By Josh Stein · Founder, Art of NOMA, Mexico City · writing on the emerging-art market since 2023
Buying an original artwork from another country is where a lot of first-time collectors stall. Not because it is difficult — it is genuinely routine — but because the process is opaque enough that people assume there is a catch. This guide sets out what actually happens, in the order it happens.
How shipping is priced
Original art is not priced like a parcel. The cost is driven by the size of the crate rather than the weight of the work, because a large painting is mostly air in a rigid box, and that box has to survive being handled by people who do not know what is inside it.
That is why art shipping is usually banded by size. A small work travels for a fraction of what an oversize canvas costs, and the jump between bands is steep. It is worth knowing before you fall in love with something two metres wide.
The practical implication is one most buyers only discover late: shipping cost is a reason to consider scale early, not after choosing. If your budget is finite, a smaller work by the artist you want will often deliver a better total outcome than a larger work whose freight consumes what you would otherwise have spent on framing.
At Art of NOMA the rate is calculated automatically at checkout for every destination we ship to — 237 countries and territories — so you see the real figure before you commit, not after an email exchange.
Who pays customs and duties?
This is the part that worries people most, and the honest answer is: it depends on your country, and you should assume you are responsible.
In most jurisdictions the buyer is the importer of record. Any import duty, VAT or handling fee levied on arrival is charged to you, not to the gallery, and it is collected by the carrier before delivery. These charges are set by your government, not by us, and no seller can waive them.
The good news for art specifically: many countries treat original works of art favourably, with reduced or zero duty rates on original paintings, drawings and sculpture, precisely because they are not manufactured goods. Rates for prints and editions can differ. If a purchase is large enough that the difference matters, a five-minute check with your local customs authority before you order is time well spent.
Two details that catch people out. First, the carrier's own handling or brokerage fee is separate from the duty itself and is charged even where duty is zero. Second, a work returned to the seller does not automatically reclaim the duty you paid — recovering it is a separate process in most countries, and a slow one. Both are arguments for being sure before you order rather than treating an international purchase as returnable by default.
What should be in the box
A properly shipped artwork arrives with paperwork, and the paperwork is not a formality. You should receive:
- A certificate of authenticity, identifying the work, the artist, the medium, the dimensions and, for editions, the number in the edition
- A commercial invoice declaring the work honestly for customs
- Insurance in transit, covering the full value — not the carrier's default liability, which is usually derisory
Keep all of it. The invoice and certificate are what establish provenance, and provenance is what makes a work insurable, and sellable, years later. Photograph the work when it arrives, undamaged, so you have a dated baseline of its condition.
Why under-declaring value is a trap
If a seller offers to under-declare the value to reduce your duty, decline.
It fails in three separate ways, and any one of them is enough. It invalidates the insurance — a work declared at a fraction of its value is insured at that fraction, so if the crate is destroyed you recover the declared amount and nothing else. It is illegal in most jurisdictions, and the liability sits with the importer of record, which is you. And it destroys the provenance record you are paying for: the declared value enters the documentary history of the object, and a work whose paper trail says it was worth two hundred dollars is a harder work to insure or resell later.
A seller who suggests it is telling you how they treat documentation generally, which is worth knowing before you buy anything else from them.
How long it takes
Longer than a consumer parcel, and the delay is usually at the front. Original works are crated to order, which takes days rather than hours. Once dispatched, the transit itself is fast; customs clearance is the variable.
Build in more time than you think you need if the work is for a specific date. "It will be there by the party" is how people end up paying for express freight on a crate.
If the work is a gift or tied to an occasion, order several weeks ahead and confirm the crating timeline in writing at the point of purchase. Galleries can nearly always accommodate a deadline they know about in advance and nearly never one they learn about afterwards.
What to check before you order
- Is the price the price? Shipping should be calculable at checkout, not quoted later.
- Is it insured for full value in transit, and who claims if it arrives damaged?
- Does it come with a certificate of authenticity? For an original, this is non-negotiable.
- What is the return position? Original art is often final sale — that can be reasonable, but you should know before you buy.
- Who packs it? Hand-crating by people who handle art is not the same as a courier's packing counter.
Every work is packed and crated by hand in Mexico City and shipped from there, fully insured, worldwide. Rates are calculated at checkout by destination and size. Every work ships with a certificate of authenticity. Prices are published openly on each artwork page rather than held behind an enquiry form, and support is available in English and Spanish.
If you want to see what is available, start with original paintings, limited-edition prints or the artists we represent. If you are still working out the budget, how much to spend on your first artwork covers the costs beyond the price of the work itself.
Verified 25 August 2026 against Art of NOMA's published shipping policy and live checkout. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice — import rules vary by country and change; confirm with your own customs authority for anything significant.
Art of NOMA is an official Artsy partner gallery based in Mexico City, representing around forty contemporary artists and more than 250 original works across painting, photography, print and sculpture.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays import duty when buying art from another country?
Is there import duty on original artwork?
Why is shipping art so expensive?
Should I let a seller declare a lower value to reduce duty?
How long does international art shipping take?
What paperwork should arrive with an artwork?
Sources
- Art of NOMA — shipping policy — our published terms, destinations and insurance position
- Harmonized System codes — background — how goods, including original art, are classified for customs
- Art of NOMA — how much to spend — the costs beyond the price of the work
Shipping worldwide from Mexico City. Rates calculated at checkout to 237 countries, every work hand-crated and fully insured. Start with the roster.