In brief
Decree No. 5.2931 (“Decree”) issued on 20 March 2026 exempts the payment of Value Added Tax (VAT), as well as any customs taxes, fees, or levies, on goods entering the national customs territory in passenger’s luggage, where the passenger is travelling from Paraguaná Peninsula Investment Zone or the Free Port of Nueva Esparta.
The Decree entered into force the date it was published in the Official Gazette (i.e., 20 March 2026).
In more detail
The most relevant aspects of the Decree are as follows:
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The Decree exempts the payment of VAT and customs duties for goods entering the national customs territory, as long as they are part of the luggage of passengers2
coming from the Paraguaná Peninsula Investment Zone in Falcón State, or the Free Port of Nueva Esparta.
This exemption will be applicable as long as the combined value of said goods does not exceed an amount equivalent to three thousand (3,000) times the highest exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Venezuela in national currency (i.e. currently EUR 3,000).
- Applicable Regulations: The baggage regimes described above will also be governed by the provisions of the respective laws of the Paraguaná Peninsula Investment Zone in Falcón and the Free Port of Nueva Esparta.
- Duration: The Decree will be effective for five years from its publication in the Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (i.e., until 20 March 2031).
It is relevant to note that the State of Nueva Esparta holds the status of a Special Economic Zone and Free Port, whereas the Paraguaná Peninsula operates under the regimes of a Free Trade Zone, a Special Economic Zone, and a Free Zone.
We remain at your disposal should you require further detail or explanation regarding the general aspects of the Decree highlighted in this alert, or for any related enquiries.
1 Official Gazette No. 7,014 of 20 March, 2026.
2 The Regulations of the Organic Customs Law on Release, Suspension, and Other Special Customs Regimes (published in Extraordinary Official Gazette No. 5.129 of 30 December 1966) defines passengers as all nationals or residents in the country who enter or leave the national territory, through places authorized for customs operations, aboard public or private means of transportation.