Comoros

You're arriving at Moroni-Hahaya Airport with a GoPro Hero 12 and its underwater housing (approximately €550). This compact gear usually passes without issue as personal tourist effects. Keep it in your carry-on luggage, and if a DGDDI agent asks, simply state it's your personal camera for recreational diving. Keep the purchase receipt (a photo on your smartphone is acceptable) to prove the equipment belongs to you and isn't for resale. No written declaration is usually needed for this value level. Main risk: almost zero, but avoid new packaging that might suggest commercial import. Upon departure, no formalities are expected for this profile. Transparency and courtesy with Comorian officials are more than sufficient.

You're traveling with a Sony A6700, an Ikelite housing, two strobes, and some accessories (total value around €3,500). In Comoros, no official allowance is published: prepare a detailed inventory in French (list, serial numbers, values, invoices) in duplicate. Upon arrival in Moroni, verbally declare your equipment to a DGDDI agent and ask if a written endorsement on your inventory is possible. Specify that it's strictly for personal use and everything will leave with you. Risks: an agent might deem the equipment 'professional' and demand a deposit or duties (0 to 25% depending on classification, plus VAT). An inventory endorsed upon arrival is your best protection against taxation upon departure. The ATA Carnet is not accepted in Comoros.

You're carrying a full-frame camera body, Nauticam housing, dome port, macro and fisheye lenses, aluminum arms, and two high-end strobes (value around €14,000). Comoros does not accept the ATA Carnet: plan seriously. Prepare a comprehensive inventory in French with photos, serial numbers, values, and invoices. Upon arrival at Moroni-Hahaya, spontaneously declare the equipment at the DGDDI office and request an endorsement or stamp on your inventory confirming temporary import. Ideally, contact your Comorian dive center or hotel in advance: a local contact facilitating communication with customs officials is invaluable. Real risks: demand for a deposit, taxation (up to 25% plus VAT) if the equipment is deemed commercial, or difficult negotiation upon departure without proof of entry. Keep all documents until your final departure from the territory.

Is the ATA Carnet accepted in Comoros?

No, the Union of Comoros is not part of the ATA Carnet network. Therefore, you cannot use this document for the temporary admission of your equipment. The alternative solution: a detailed inventory (list, serial numbers, values, invoices) verbally declared to the DGDDI upon arrival, ideally endorsed or stamped by an agent, to be kept until your departure.

Will I pay customs duties on my camera equipment upon arrival in Moroni?

In practice, no for personal use: tourists' personal effects are generally admitted duty-free during their stay. No official ceiling is published. However, bulky or high-value equipment may be deemed 'professional' by agents, with potential duties of 0 to 25% plus VAT. Declare spontaneously and prove that everything will leave with you.

What are the risks upon leaving Comorian territory?

The main risk is that an agent suspects equipment has been sold locally or imported commercially, due to lack of proof of entry. To avoid this: have your inventory endorsed upon arrival, keep invoices and boarding passes, and present the same equipment upon departure. Without an entry document, taxation or prolonged negotiation remains possible, especially for advanced and expert profiles.