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What do you need to know?
The department of the autonomous government of Catalonia competent to process export applications is the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage, through its Sub-Directorate for Museums.
The period for processing the application is 3 months, shared between the autonomous government of Catalonia and the Spanish authorities.
It is advisable to submit applications for temporary export with sufficient advance notice.
Authority responsible
The owner of the asset or their duly authorised representative.
Application may be made at any time.
- The application must be accompanied by pictures.
- Applications for temporary export by a museum, library, archive or other public institutions must also include the following: a favourable report from the directorate of the institution, a report on the features and state of conservation of the item, the security measures arranged, the technical features of the exhibition room and details of transport and insurance.
Permission for permanent export outside the European Union is subject to officially-regulated fees handled and collected by the Spanish ministry of culture, through the general sub-directorate for historical heritage.
Explicit permission and customs checks are required for the temporary or permanent export outside Spain – to all countries in the world, including those in the European Union – of the following cultural items:
- Items forming part of Catalan cultural heritage and/or Spanish cultural heritage which are 100 or more years old.
- Items entered, or in a file pending entry, in the catalogue of Catalan cultural heritage and/or the general inventory of Spanish cultural heritage items.
Permission may be given for the temporary export of the following items:
- Cultural items of national interest and/or items of cultural interest, or which are pending declaration as such.
- Items declared non-exportable as a cautionary measure pending their inclusion in one of the categories of protection for cultural heritage.
Regarding trade and customs procedures, the following must be approached:
- Regional trade office or chamber of commerce.
- General directorate for customs.
Steps to follow
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1
Step one
Apply
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2
Step two
Receive the Administration's response
Permission to export movable cultural items must be given by the Spanish authorities. The qualification, assessment and export board for Catalan cultural heritage items reports on the export [...]
Permission to export movable cultural items must be given by the Spanish authorities.
The qualification, assessment and export board for Catalan cultural heritage items reports on the export application. Rejection of the application brings the application process to an end and the autonomous government of Catalonia will place the item in one of the categories of legal protection.
Otherwise, once the Catalan general directorate for cultural heritage has reached a favourable decision on the application it will pass it on to the Spanish ministry of culture.
