MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND THE VERNISAGE:

Certain items considered of value--and which are not forbidden from export--require permission before you pass customs and leave Armenia. The process is not difficult, but it requires some planning. The office that issues permits and collects duty on exportable cultural and artistic items only works two days a week, during fixed times. If you are only here for a few days, we advise you not to buy anything listed under "Don’t Even Think About it" or "Take It to the Ministry" below. You will still find wonderful hand-made souvenirs and hand-crafted items you are free to export, which are of better quality than the average souvenir items available in other countries. At a much better price.

Still if you just have to have that carpet or painting and you won’t be in Yerevan long enough to obtain permit from the Ministry of Culture, then contact Murat Manvelian at The Customs office (22-11-10) located at 4 Kochar St. (M: Barekamutiune; all B, T, TB connecting at Barekamutiune). He can answer your questions, and arrange for permit and payment of duty tax.

Vernisage: The Vernisage in Yerevan is a weekend Arts and crafts fair where local painters, artists, artisans and hand craftsmen display and sell their wares. It is hard to imagine that any visitor will come to Armenia and not visit the Vernisage at least once, for there is so much of interest at possibly some of the cheapest prices in Armenia. You can find some truly remarkable and skilled work at the Vernisage, as well as hand-made souvenirs, carvings, jewelry, paper crafts, embroidered fabric, etc. It is also possible (though becoming less and less so) to find items of exceptional value and rarity. All of this is considered part of the Armenian Heritage, and some of it part of her National Treasure. What is or is not a National Treasure, and what can or cannot be exported is not always clear, but there are some general rules of thumb that can be applied.

We use the name "Vernisage" to represent any Art Park, on the street, shop or person-to-person purchase of artwork, jewelry and hand-crafted items in Armenia. Unless they are stolen goods, none of these purchases are illegal. In fact locals have sold very valuable items in order to live. But whether or not that "Faberge Silver Tea Tray" you bought for $50 can be exported or not is regulated by Armenian law.

Don’t Even Think About It:
At this writing, the following items are not allowed for export at all:

Take it To The Ministry to be sure:

Don’t Worry:
With the exception of basic Custom rules, the following can be freely taken out of the country:

JEWELRY:
Travelers are allowed to pass customs without duty on the purchase of jewelry using gold, silver, platinum and precious stones under the following conditions (Note women get to dress up one handful of rings, while men have to be content with one):

For both: If the jewelry you bought in Armenia is more valuable than the amount of money you declared carrying into the country, you will have to pay 20% duty on the determined value of each item. If you bought by credit card, have the receipts handy.

‘Made For Tourist’ vs. ‘Very Good Vernisage’:
We have seen people haul a painting through customs with barely a glance made by Customs, and we have seen people get stopped for paintings that were clearly not by an established artist, and of questionable taste. Without commenting on anyone’s aesthetics, we venture to make the following generalization: those paintings that look like "made for tourist" will not normally be charged a large duty fee, and you might slip by customs. Those that are striking and show a talent in the artist (no matter how unknown or poor), and further, look as though they can be resold on the open market for a good price, can and will be stopped.

Side Story:

RN writes: I bought a painting at Vernisage three years ago for $15, a very good abstract piece (if I do say so myself). It was by an unknown artist, and bought at a time when paintings were selling for very little. I did not take it to the Cultural Ministry to have it appraised, because it was "Vernisage". The man at customs who looked at the painting complimented me on my taste, commented on the artist’s technique and style, and then asked to see the export certificate from the Ministry of Culture. Aghast, I blurted out, "But this is Vernisage!" "Yes," the customs officer responded. "But it’s very good Vernisage." I didn’t know whether to be upset or flattered by the customs official for showing such good taste in my painting. Needless to say, I had to obtain Ministry of Culture permission and pay a duty tax.

To be safe, take all paintings to the Ministry of Culture Office for Permit to Export and have it assessed.

EXPORT PERMIT PROCESS:
For those items that can be exported, but for which you must have permission, you should take these items FIRST to the Department of Cultural and Artistic Preservation Office, have them assessed, pay the duty tax on that assessment, and receive written permission showing the item and the amount paid as duty tax BEFORE you go through Customs on leaving Armenia.

