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Customs and Travelers: Duty-Free and Prohibited Products

You are about to travel abroad or you are returning from abroad. You may be inspected by customs officers. Why this control?

Because it is desirable :

• To ensure your safety
• To protect your health and your economy
• To ensure the regularity of transactions
• To preserve your national heritage

Customs officers may ask travelers entering Gabon to justify the status of certain items brought with them (jewelry, cameras, camcorders, cell phones, etc.).

If purchases "for personal use" have been made, they must not be of any commercial nature, and must not exceed a certain quantity under penalty of filling out a customs declaration and paying duties and taxes (Article 172 of the Customs Code).

The traveler control

The agent in charge of the control is easily recognizable by his uniform.

NB: Some Customs officers in charge of the control of travelers do not wear a uniform, but must hold a "commission of employment" or a professional card, if applicable. They may also wear a red or orange "Customs" armband. 

The customs officer may inspect goods and persons in order to detect fraud (art. 98 CDC), both inside and outside the customs area.

NB: Customs officers are under the special protection of the law (Art. 88 CDC). It is especially forbidden to any natural or legal person, civilian or military:

• To insult them, mistreat them or disturb them in the performance of their duties;
• To oppose this exercise.

Any violation of these provisions is punishable by a fine of 500,000 to 2,000,000 CFA francs (Art. 465-2 CDC).

a) At departure:
Travelers leaving Libreville are informed that certain goods such as art objects, animals or plants are subject to regulations. To this effect, we strongly recommend that you get information beforehand from the competent services.
 
b) Upon arrival:
When you pass through customs, the agents will introduce themselves to you and inform you of the service control. You will be asked to present your passports and airline tickets.
You will then be asked to declare your goods and/or cash in your possession in excess of 5 million CFA francs (Article 56 p47 hebdo Informations, la réglementation des échanges au Gabon).

1st case: If you have goods to declare, you will follow the customs agent to proceed with their taxation, settleable in cash, check or credit card.

2nd case: If you have nothing to declare, the customs officer may proceed, in case of doubt, to the verification of the contents of your luggage.

NB: Customs controls are not systematic, but are carried out unannounced and by sampling. The fact that you have been checked once does not exclude the possibility of a new check, even outside the customs area.

a) Verification not in accordance with the declaration
Any false declaration or failure to declare will result in the payment of duties and taxes and possible penalties.
 
a/1 You have nothing to declare
If you declare to the customs officer that you have nothing to declare, and if he opens your luggage and considers that there are any taxable goods in it, you are in a situation of fourth class offence (art.467 CDC fine equal to the value of the goods) when it concerns goods in the category of those that are neither prohibited nor heavily taxed.
On the other hand, if this infringement concerns goods in the category of those that are prohibited or heavily taxed, it will constitute a first class customs offence (art.469 CDC confiscation of the object, fine equal to double the value of the object of fraud, and possibly imprisonment).

a/2 Your declaration is not in conformity
During the physical check of your luggage, if the result of the control does not comply with your declaration, you are in violation. In this case, you risk :

• A fine, without prejudice to the payment of duties and taxes due;
• The possible seizure of your goods;
• Legal proceedings in the most serious cases.

(Art. 466 paragraph 2-g CDC fine equal to the triple of the evaded or compromised duties and taxes for the excess on the declared weight, number or measure, and 467 paragraph 2 fine equal to the value of the goods for any false declaration of the kind of the goods).

The penalties can be paid immediately. If you refuse, a report may be drawn up and forwarded to the judicial authorities.
Any settlement must be concluded by the obligatory handing over of a receipt or a customs report to the travelers.
 
b) Seizure of prohibited goods
 
If you are carrying prohibited goods, customs officers have the authority to seize them. This customs infraction will be recorded in a report and the public prosecutor will be informed.
 
c) Possession and transport of drugs
If you possess or transport drugs, regardless of the quantity, this will result in your immediate incarceration and subsequent appearance in court.

Customs Code Annex A Act n°164/67-CD-608
Attention: Beyond the quantities indicated above, you must declare to the customs the products that you transport and pay the corresponding duties and taxes.

NB : You must absolutely get information, before your departure or arrival, and obtain the necessary authorizations. If you fail to do so, the goods will be kept by the customs service pending regularization.