Customs Border plays a vital role within the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue in executing and enforcing relevant laws and regulations to protect the welfare of Vanuatu.
Customs Border Role
Customs Border Section protects the Borders and the Government revenue by:
Boarding international crafts (air and sea) to assess the risk of possible threat through our borders, maintain the level of compliance to relevant laws and regulations, and provide clearance for entry, coast-wise movement, or departure.
- Conducting Searches and Examinations on crafts, goods, and people.
- Conducting Surveillance and visits to Customs Controlled Areas.
- Carrying out tally counts on discharging, loading, and shifting of goods.
- Calculating and collecting Customs charges, and Duty and taxes.
- Receipting and reporting all payments made to the Vanuatu Government.
- Ensuring that goods, crafts and people are cleared through Customs before crossing the borders.
- Registering and filing documents for international crafts, goods and people crossing Vanuatu borders.
Actions and Commitment
- Ensure Border Controls are imposed on risk basis.
- Ensure revenue collected at the border are recorded and receipted.
- Develop and implement a fast, fair and friendly control approach.
- Ensure control procedures are in place for approved airports, seaports, parcel and mail center, cargo control depots, and other Customs Controlled Areas.
- Maximize the level of detection of unlawful activity.
- Initiate and ensure staff security measures are applied.
Customs Border Structure
The Customs Border Control is composed of a Section Manager, two (2) Principal Compliance Officer, four (4) Senior Compliance Officers, twelve (12) Examining Officers and fourteen (14) Front-line Officers.
Approved Ports of Entry
Vanuatu currently has four (4) Approved Ports of Entry:
- Sola, Banks
- Luganville, Santo
- Port Vila, Efate
- Lenakel, Tanna
Customs Border Offices
Customs Border Officers are stationed at all the approved Ports of Entry:
- One Office in the Port of Sola.
- Three Offices in Luganville, the Airport Office, the Shipping office, and the Post Office.
- Three Offices in Port Vila, the Airport (Airfreight) office, the Post office, and the Shipping office.
- One Office in the Port of Lenakel.
Operational Hours
The official working hours for Vanuatu Customs on week days (Monday to Friday) are from 08:00am to 12:00pm, and 13:00pm to 17:00pm.
The Customs Border Control section is also operational outside official working hours. The Airport and seaport offices are on 24hrs standby to provide Customs clearance for incoming and departing crafts, and for surveillance purposes.