Alcohol regulations in Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of

Licences needed

SENIAT Distillation/Manufacturing Installation Permit (Instalación y Funcionamiento de Aparatos de Destilación y Fábricas de Especies Alcohólicas), SACS Sanitary Installation Permit (Permiso Sanitario de Instalación y Funcionamiento), and Municipal Commercial/Industrial Operating License.

Authority

SENIAT, SACS (Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud - MPPS), and local municipal mayor offices (Alcaldías)

Documents

Articles of incorporation, fiscal registry (RIF), technical plant layout blueprints, specifications of stills and capacity, municipal zoning/land use certificate, environmental compliance certification, and SACS sanitary clearance

Fees

Established based on administrative rates pegged to the official highest-value foreign currency rate published by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV)

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Legally incorporated commercial entities in Venezuela holding an active RIF and registered as alcohol importers with SENIAT

Licences or registrations

Registration in SENIAT's customs and alcohol importer taxpayer registry, SACS Importer Registry (Inclusión de Importador), and SENCAMER CPE/Metrology registry

Authority

SENIAT and SACS

Documents

Company RIF, commercial registry, authorized legal power of attorney, valid SACS Sanitary Registration for the spirit, and manufacturer distribution authorization

Fees

Standard administrative processing fees set by SENIAT and SACS

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

yes

Process

Importers/producers must submit an application through the SIACSV2 online platform of SACS, submit chemical and microbiological sample test results conducted by an authorized Venezuelan laboratory, and obtain label approval conforming to COVENIN standards before commercial release.

Authority

Servicio Autónomo de Contraloría Sanitaria (SACS) - Dirección de Inocuidad de Alimentos y Bebidas

Documents and samples

Application form via SIACSV2, apostilled/legalized Certificate of Free Sale (CLV), apostilled Manufacturer Authorization Letter, Certificate of Aging (when applicable, e.g., rum/whisky), complete physical-chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis from a SACS-authorized Venezuelan laboratory, and primary/secondary color label specimens

Fees

Official SACS sanitary registration tariffs updated periodically by administrative providencias

Renewal

Valid for 5 years; renewal must be applied for prior to expiration

Time to obtain

Typically 3 to 6 months

All spirit shipments require an advance informative customs declaration via SIDUNEA World, commercial invoice, bill of lading, certificate of origin, apostilled certificate of analysis and aging (for aged spirits), SACS sanitary import clearance, and mandatory physical application of SENIAT fiscal security bands (bandas de garantía fiscal) prior to retail distribution.

20% to 35% ad valorem calculated on CIF value under Chapter 22 (HS 2208) of the Venezuelan Customs Tariff (Arancel de Aduanas), plus a 1% customs service fee (tasa aduanera)

Value Added Tax (VAT/IVA) of 16% on CIF + duty; ad valorem excise tax under LISAEA of 50% on spirits applied to the retail price (PVP); plus a specific volume tax per liter of pure alcohol (Gay-Lussac 100°)

Private distribution model: retail sales permitted through licensed liquor stores (licorerías, bodegones), supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and bars holding municipal alcohol licenses (Licencia de Expendio de Bebidas Alcohólicas) and registered with SENIAT. Operating hours and days are strictly dictated by municipal ordinances (typically closed or restricted on Sundays and public holidays for off-premise sales).

Restricted: E-commerce sales and courier delivery are permitted only through established vendors holding active municipal and fiscal liquor retail licenses; strict age verification (18+) is legally mandated upon order and delivery under LOPNNA provisions.

Must be in Spanish and display: commercial brand name, generic product name/spirit class, net volume in metric units, alcohol strength (% vol. or °GL), country of origin, full name and RIF of producer/importer, SACS Sanitary Registration Number, SENCAMER CPE registration number, batch number, SENIAT fiscal control strip stamp (banda de garantía), and mandatory health warning: 'El consumo en exceso de bebidas alcohólicas es perjudicial para la salud'.

Heavily restricted under the Ley RESORTE (Ley de Responsabilidad Social en Radio, Televisión y Medios Electrónicos) and LISAEA. Alcohol advertising on public television and radio is prohibited during general and protected viewing hours, restricted to adult late-night time slots, and barred from targeting minors or associating alcohol consumption with physical prowess, social success, or driving. All advertisements must include the mandatory health warning.

Regulated by FONDONORMA/COVENIN standards: Ron (COVENIN 3040 / DOC Ron de Venezuela) requires distillation from sugarcane molasses/juice, aged in oak containers for a minimum of 2 continuous years in Venezuela, minimum 40° GL (40% ABV); Whisky (COVENIN 3180) requires cereal distillation aged in oak barrels for at least 2 years, minimum 40° GL; Aguardientes, Vodka, Gin, and Brandy typically require a minimum of 40° GL.

Temporary nationwide alcohol bans ('Ley Seca') are routinely enacted by ministerial decree of the MPPRIJP during national elections, referendums, and major holiday periods (Carnival, Easter/Semana Santa). Permanent location-based restrictions prohibit liquor outlets within specified buffer distances from educational institutions, sports complexes, and healthcare facilities under municipal zoning laws.

• Continued enforcement of calculating customs, sanitary, and administrative penalty reference amounts based on the official highest-value currency rate published by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) instead of the obsolete Unidad Tributaria (UT).
• Streamlined processing for food and beverage sanitary registrations and import inclusion procedures via the SACS automated portal SIACSV2.
• Periodic adjustments to the Venezuelan Customs Tariff (Arancel de Aduanas) and national import duty exoneration lists concerning industrial inputs and consumer goods.

Venezuela maintains strong consumer brand loyalty toward premium imported brown spirits, particularly blended Scotch and malt whiskies, creating stable niche demand despite high retail taxes and complex import registration procedures.

• SENIAT (Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria)
• SACS (Servicio Autónomo de Contraloría Sanitaria - MPPS)
• SENCAMER (Servicio Autónomo Nacional de Normalización, Calidad, Metrología y Reglamentos Técnicos)

1. SENIAT - Portal Oficial de Aduanas y Tributos
2. SACS - Recaudos para Registro Sanitario de Bebidas Alcohólicas Importadas
3. Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela - Ley de Reforma de la Ley de Impuesto sobre Alcohol y Especies Alcohólicas
4. PwC Venezuela - Corporate Taxes on Alcohol and Imports
5. SENCAMER - Norma Venezolana COVENIN 3180: Whisky Requisitos