Move from South Korea to Brazil return home with peace of mind

If you stayed abroad for more than 1 year and are effectively transferring residence to Brazil, the used goods that make up your unaccompanied baggage are treated as baggage, exempt from taxes, under the terms of Instrução Normativa RFB nº 1.059/2010. The condition is that the cargo arrives within the legal window and that the documentation proves the transfer of residence. New goods and vehicles are excluded from this exemption.

Yes, and this is not our preference: it is not possible to conclude customs clearance before your arrival in Brazil. The Receita Federal requires, among the documents for clearance, proof of the traveler’s arrival in the country, and the right to exemption is linked to your final disembarkation. The cargo can leave South Korea and arrive before you — the legal window allows up to 3 months in advance — but it will remain waiting at the port or airport until you arrive, with storage and demurrage running during that interval. That is why we schedule from your disembarkation date, not from the date the house is ready to be packed.

Unaccompanied baggage must arrive between 3 months before and 6 months after your disembarkation in Brazil. On this route, this is the most sensitive point, because maritime transit takes 50 to 70 days, one of the longest we operate. We plan the cargo's shipment date based on your flight date, not the other way around. Outside the window, the Receita Federal treats the cargo as a regular import and charges taxes.

It depends on the condition of the item. The Brazilian exemption covers used goods that are part of your baggage. Devices still in their box, with a recent invoice and no sign of use, tend to be treated as merchandise and taxed, even if legitimately purchased. Because South Korea is a major electronics hub, this is the most frequent point of attention on this route, and we review the inventory with this filter before shipment.

You can bring it, but the tax treatment is different. The baggage regime for transfer of residence presumes a stay abroad of more than 1 year. With a shorter period, the operation needs to be structured differently and taxes may be due. We evaluate your specific case before issuing a quote, because the relocation strategy changes considerably in that scenario.

Motor vehicles are not included in baggage treatment under Brazilian import rules. It is worth noting that the rule is symmetrical: South Korea also only exempts vehicles that were originally exported from there. Importation into Brazil is a separate operation, with its own taxation and requirements, including homologation. Our team advises on feasibility case by case, but in most scenarios the total cost makes the operation disadvantageous.

South Korea operates on 220 V, with type C and F plugs. If you are going to live in a Brazilian region with 220 V, compatibility is good and you only need to address the plug. If you are going to a 127 V region, electronic devices with a dual-voltage power supply usually work with an adapter, but motor-driven equipment such as washers, dryers and dishwashers require a properly sized transformer, when feasible. We evaluate item by item in the inventory.

Yes. The return of animals to Brazil requires an international veterinary certificate issued by an official veterinarian, valid rabies vaccination and compliance with the requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The return protocol is simpler than entry into Korea, which requires an ISO microchip and antibody titration with a minimum of 0.5 IU/ml. Animal transport is a process separate from the household goods move and runs in parallel, conducted by our pet department. We have already transported more than a thousand animals.

Proof is provided by a set of documents, and the hierarchy among them matters. The two pieces of evidence that actually support the customs clearance are the Declaration of Residence issued by the Brazilian Consulate in the city where you live and utility bills in your name, such as water, electricity, gas and internet: these demonstrate effective residence at the address. Documents such as the Alien Registration Card or proof of its return to immigration, the employment contract and the rental contract enter the dossier as supporting evidence, together with the passport showing entries and exits, but they do not prove residence on their own, because they attest to authorization to reside and not the fact of having lived there. A document proving the termination of that residence is also necessary. We assemble this dossier with you before shipment, because gathering documents abroad after you are already in Brazil is much more difficult.

In South Korea, collection, packing and exit documentation are carried out by accredited agents of our international network, under supervision of our team. In Brazil, customs clearance, final delivery and assembly are executed by One Moving's own team, without intermediaries. Since Brazilian customs clearance is the critical point of this route, it is entirely under our direct management.