COVID-19: The Spanish Customs Department publishes instructions aimed at ensuring the performance of its tasks

España - 17 / 03 / 2020

Spain Tax Alert

On March 16, 2020, the Customs Department published Note NI DTORA 01/2020, issuing instructions derived from the declaration of State of Emergency by Royal Decree 463/2020, of March 14, 2020 (See Note).

The instructions issued by the Customs Department cover three headings:

Customs clearance and formalities with travelers are identified as critical activities that require the physical presence of officials.
With respect to operators, physical examination by the Authorities at temporary storage warehouses, premises authorized for export goods (LAMES) or other authorized places will require that the physical presence of warehouse personnel be guaranteed.
Special rules are established as a result of the closure of customer services.
Specifically, the instructions provide for the possibility of submitting the originals of guarantees by means of a scanned document, subsequently issuing EUR-1 origin certificates, electronically filing ATA carnets that cannot be stamped physically and replacing sealing in transit with a precise description of the goods.
Within the contingency plans, the Customs Department undertakes to inform operators (via its website) of the available services, customer service buildings and telephone numbers and addresses of the various Regional Offices.