

Good advice on the suitcases, but my husband is the cook and won't cook without his small appliances. Unfortunately, these won't fit in a suitcase, and to buy them all new over there, or even order online,  we'll your talking big bucks. So I just as well ship them and take other things, too, that I can't imagine how to find in DR.
So back to the container thing. Besides not having to pay the import tax, anyone have experience actually shipping household items?

When you talk to shippers, inquire about the availability of an LTL, less than total load. (sharing a container.)  Remind your husband that there are other brands besides Kitchen- Aid.  There are many, many used restaurant supply places here with anything you could imagine.  From an Altersham to pasta drain cones.  He wants it, he can find it here. There  is a "finder" guy who makes many trips around the island. He loves driving & the fee is usually gas, beer & maybe a lunch. He can combine your stuff with others.  From food to fincas, he knows where. However you resolve the issue, good luck & welcome.

Check with consulate , in the past they gave wavers on taxes when people move there. I don't know your residency status or if they still do it but it was a one shot deal and you would need a letter from them.

😀...it took us 4 different stops to find a Crock-Pot, lolol. Rice cookers out the wazoo, but only 2 Crock-Pots between Santiago and Puerto Plata. I was explaining the concept to one of the sales people... You can put food in, go to the beach all day, come back, and your food is done. After explaining, they thought it was a great idea! So funny....

The right to bring in yout containrr of personal items cimes with your first residencia. There are lots of rules attached to it.

Croc pots use too much electricity for some thus too expensive.

Good thought Planner! My American brain was in charge. We don't plan on getting an oven for awhile so we are microwave, Crock-Pot, and stove top. The electric use makes total sense. Thank you!

You are very welcome. I love my crok  pot too because I hate cooking....

CrristE, I have gas stove w/ oven. I use my toaster oven quite often, 3 to 4 times a week, use my micro everyday. Ceiling fans almost all the time, TV & laptop at least 12 hours a day. Have A/C but never use it. My power bill, including exterior night lights, last month was 685RD pesos. Normally it averages 7 to 800RD.  When I get a crock pot, I won't hesitate to make use of it.  I cook 7 days a week. Use my blender every morning for a smoothy. Food processor at least twice a week. Because of my vision all my bulbs are incandescent. I need the high Kelvin number in order to see.   No dish washer or washer/dryer. Laundry is done by the Europa lavendaria. $7 or$8 bucks a month.  Look forward to meeting for drinks again soon. Be safe & get the damned crock pot.

Warning! RD customs/aduana is where the vultures and alligators collect to feed on expatz bodies. I was there 4 days trying to get 3 boxes n 4 suitcases passed thru. It took 3 days for them to finally decide to charge me USD$1,600/DOP80k for my used clothes, ancient hardcopy books and odds n ends of personal items. I laughed n told them that I could replace eveything in the load 15 times with that sort of investment.

I hung around the rest of the day, n... sure enough... one of the ladies (n later, a gent) that work there told me to come back tomorrow... they were going to negotiate. The next day, we  opened up n inventoried everything... again... n I said I could handle usd$300. Later, I got an offer for USD$200 plus usd$100 fees = USD$300.

SUGGESTIONS...  1. DON'T SHIP UNLESS YOU CAN'T CARRY VIA CHECKED LUGGAGE, even if it takes various trips, you could potentially lose everything. It would take most people over 20 minutes to read my experiences moving a full household a car n a motorcycle Miami to Argentina. RD is about as bad, but a lot nicer about ripping you off. 2. Don't even think of trying to report corruption involvement by public officials. Things will definitely get worse. Thatz just the way it is. Move to Scandanavia if you don't like corruption but you don't mind high taxes. 3. The outright theft started in Miami, where the airfreight firm charged USD$700 for a $400 shipment. I suggest you take your freight directly to your preferred carrier n do what they tell you.  4. Under no circumstances put valuable electronics or other identifiable  valuables in the cargo. I lost a computer and an 11 inch tablet in a suitcase. 5. If you must ship, make sure the COMMERCIAL INVOICE is signed by you with believable value for the most expensive items in your shipment n get 3x copies or a pic on your phone/tablet of all shipping docs. Take these docs with you, as you will need them. They presented me with false docs showing a commercial value of USD$4000 dollars, whereas the doc I signed in Miami was much less.

ABOVE ALL... take a local spanish speaker worth you well briefed on what you want customs to know about you n your shipment. I have been fluent in Spanish since childhood n I took TWO!

