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The traveller’s rebate is a duty-free allowance which is granted to bona fide travellers, subject to prescribed conditions. It is divided into two categories namely total rebate and partial rebate. Total rebate is an allowance granted on all used personal effects. Personal effects refer to articles pertaining to or carried upon the body such as used clothes and toilet requisites.Partial rebate is an allowance granted on goods imported by a traveller, once in a calendar month and on their first entry into Zimbabwe.

This duty free allowance is $200 per person and is granted on goods imported by travellers for their personal use once per calendar month.

The list of goods that are excluded is as follows:

Goods which are incorrectly declared

Goods which are imported for commercial purposes

Alcoholic beverages in excess of five litres per traveller of which two litres may be spirits

Goods which are imported by any member of the crew of an aircraft, ship or vehicle arriving from outside Zimbabwe

Goods carried upon transport service vehicles drawing a trailer as defined in Statutory Instrument Number 148 of 2015

Stoves, refrigerators, cooking oil, laundry bar soap, blankets, beds, mattresses, flour, maize meal, sugar, meat, fish, eggs, powdered milk, yoghurt, cheese, corn puffs, jam, and honey

This implies that importation of such goods will attract duty at the prescribed rates despite the fact that the value might be under the duty free allowance of $200.

Who enjoys traveller’s rebate?

Any traveller entering Zimbabwe from another country, namely:

Returning residents

Tourists/visitors

Immigrants, and

Diplomats

Any person employed as the pilot or master or any member of the crew of an aircraft or vehicle arriving from outside Zimbabwe is excluded from enjoying the Travellers’ Rebate.

Example to demonstrate application of traveller’s rebate:

Let us assume that a traveller, who meets all the necessary conditions for the rebate, imports the following goods into Zimbabwe. The values that are indicated are values for duty purposes (VDP):

New clothing for personal use $160

Stove $150

Refrigerator $120

New shoes for personal use $40

Two blankets $40

Iron, heater, kettle, utensils $160

Total $670

Analysis:

Goods that qualify under rebate:

New clothing for personal use $160

New shoes for personal use $40

Iron, kettle, heater, utensils $160

Total $360

Rebate allowance $200

Excess = $360 – $200 = $160

Duty on excess = $160 x 40 percent = $64

Duty on goods that do not qualify under rebate:

Duty on stove, refrigerator and blankets is $310 x 40 percent = $124

Total duty payable becomes $64 + $124 = $188

Please note that the importation of certain commodities such as cooking oil, milk, blankets and washing preparations in whatever quantities requires an import licence from Ministry of Industry and Commerce and this licence should be produced at the time of importation.

You are hereby encouraged to correctly declare all the goods in your possession and to take note of the changes to avoid any inconveniences.

Disclaimer

This article was compiled by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for information purposes only. ZIMRA shall not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from use of material in this article and no liability will attach to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.

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