Returning Residence | Divine Freight Co.

Eligibility.

Returning Residents: Importing Goods into Zimbabwe.

Returning Residents Intending to Import e.g. Household Personal Effects, New Vehicle etc. into Zimbabwe.

Guideline Notes.

Eligibility

Importing Goods into Zimbabwe

Returning residents, including Zimbabwean citizens and permanent residents, may be eligible to import certain goods into Zimbabwe, including:

Household personal effects
New vehicles
Other personal items

Requirements

To import goods into Zimbabwe, returning residents must:
Obtain a Returning Resident Permit: From the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA)
Meet Customs Requirements: Declare goods and pay applicable duties and taxes
Comply with Import Regulations: Ensure goods meet Zimbabwe's import regulations and standards
Duty-Free Allowances: Returning residents may be eligible for duty-free allowances on certain goods, including:

Household personal effects (up to a certain value)
New vehicles (subject to certain conditions)

Documents

Returning residents must provide the following documents:

Passport: Valid Zimbabwean passport.
Returning Resident Permit: Issued by ZIMRA.
Customs Declaration Form: Completed and signed.
Invoice and Bill of Lading: For new vehicles and other goods.
Proof of Residence: Utility bills, lease agreement, or other documents.

Clearance Procedure:

Returning residents must follow the clearance procedure:

Submit Documents: To ZIMRA
Pay Duties and Taxes: As applicable.
Clear Goods: Through customs.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:

Failure to comply with import regulations and customs requirements may result in:

Penalties and Fines
Seizure of Goods
Delay or Detention of Goods

The notes below are ONLY intended as a general guideline for Returning Residents intending to import e.g. personal goods, vehicle etc. into Zimbabwe. The person must be prepared for any additional requirements that the ZIMRA Customs Officer dealing with the vehicle may require at the interview when getting the vehicle cleared. We strongly suggest that you visit ZIMRA yourself and get the required information from them direct.

PLEASE NOTE: Returning student’s course must have been done in consecutive years that are WITHOUT a break from start date to completion date of the course.

Vehicle MUST be in physical existence at Car Dealer's premise before the Resident’s return date into Zimbabwe.
Resident MUST make the payment to the Car Dealer for the vehicle BEFORE he/she returns to Zimbabwe. This is used as first proof of point. Invoice must be in Resident’s name.
Resident needs to have a covering letter from University/ College stating they have been studying there, the period of study and course and stating they had completed their studies if he/she is a student OR a letter from their previous Employer stating that he/she was employed by them, what position he/she held and stating he/she had resigned and was returning back to Zimbabwe.

4. Upon arrival into Zimbabwe, the Returning Resident must have in his/her possession the following documents as these will be required at ZIMRA Customs when clearing the vehicle:

the original signed copy of the above letter [point3] from University, College or ex Employer,
the Proforma Invoice from Autoworld for the vehicle,
Proof of Payment for the vehicle made to GMSA,
a bank statement to prove that he/she had the funds available to pay for the vehicle [a student may receive a donation from a family member as a gift to purchase the vehicle]

5. The Returning Resident MUST DECLARE himself/herself as a RETURNING RESIDENT to the ZIMRA Immigration Officer at the PORT of ENTRY and if at all possible must insist that the ZIMRA official endorse his/her passport with Returning Residents Stamp. If not, then he/she needs to get into Home Affairs at Linquenda House as soon as possible to declare that he/she requires RR status and gets a Returning Residents stamp endorsed in his/her passport. NB. To qualify for Residency in Zimbabwe he/she CANNOT hold a residency permit/stamp for another country. Therefore his/her foreign residency/study stamp must be expired and if not, he/she needs the letter in (3) to use as proof that he/she is returning to Zimbabwe. He/she also needs to declare he/she is intending to import a vehicle into Zimbabwe and should try and get the Proforma endorsed as such.

6. Once the Resident has returned and has a Returning Residence Stamp done, he/she 90 days from the date of return to Zimbabwe to import and clear the vehicle with ZIMRA Customs. The vehicle can be imported and put into bonded warehouse to await clearance before his/her return so long as payment was done before the goods or vehicle entry into Zimbabwe [needs to own goods before it’s entry into Zimbabwe]

7. For the ZIMRA Customs interview it is very important that there is a date sequence for all documents. The dates of documents need to follow each other:

Proforma Invoice - Commercial Invoice
Proof of Payment - Bank statement transfer
Invoice – To prove date of manufacture and vehicle was made before re entry into Zimbabwe [collect from Clearing Agent].
Passport with Returning Resident stamp to prove ownership of goods before re entry into Zimbabwe.

SUPPLY YOU SINCE 2008

APPROVED IMPORT AND EXPORT EXPERTS

7. For the ZIMRA Customs interview it is very important that there is a date sequence for all documents. The dates of documents need to follow each other: