Sending goods to Cape Verde 2006-7
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Some experiences 2006-7
AIR FREIGHT:
Some expats paid a considerable amount to send their new business equipment by air to Sal. Unfortunately, the Cargo Terminal charges on arrival at Sal for Import Tax was twice the total of the postal and equipment costs put together.
POSTING ITEMS:
April 06 - It was around £88 to post up to 30kg of goods to Sal from UK. A box I wanted sent over from the UK to Sal via the normal postal service weighed around 35kgs, the size of the box was ok but apparently the weight was not. Further enquiries with DHL made the cost of sending it over would be £500. I was told that to send a 30kg package would cost only £88 to send out via normal post, so I took 5kg out obviously.
One of two parcels that was posted in the UK in middle of May 06 arrived 14th August (3 months). The other parcel arrived two weeks later. If you are sending something in a parcel, please check before you send it what it will cost the other person receiving it. Although I paid to the post office in the UK to send my TV and some other things sent over, the Post Office in Santa Maria also charged me another 4,700 escudos to collect it. I am not sure whether the full costs of the items were declared on sending in the UK instead of a lower price, they should/could have been sent as a 'Gift'...the word 'gift' should be clearly written on the outside of the parcel/packet. Please check this out as it could save you money.
I had a friend contact DHL on my behalf to enquire about sending express mail, under 500grams to Sal from the UK to arrive within 5-7 days, the cost I was told would be £68. Unfortunately some bright spark decided to write on the sealed envelope that the Republic of Cabo Verde was in South Africa. Not only did this delay the documents arrival but they also charged me another 10,000esc to have it forwarded from Durban.
One person had 4 out of 8 parcels returned to the UK, as someone in the post office in Portugal wrote on the parcel ‘this is not in Portugal’. The parcels had the full address of where the parcels were to be delivered to on Sal, on various parts of the parcel, together with the address it had been sent from in the UK. Perhaps a large map on the front of the parcel, showing where The Republic of Cape Verde was in relation to Portugal may help!
If you use the right postal address (see below) then letters should arrive here within 2weeks, as long as no-one in the post office in UK adds that Cape Verde is Portuguese (in Portugal) or in Africa!!!!
Postal address for Santa Maria arriving at the Post Office:
Name of person
Santa Maria
Posta Restante
Ilha do Sal
Republic de Cabo Verde
COD 4111
You may also like to contact experienced Dispatchers and Clearance Agents in Cape Verde, some speak English or other languages.
You can also find related information on Importation to Cape Verde, Sending goods by Airfreight or by Container Ship, Importing Goods by Ship, Business Incentives, Setting up a Business, Sending Goods to Cape Verde, Overseas relocation to Cape Verde, Taking personal goods to Cape Verde, Shipping goods between the Cape Verde Islands, Dispatcher and Clearance Agent for Importing Goods to Cape Verde.