AS ALWAYS... your mileage my vary. CapnRick/Santiago n Jarabacoa

Thanks Capn!!!!

Thanks from me also Capn!! I was considering shipping some items. I suggest you take as much as you can thru checked baggage with American Airlines. I love the plastic wrapping machines in the Miami Airport. I have yet to have one of my bags opened to see the contents. Also exploit the 5 checked bag limit on American Airlines. Keep your bags below 70 lbs each and you can carry practically anything. I definitely can't carry large furniture, but I have carried two 40 lb air conditioners in my bags padded with clothing. I used to fly PAWA airlines. I have seen people check televisions and even small pieces of furniture as baggage with them. I have to add, a crockpot, rice cooker, steamer, vitamix, and rotisserie will fit in in bags and travel well packed in clothing.

Great info....

I did get the Crock-Pot. 😊 And, I used it. We don't have a dishwasher either. Don't plan to. Waiting on W/D. We will be back in July.

Nice.  Fyi hardly anyone here has a dishwasher,  well an automatic one......

Hey Christie,

I have noticed that Furniture there is quite a bit of money also. Does the payoff make sense not to ship vs buy new furntiture/tvs there? I noticed electronics are very expensive there. You know us , men are attached to thier loveseats and tvs and women are attached to thier clothes.

Order a tabletop dishwasher from Walmart and check it is baggage. Mine attaches to the sink faucet and will easily wash 4 place settings worth of dishes. I brought my TVs and computer monitors from the states as luggage.  I'm bringing more things back this trip. Looking for a good harmonica for someone.

Thanks but how did you bring a TV has luggage? They let you bring a 55 inch?

My TV s are 32 inches, and i had no problem. They do allow oversized bags for carrying a bike, or large musical instrument.  I think American airlines charges 75 dollars for oversized bags, if you aren't flying first class. For me that isn't a big deal.  I've seen 55 inch TVs in Santo Domingo for 700 dollars.  You can buy one at Walmart for 300 dollars. I fly back to the states a lot for business trips,  and i always bring items with me. The cost to travel to Miami,  buy the TV, and transport it back would be about the same as buying it there,  if you don't regularly travel.

That's great to know thank you.

I bought two Samsung TVs at great sale prices at Costco and shipped here. Even with the sales receipt the duty etc was almost the same amount as buying the same tvs new here. Oh yes, two lay down wardrobe boxes from Uhaul with my old clothes - 9540 pesos.....

Thanks 2VP man they make is expensive to leave this place lol

We don't have a TV yet. Don't need one. Our fridge was the most expensive thing we have purchased, thus far. 32,000 pesos.

We found the furniture prices to be quite reasonable. We do not have residency yet so not bothering with shipping, too complicated.

Jumbo's, LaSirena, Pappaterra are all places for fill in stuff. Hildesia in Puerto Plata, Atlantic Muebla in Sosua for couch, dining room and outdoor.

IKEA Santo Domingo website (deliver to Santiago, truck to Sosua)  for bedframes/mattresses/dishes/pots and pans. We had a solid week of work. If you don't speak Spanish, you will need help. We had fun putting it all together.

CPS Sosúa maritine shipping charges by volume .. we've shipped tons of stuff with them...you get a Miami address...and you could probably drop the stuff off with them there...and then pick it up in Sosúa.

Good Afternoon Everyone, I have two sofas (2 years old) two flat screens one King Size bed with nice bedroom set, dining room table. I was going to leave Threadmill and other furnitnure behind. In your own opinion is it good to try to send there or just start over with new furniture? The buyer of my home will gladly take my furniture but was thinking of renting storage and just moving there. I have no apt there, no visa, this was not planned because I did not think my house would sell next day after literally doing nothing more than sticking a for sale by owner side in my front yard, no  realtor, not even craiglist. LOL

Wow good for you. Reality it will cost you too much to ship it and pay tax and duty. Get what you need here honey.

Thank you planner. I am excited. I have been apart of this forum for awhile and this just all came together. I listed to some of everyone's advice regarding inverters, batteries etc and got something setup out there, tested it and it works great. Many of you have been a very big help to me and I thank you so much.

Glad we can help!!!

When shipping to Dominican Republic , it is important to know all thr rules and regulation prior ;
https://www.usgshipping.com/index.php/s … c-from-usa

You cant just ship your items and expect to go pick them up from the port without the customs hassle.
Actually it is not that complicated as long as you are aware of the process.