Where: The "Mshakuiti yev Arvesti Pahpanutian Varchutiune" (Department of Cultural and Artistic Preservation) is located at 51 Komitas Street (M: Barekamutiune; T: 5,7,8; TB: 9; B: 25, 52, 53, 72, 127). It is 3.5 kilometers North of the metro stop. The building faces the street and is exactly on the south side of the Shuka. The entrance door is on the opposite side of the building from the Shuka, the first door on the side, third floor. The building also houses Interpol, so if you get lost ask.

When: The department accepts items for assessment between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. The process takes 2-3 hours.

(DIMOUM EXAMPLE)


What to Bring: In order to receive an export permit, you need to take with you the following for each item:

Process: You complete a request to export (Dimoum, pronounced "Dee-MOOM"), listing each item you are requesting permission to export, and a short description (i.e. "painting, 25X50 cm"). Each dimoum can include up to 10 items. Leave the item(s) and the photographs with the department. It takes 2-3 hours to complete the assessment, and you do not have to wait at the department office.

When you return, they will give you the assessment and the amount of duty tax to pay. Once you have paid they issue a permit with the description of the object, the assessed value, and the duty paid. This permit is what you will show to Customs when you leave the country.

Assessed Value: They assess the value, it doesn’t matter what you paid for the item. This can be an enlightening or a disappointing experience. That gorgeous view of Ararat you paid an artist at Vernisage $100 for may be assessed at $25. Likewise, it might be assessed at $300 or $500. It is rare your painting will be assessed at $1000 or more, unless you are buying from an established artist. The same is true of carpets and other cultural dutiable items.

Duty Tax: The Department charges a 5% service fee, plus 15% duty tax on the assessed value of all dutiable items. The assessment and the duty tax are all in AMD. Cash only.

New Carpets or Non Dutiable Items: For new factory-made carpets and items you bring in which are not determined to be valuable there is a flat charge of 830 drams to process a Dimoum. If you plan to take out more than 1 new factory made carpet, this charge is cheaper than the 10% duty Customs charge.

Be sure you have it with you when you pass through customs on the way out. You will declare the item, and then show your permission certificate to the customs officer. Customs is NOT allowed to charge anything for items that have the permit to export, and which are declared.

OPTIONS:

Customs: If you are unable to make it to the Ministry of Culture on a Monday or Thursday, contact the Customs Office (22-11-10) 4 Kochar St. (M: Barekamutiune; B, TB, T: all connecting at Barekamutiune) and speak with Murat Manvelian. He can arrange to obtain a permit, and advise whether or not your item is allowed to be exported. You still have to pay the 20% duty tax on items you export.

Risk it: If you are leaving through Zvartnotz, and you are willing to take the risk, you can declare it when you leave, and allow the Customs Cultural specialist assess its value and assess duty tax. The duty tax is 20% of the determined value (they determine the value). If your item is an antique, or rare item, you will not be allowed to export it.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T HAVE PERMIT TO EXPORT?

If you attempt to take any item that must receive a permit to export out of the country, and do not have the required permit, two things can happen:

For cultural items, the conditions of confiscation are:

NOTE: If the item is rare, an antique or on the list of items than can not be exported, you will never be allowed to take it out. You can either give it someone in Armenia, return it for possible repurchase by the seller, or dispose of it as you see fit.

ANY QUESTIONS?
The Customs office (22-11-10: ask for Murat Manvelian) located at 4 Kochar St. (M: Barekamutiune; all B, T, TB connecting at Barekamutiune), is very helpful, and can answer any questions you may have concerning dutiable items. They can also arrange for permit of export paintings, carpets, etc. for those who are not in Armenia long enough to obtain from the Ministry of Culture. See below.

No Licensed Shops: At this writing, there are NO licensed shops which sell old and valuable items and can give a certificate for export. That has not stopped some enterprising sellers from advertising that they have a license to issue export permits. They do not. If any shop or dealer tells you they can issue a permit to export, they are lying. It may be that they can run the permit process for you (for a price), but be very sure they have a solid reputation before you give them your money.

Bending the Rules: We hear stories of people who packed things a certain way, who talked the customs official out of confiscation or duty tax, or who slipped things through by finding "someone" at the airport. As far as we are concerned you are no better than the diplomats we have seen using their status to illegally export quantities of Tiffany, Faberge, Carpets, paintings and jewelry. This is a shame on all those who practice it. It does more than risk confiscation and a turn in jail; it robs the country of its patrimony. For a developing economy, this is nothing more than the rich robbing from the poor. Don’t do it.

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