MONEY
Currency
1 bolívar fuerte (short: bolívar) = 100 céntimos. Currency abbreviation: Bs.F., VEF (ISO code). Banknotes are available in denominations of 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500 Bs.F. and coins are worth 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10 Bs.F. as well as in 50, 25, 12 1/2, 10, 5 and 1 céntimos in circulation. The Bolívar Fuerte is pegged to the US dollar.
Credit cards
Major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are accepted in cities and tourist centers by larger hotels, shops and rental car companies. ATMs in the tourist areas of the big cities also accept credit cards for withdrawing money. Details from the issuer of the credit card in question.
ATMs
ec / Maestro card / Sparcard
cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted throughout Europe and worldwide. Some ATMs, which are marked accordingly, accept debit cards but not for cashless payments. Further information from banks and credit institutes.
Attention: Travelers who pay abroad with their bank customer card and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.
Bank opening times
Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4 p.m., sometimes with a lunch break.
Foreign exchange regulations
No restrictions, mandatory declaration from US $ 10,000.
Currency Exchange
Is only permitted in exchange offices (Cambios), banks and in international hotels at the rate set by the state. US $ are also accepted as payment in small denominations. Euros are only exchanged in big city banks.
DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
The following items can be imported into Venezuela duty-free:
200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco;
2 l alcoholic beverages;
Perfume and eau de toilette for personal use;
Gifts up to a value of US $ 1,000.
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
In Venezuela, a country located in South America according to franciscogardening, English is predominantly spoken in business circles, but knowledge of Spanish is an advantage. Appointments should be made well in advance and punctuality is expected. Business cards are exchanged.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an extended lunch break between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to avoid the midday heat.
Economy
Trade Department of the Embassy of Venezuela
Schillstrasse 9-10, D-10785 Berlin
Tel: (030) 832 24 00.
German-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CAVENAL)
Centro COINASA, Piso 4, Avda. San Felipe, La Castellana, VE-Caracas
Tel: (02 12) 277 38 11.
Internet: www.cavenal.org
Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland
c / o DPS Communications, Gessnerallee 28, CH-8001 Zurich
Tel: (044) 699 54 47.
Internet: www.latcam.ch
Federación Venezolana de Cámaras y Asociaciones de Comercio y Producción (FEDECAMARAS)
Apdo. 2568, Edificio Fedecàmaras, Piso 5, Pent-House 2, Avenida El Empalme, Urb El Bosque, VE-Caracas
Tel: (02) 731 17 11.
Internet: www.fedecamaras.org.ve
Business contacts
Trade Department of the Embassy of Venezuela
Schillstrasse 9-10, D-10785 Berlin
Tel: (030) 832 24 00.
German-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CAVENAL)
Centro COINASA, Piso 4, Avda. San Felipe, La Castellana, VE-Caracas
Tel: (02 12) 277 38 11.
Internet: www.cavenal.org
Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland
c / o DPS Communications, Gessnerallee 28, CH-8001 Zurich
Tel: (044) 699 54 47.
Internet: www.latcam.ch
Federación Venezolana de Cámaras y Asociaciones de Comercio y Producción (FEDECAMARAS)
Apdo. 2568, Edificio Fedecàmaras, Piso 5, Pent-House 2, Avenida El Empalme, Urb El Bosque, VE-Caracas
Tel: (02) 731 17 11.
Internet: www.fedecamaras.org.ve
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 0058. All major cities are well equipped with public telephones. They can be used with coins or phone cards. The cheapest way to make a phone call is to use prepaid cards that can be bought at the airport, in hotels, in CANTV offices, at the kiosk, in the post office or in tobacco shops. Emergency numbers are: Police 17, Fire Brigade 18 and Ambulance 15.
Cellphone
GSM 900 and GSM 850. One of the cell phone companies is Digitel (Internet: www.digitel.com.ve). The reception / transmission area is limited to Caracas and the surrounding area. International roaming contracts exist. Possibly. it is worth buying a Venezuelan SIM card.
Internet
The main provider is CantvNet (Internet: www.cantv.net). Internet cafes can be found in most cities.
Post Office
Airmail to Europe takes 3 days to 5 weeks; Shipments in the domestic postal service sometimes take longer. Post is on its way to Europe for at least a month by land and sea. In addition to postage stamps, airmail letterheads are also available at post offices (ipostel), the price of which includes postage. Mailboxes for international mail are marked with extranjero or internacional. Post offices are open Mon-Fri from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. A two to three hour lunch break should always be expected.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
