You are advised in each individual case to ask both the relocation services provider and the Mission for information about the rules in force at any time regarding the transport of duty free and VAT exempt goods in the household removals. The goods may possibly be included in the household removals within the quota for furniture/household effects. You are, however, advised not to bring with you high-tax goods in your removal goods to, for example, Russia due to complicated customs processing.
A special procedure applies to cars, please see under the section on cars.
If you are not granted diplomatic status, you must have the permission of the Head of Mission to import duty-free goods, including a car.
Within the EU
According to legal guidelines D.A.10.1.1.7.1 of the Ministry of Taxation, goods and services may be supplied exempt from VAT to diplomatic and consular Missions and the staff of these with diplomatic rights provided the recipient is entitled to exemption from VAT in the host country.
This will normally not take effect until the person in question has arrived in the host country and registered with the local protocol department. Therefore, it will not be possible to import VAT exempt goods together with furniture/household effects to an EU Member State unless the goods are not purchased and the furniture/household effects not sent until diplomatic registration has been made with the protocol department in the host country.
Outside the EU
The MFA’s relocation services provider indicates two possible procedures for obtaining VAT exemption for newly purchased goods for personal use in the host country.
1) An item is purchased and the trader accepts to deduct VAT from the price when presented with a diplomatic passport. The item is sent directly to the MFA’s relocation services provider with a view to forwarding from Denmark (the EU). When the furniture/household effects are cleared through the customs on the post, the Mission can confirm that the goods have been imported into the host country. This documentation will subsequently be sent to the trader.
2) An item is purchased and the trader charges the full price incl. VAT. The item is sent directly to the MFA’s relocation services provider with a view to forwarding from Denmark (the EU). Upon receipt of the item, the MFA’s relocation services provider will forward the necessary export documentation to the trader for the purpose of his/her VAT accounts. The trader will subsequently refund the VAT to your bank account.
In both cases, the item will not be at your disposal until you have arrived in the host country. It is the trader who chooses the procedure for VAT refund. Similarly, the trader may refuse to take part in either scheme.
VAT exemption in other respects
According to SKAT, Danish diplomats on a temporary posting in countries outside the EU will in practically all cases meet with refusal in relation to current rules on the sale of articles to tourists. Therefore, they will not be able to use the so-called tax-free checks from Worldwide tax-free Denmark and Global Blue. The background to this is a tightening of the VAT legislation (SKAT L12 of 7 June 2012), which implies an individual check of the extent to which the affiliation with Denmark must be considered unchanged. In light of the fact that Danish diplomats are posted abroad under “høj vejkode” registration in the Danish National Register, it will normally not be possible to obtain approval with regard to VAT exemption.
For further information please see www.skat.dk
The MFA will pay for storage of the furniture/household effects that are not brought along to the post. In order to avoid storing an unnecessary amount of furniture/household effects, it is a good idea to go though you household goods before deciding on what to bring along and what should go into storage. As part of the MFA’s framework agreement, the Ministry’s relocation services provider also attends to the storage of your household goods during your posting abroad.
Posted staff members’ furniture/household effects that are currently stored with other removal firms than the Ministry’s current relocation services provider will remain in storage there and moved to your home address by the removal firm in question when you return from abroad.
You yourselves are responsible for insuring stored furniture/household effects in Denmark and the furniture/household effects that you bring with you to the post abroad.