Country Conditions for Mailing — Colombia

Prohibitions (130)

Cash; coins; bank notes; molds for bank notes; pieces of paper representing real bank notes or any other bearer bonds; coinage machines; other articles of value such as platinum, gold, or silver, whether manufactured or not; precious stones; jewelry; other valuable articles; and counterfeit and pirated articles.

Coloring powders and similar.

Documents having the character of current and personal correspondence exchanged between persons other than the sender and the addressee or persons living with them.

Fats.

Live animals, and dead animals not stuffed. Exemptions: Bees, leeches, and silkworms, as well as parasites and destroyers of noxious insects exchanged between officially recognized scientific institutions.

Perishable infectious biological substances.

Perishable noninfectious biological substances.

Radioactive materials.

Note: Colombia prohibits many types of goods, or subjects them to an import license; therefore, the sender should ascertain from the addressee before mailing whether the contents are permitted and whether the addressee holds the necessary documents.

Restrictions

New and used clothing is permitted when mailed as unaccompanied baggage. The words “Equipaje no acompanado” and the owner’s passport number must be shown on the address label and the accompanying documents. Used clothing must have a certificate of disinfection enclosed.

Observations

First-Class Mail International and First-Class Package International Service items may not contain dutiable articles.
Books and other printed matter, if valued over $20, require consular invoices, and the addressees must obtain import licenses.
A commercial invoice, numbered, certified and signed by the sender, must accompany each package containing books and periodicals of a commercial nature. In addition, the value of each item, the number of packages comprising the shipment, and gross weight must be shown on the invoice. One copy of the invoice should be sent to the post office of destination. A note must be made on each package of the number of books contained therein, its weight and the total number of packages comprising the shipment.
Packages must be addressed directly to the addressee, as the Colombian regulations do not permit customs entry to be effected by anyone except the addressee or an authorized representative.
Each shipment valued at $20 or less requires two copies of the sender’s commercial invoice, one of which must be enclosed in the parcel and the other sent under separate cover to the addressee. Consular legalization is not needed but the invoice must include a declaration of origin of the merchandise, in Spanish, reading as follows:

“Certificamos bajo juramento que los precios de esta factura son los mismos que cargamos al cliente y que la mercancia a que se refiere esta misma factura es originaria de (Country of Origin). En fe de lo expuesto firmamos la presente declaracion en (City, State) (Day) de (Month) de (Year) (Signature of shipper)”.

(Translation: We certify under oath that the prices in this invoice are the same that we charge our customers, and that the merchandise in this same invoice comes from (Country of origin). In faith of which we sign the present declaration at (City, State), on (Date).

For shipments valued over $20, the sender must have a copy of his or her commercial invoice legalized by a Colombian Consulate, and must prepare 4 copies of a consular invoice, one of which must be sent direct to the addressee with the legalized commercial invoice.
The addressees in Colombia are required in most cases to obtain import licenses in order to secure delivery of shipments. For shipments exceeding $20 in value the addressee is required to send a copy of the import license to the sender, who must submit it to the Colombian Consul when obtaining the consular invoice. If a sender receives a copy of a Colombian import license for a parcel whose value does not exceed $20, he or she must return it to the addressee in Colombia.
Consular invoice forms may be obtained and commercial invoices legalized at Colombian Consulates, which are located in principal cities of the United States.

Global Express Guaranteed (210) Price Group 8

Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the applicable retail, Commercial Base, or Commercial Plus price.

Weight Limit: 70 lbs.

General Conditions for Mailing

See Publication 141, Global Express Guaranteed Service Guide, for information about areas served in the destination country, allowable contents, packaging and labeling requirements, tracking and tracing, service standards, and other conditions for mailing.

Size Limits (211.22)

The surface area of the address side of the item to be mailed must be large enough to completely contain the Global Express Guaranteed Air Waybill/Shipping Invoice (shipping label), postage, endorsement, and any applicable markings. The shipping label is approximately 5.5 inches high and 9.5 inches long.

Maximum length: 46 inches

Maximum width: 35 inches

Maximum height: 46 inches

Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches

Value Limit (212.1)

The maximum value of a GXG shipment to this country is $2,499 or a lesser amount if limited by content or value.

Insurance (212.5)

See Notice 123, Price List, for the fee schedule for GXG document reconstruction insurance and non–document insurance.

Priority Mail Express
International (220) Price Group 10

Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the applicable retail, Commercial Base, or Commercial Plus price.

Weight Limit: 44 lbs.

Priority Mail Express International — Flat Rate Envelopes

Flat Rate Envelopes: The maximum weight is 4 pounds.

Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the applicable retail, Commercial Base, or Commercial Plus price.

Size Limits (221.42)

Maximum length: 36 inches

Maximum length and girth combined: 79 inches

Insurance (222.7)

Available for Priority Mail Express International merchandise shipments only

See Exhibit 322.2 for individual country merchandise insurance limits. See Notice 123, Price List, for the fee schedule for Priority Mail Express International merchandise insurance coverage.

Customs Forms Required (123)

Articles Admitted	Required Customs Form/Endorsement
Correspondence, business papers, and documents.	PS Form 2976-B placed inside PS Form 2976-E (plastic envelope). Endorse item clearly next to mailing label as BUSINESS PAPERS.
Merchandise samples without commercial value	PS Form 2976-B placed inside PS Form 2976-E (plastic envelope).
Merchandise and all articles subject to customs duty.	PS Form 2976-B placed inside PS Form 2976-E (plastic envelope).

Note: For mailers completing PS Form 2976-B or an online combined shipping label and customs form that electronically transmits customs-related data, no additional customs form is required because customs information is incorporated into the form that the mailer must complete.

Notes:

Coins; banknotes; currency notes, including paper money; securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver; precious stones; jewelry; watches; and other valuable articles are prohibited in Priority Mail Express International shipments to Colombia.
Certain dutiable Priority Mail Express International items will not be delivered to the addressee but must be picked up at the post office. For this reason, all dutiable Priority Mail Express International items to Colombia should include the telephone number of the addressee.

Reciprocal Service Name: Express Service-Rapidissimo

Country Code: CO

Areas Served:

Priority Mail International (230) Price Group 10

Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the applicable retail, Commercial Base, or Commercial Plus price.

Weight Limit: 66 lbs.

Priority Mail International — Flat Rate

Flat Rate Envelopes or Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes: The maximum weight is 4 pounds. Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the applicable retail, Commercial Base, or Commercial Plus price.

Flat Rate Boxes — Medium and Large: The maximum weight is 20 pounds, or the limit set by the individual country, whichever is less. Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the retail, Commercial Base, or Commercial Plus price.

Size Limits (231.22)

Maximum length: 42 inches

Maximum length and girth combined: 79 inches

Insurance (232.91)

Available for Priority Mail International merchandise only (see for markings)

See Exhibit 322.2 for individual country merchandise insurance limits. See Notice 123, Price List, for the fee schedule for Priority Mail International merchandise insurance coverage.

Customs Forms Required (123)

All Priority Mail International items:

PS Form 2976-A inside PS Form 2976-E (envelope)

First-Class Mail International (240) Price Group 9

Refer to Notice 123, Price List, for the applicable retail price.

Weight Limit: 3.5 oz. for letters and postcards;

15.994 oz. for large envelopes (flats).

Size Limits

Letters: See 241.212

Postcards: See 241.221

Large Envelopes (Flats): See 241.232

Customs Form Required (123)