by Natalya Antonenko
BISNIS Representative

January 1999

Goods shipped to Kazakhstan must be declared to Kazakhstani customs within 15 days upon their arrival. The State Customs Committee, located in Astana, is the central customs body. It manages 13 customs departments, located in each oblast, and 16 customs houses, located throughout Kazakhstan, including four in Almaty oblast. Customs clearance is completed by the customs departments (excluding the department for Almaty city and oblast) and customs houses. Customs houses manage one or several customs points located in Kazakhstan.

Imported goods are subject to customs clearance at the customs house of their arrival. If, for example, a firm is registered with a customs house in Almaty and the goods arrive in a customs house in Atyrau, the firm is required to present the confirmation (issued by the customs body with which the firm is registered in Almaty) that it does not have outstanding customs debts.

Customs clearance procedure includes: submission of all required documents together with an electronic copy of the customs declaration; verification of the documents by a customs officer; customs' valuation of the declared goods; customs' calculation of taxes, fees, and duties; customs' inspection of goods in the presence of the importer or the agent; and authorization of their release.

The documents required for completing customs clearance include, but are not limited to:

Supply Contract or Agreement (original or notarized copy). The document must be stamped and signed by the parties.

Import Transaction Passport (one copy if submitted to the bank that will transfer funds for the payment of goods, or three copies if submitted to customs).

Customs Cargo Declaration. TD-1 form must be submitted to customs in quadruplicate.

Commercial Invoice (one). The document must include: the country of origin; cost or value of packaging materials; labeling and number of packages; weight (net, gross, and tare); quantity and description of goods; price per unit and the total value; purchase price; terms of supply; and exact place of final dispatch in the exporting country. All invoice data must be in accordance with the terms of the contract. The invoice must be stamped by the shipper. If the goods are not for sale but for private use, it must be clearly indicated on the invoice.

Shipping documents (originals). The documents must include registration numbers of transportation vehicles, weight and description of the cargo, number of attached contract and number of the license or registration. All documents must be in duplicate.

Packing list (s) (originals). The list must present a brief but complete description of goods. The list must be stamped by the company.

Power of Attorney for Conducting Customs Clearance. The document is required for transactions conducted through customs brokers or agents.

Additionally, depending on the nature of goods, Customs may require the following documents:

Import License; Certificate of Origin; Certificate of Conformity; Declaration of Customs Valuation; Insurance documents; Statistical Card; Technical Documents for equipment; Quarantine Certificate; Sanitary Certificate; Veterinary Certificate; and Certificate of Company's Registration in Kazakhstan.

It is recommended that the importer make all necessary copies and have the original documents ready for submission if required.

Under the Customs Code, the decision to release goods is made by Customs within 10 days upon the acceptance of the cargo declaration. To avoid delays, all required documents must be prepared and submitted in a timely and orderly fashion in exact accordance with Customs regulations. Customs declaration must be filed by a Kazakhstani legal entity (a firm or its branch established under the Kazakhstani Law) or a representative located and registered in Kazakhstan; or a permanent resident of Kazakhstan. A foreign company -importer -must act through a customs broker licensed by the State Customs Committee. The cost of the service provided by a customs broker in Kazakhstan varies from USD 100 to USD 700 per shipment depending on the means of transport, type of goods, and frequency of shipments.

U.S. Embassy notes: U.S. firms have noted difficulty in getting goods cleared, given various documentation requirements that are often made at the last minute by Customs officers. Frequent importers are advised to utilize pre-arrival and periodic declaration regimes approved in August 1997, however implementation has been spotty. An experienced customs broker may save your U.S. firm from headaches, demurrage costs, and other fees.

Some useful contacts:

TERMINAL (Customs Brokers)
Address: 22b Manasa Street, Almaty 480008, Kazakhstan
Tel: 7 (3272) 42-74-66, 42-67-16
Fax: 7 (3272) 42-52-83, 53-81-83
E-mail: tfl@terminal.almaty.kz
Contact: Anatoliy Mukhamedzhanov, President

ZAO ACCEPT CORPORATION Customs Department (Customs Brokers)
Address: 555 Seyfullin Prospect, Almaty 480091, Kazakhstan
Tel/Fax: 7 (3272) 63-54-62
Contact: Ermek Kozhabergenov, Director of the Department

RM LOGISTICS (Customs Brokers)
Address: 49 Panfilov Street, Room 1, Almaty 480091, Kazakhstan
Tel: 7 (3272) 32-19-91, 53-57-77
Fax: 7 (3272) 32-12-31
E-mail: Cats@alm.almaty.kz
Contact: Ron Macleod, Director

SEA-LAND Service International (U.S. transportation company)
Address: 85 Dostyk Prospect, Kazakh Business Center #407
Almaty 480100, Kazakhstan
Tel: 7 (3272) 63-55-44, 69-25-31
Fax: 7 (3272) 63-59-66
E-mail: sealand@asdc.kz
Contact: Shelley Fitch, Director

This report is provided courtesy of the Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS)