Expat Community > Nicaragua

cerF
Joined 2019
Posts: 1

Process for bringing goods to donate?

5 years ago

I figured maybe this forum may be of some help:

I'll be moving to Nicaragua in April of next year. I recently purchased a hostel in the Popoyo/Jiqueliste area in Tola. Last time I was there I noticed many local kids who wanted to surf, but they simply couldn't afford a board and were either using junk equipment or sharing 1 board between them. My plan is to carry ~15 used bodyboards (boogie boards), used swim fins, a handful of used surfboards, and some used wetsuits along with me on my flight down and donate them to the local kids. I've heard that there may be problems with customs at the airport and hefty import fees if you bring too much with you Nica. My extra baggage fees will be high already and I'm hoping to avoid having to pay any more at customs if possible.

Do the import fees apply to items that will be donated to the Nica community also?

I speak Spanish, so I will not have trouble communicating my donation intent to the customs agents, but perhaps there is some paperwork I could complete beforehand so that I may avoid a confrontation with customs at the airport? If so, where to start?

Thanks!

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