Alcohol regulations in Timor-Leste

Licences needed

Business Registration Certificate (Certificado de Registo Comercial) and industrial activity license

Authority

Serviço de Registo e Verificação Empresarial (SERVE, I.P.) and Ministério do Comércio e Indústria (MTCI)

Documents

Application form (SERVE F1-3), identification of founders/directors, company statutes/articles of association, proof of premises/lease, and environmental/sanitary clearance if applicable

Fees

Nominal registration fees (typically under US$100)

Time to obtain

Approximately 1 to 4 weeks

Who can import

Any legally registered commercial entity holding a valid Tax Identification Number (TIN) and registered as an importer with Timor-Leste Customs

Licences or registrations

SERVE Business Registration Certificate, TIN from the Tax Authority, and customs importer registration in ASYCUDA World / TileSW

Authority

Autoridade Aduaneira de Timor-Leste (Customs Authority) and SERVE

Documents

Commercial invoice, bill of lading / airway bill, packing list, certificate of origin, and import declaration via a licensed customs broker

Fees

No dedicated import license fee; standard customs broker fees and administrative processing fees apply

Time to obtain

Entity registration takes 1 to 2 weeks; shipment clearance typically takes 1 to 3 days upon submission of complete paperwork

Required: no Process: There is no pre-market label approval or brand registration process (such as US COLA) required for alcoholic beverages; post-market sanitary surveillance is performed by AIFAESA Authority: Autoridade de…

Imports must be cleared through an authorized customs broker using ASYCUDA World. Standard documentation includes commercial invoice, bill of lading, packing list, and certificate of origin. No import state monopoly exists, and…

5% of CIF value (Cost, Insurance, and Freight)

Excise tax: US$ 8.90 per liter for undenatured ethyl alcohol and spirits (HS 2207 and 2208). Sales tax on imports: 2.5% applied to (CIF value + import duty + excise tax). There is currently no VAT in effect.

Private sector; licensed supermarkets, general retail shops, liquor stores, hotels, and restaurants may sell alcohol. No government retail monopoly or strictly mandated opening hour limits exist under national law.

allowed

No alcohol-specific mandatory health warnings or warning symbols are legally required. Standard consumer goods rules apply (basic product identification, producer details, net volume, and alcohol by volume). Labels in Portuguese,…

No statutory restrictions; alcohol advertising, brand sponsorship, and promotions remain largely unrestricted in media and public spaces.

None confirmed; national legislation does not define specific standards of identity or minimum ABV levels for individual spirit categories such as whisky, rum, vodka, gin, or brandy.

None

Ongoing inter-ministerial preparations and public health discussions regarding a comprehensive National Alcohol Control Policy to introduce purchase age limits and retail rules Expansion of the TileSW (Timor-Leste electronic…

Timor-Leste features an open import regime with low tariffs (5% customs duty and 2.5% sales tax) and no burdensome pre-market brand or label registration barriers. Demand for international distilled spirits is concentrated in…

1. Timor-Leste Customs Authority - Duties and Taxes Guide
2. TradeInvest Timor-Leste - Importing and Business Formalities
3. World Health Organization - Noncommunicable Diseases and Alcohol Control Profile Timor-Leste
4. Fundasaun Mahein - Alcohol Control and Regulation in Timor-Leste
5. PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries - Timor-Leste Corporate Taxes and Duties