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FAQs

I. General Questions

1. Which government authorities are electronic customs declaration services currently available at?

Electronic customs declaration services are available at the following government authorities: Macao Customs Service (SA), Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), Instituto para a Supervisão e Administração Farmacêutica (ISAF), Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT), Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT), Import Licence: Public Security Police Force(CPSP) and Transport Bureau(DSAT).

2. What services is electronic customs declaration suitable for?

The electronic customs declaration system currently includes the following professional customs declaration applications for the following import and export trade activities, covering most of the documents required for external trade activities:

  1. Import licences:
    1. IAM;
    2. ISAF;
    3. DSEDT;
    4. CTT (with export declaration);
    5. CPSP;
    6. DSAT (with export declaration).
  2. Export and transhipment licences:
    1. Export licence (DSEDT);
    2. Transhipment licence (DSEDT).
  3. Declarations:
    1. Import/Export declaration;
    2. Import declaration for goods subject to quarantine – food and cat/dog feeds, landscape plants;
    3. Certificate of Origin and Export Declaration B;
    4. Hazardous chemical import declaration;
    5. Declaration for relocation of production process abroad;
    6. Transhipment declaration;
    7. Import of fresh food by land.
  4. Other services:
    1. Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (with import/export and transhipment licences)
    2. Certificates of Origin Request Form (Formulario);
    3. E-manifest.

3. Who administers the electronic customs declaration service platform?

The EDI-based electronic customs declaration service platform comes under the administration of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region from 1 June 2021 onwards.

4. Are there any fees for using electronic customs declaration?

Electronic customs declaration services are free of charge unless otherwise provided by law.

5. Why use electronic customs declaration services?

Submitting customs declaration documents electronically has multiple benefits, including:

  1. It saves the time, resources and costs for manual customs declaration;
  2. It saves the cost of purchasing paper-based licences or declarations, and using electronic customs declaration is free of charge;
  3. It enables customs declaration via Internet or mobile app, thereby breaks free of office hour and location constraints;
  4. It enables eco-friendly and fast paperless application and approval, as competent authorities can carry out approval within the electronic customs declaration system, and the approval result will be sent to the applicant and the SA directly by electronic means;
  5. It safeguards application information by means of digital encryption.

6. Are there any safety risks for using EDI-based electronic customs declaration services?

The EDI-based electronic customs declaration service system operates on an encrypted connection and requires logging in to an exclusive account. Integrity and safety of information are ensured as document application and submission require an e-certificate signature that conforms to legal requirements.

II. Applying to use electronic customs declaration

7. How to apply to use electronic customs declaration services? What supporting documents are needed?

Please refer to the application procedures in Application for Electronic Customs Declaration.

8. Points to be noted for applying for service(s) in the licences categories and Certificate of Origin category

Registration for Controlled Foreign Trade Operations with the DSEDT is required prior to using service(s) in the licences categories and Certificate of Origin category. Application for registration can also be made at the time of applying for electronic customs declaration services.

9. Points to be noted for applying for transhipment services

Licensing for transhipment activities by the DSEDT is required prior to conducting transhipment activities. Also, either a transhipment licence or a transhipment declaration is required, depending on the type of the goods that needs to be transhipped.

10. Who can lodge an application to use electronic customs declaration services?

Any legal persons or natural persons who have fulfilled their tax obligations in Macao, especially business tax and consumption tax, can lodge an application to use electronic customs declaration.

III. Starting to use electronic customs declaration

11. Points to be noted for using electronic customs declaration services

Import licences (IAM and DSEDT): Up to 50 items of goods information can be imported or input into each licence, which is valid for 30 days (for dangerous goods, licence is valid for 20 days);
Import licence (DSAT): Each licence is for one vehicle only and is valid for 30 days;
Import licence (ISAF): Provide the registered goods according to the pharmaceutical database, and up to 25 items can be imported or input into each licence, which is valid for 30 days;
Import/Export declaration: Up to 50 items of goods information can be imported or input into each declaration.

12. When should an application for e-certificate be made?

An application for e-certificate can be made at any time. However, after the opening of account, the information in the e-certificate(s) of all of the person(s) who has/have the power to sign external trade documents shall be imported in order to formally perform electronic customs declaration.