1) What motor vehicles can be imported?

Vehicle must not be older than 10 years.
If the vehicle is older than 10 years, prior approval is required from the Ministry of Finance,
and an environmental levy of 20% of the landed cost will apply.
If the vehicle is considered an antique/vintage, prior approval is required from
the Ministry of Finance, and the environmental levy will be $200.00.
The environmental levy is applicable to all motor vehicles, heavy equipment, and motorcycles.
Motor vehicles that possess Certificates of Destruction and have a
Salvage / Non-rebuildable title are prohibited.

2) I recently imported some VAT-free items and was still charged VAT, why?

Effective July 1^st 2018, only VAT free items arriving as accompanied baggage remain free, however if imported via freight these items are subject to VAT charges. Note that these items if purchased locally, are VAT free at the register.

3) If I have lost or misplaced my invoice, how can I clear my goods?

All shipments being entered into The Bahamas require a proper invoice from the supplier. In the absence of the proper invoice, the importer may contact the supplier and have a copy of the invoice sent electronically or a hard copy.

4) What is environmental levy?

This is a fee imposed to assist the government, via the Ministry of Environmental Health with the disposal of items that are hazardous to the environment and require special waste disposal treatment.

5) How do I determine the Rate of Duty on an item I imported?

For Tariff Classification please reach out to the Tariff Matters section.
Call: 604-3108/09/10
However, we do have an online Tariff Search if you would like:
Tariff Search:
https://www.bahamascustoms.gov.bs/tariffs-and-various-taxes-collected-by-customs/tariff-search/
A helpful tip I can give as well is that you can Google "HS Code for (Item Desired)" and it will give you the code based on the Harmonized System Tariff Codes on a global scale.
You can then find it in the Tariff with the rate attached.

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