Bahamas Customs Guide

Customs charges are often the most confusing part of shopping online from The Bahamas. This guide explains, in plain language, what happens when your package lands, what you pay and why, and how to keep the bill as low as the law allows.

If you just want the rate for a specific item, search our Bahamas duty rates. For the all-in cost of an order, including freight, use the shipping calculator. If you are bringing in goods for a business, or a large shipment, read our guide to importing to The Bahamas.

How customs works for packages you order online

Every package that comes into The Bahamas has to be declared to Bahamas Customs, and the charges paid, before it can be released. When you ship with a courier such as Mr. Ship It, you don't have to go to the airport or fill in the forms yourself. Here is what happens:

1. You order from any US store and ship it to your free US address at our Miami Lakes, Florida warehouse.
2. You upload the invoice in your account. This is the store's receipt or order confirmation showing what you bought and what you paid.
3. We fly it to Nassau and declare it to Customs using your invoice.
4. Customs assesses the charges: duty, any environmental levy, the processing fee and VAT.
5. You pay one bill with us, online or in store, covering freight and the customs charges, and collect your package.

Customs decides the final classification and charges for every shipment. What we can do is make sure your invoice is accurate and on file, so clearance doesn't hold your package up.

What you pay

A customs bill is made of up to four charges. Each one is explained below, and the duty rates pages show them for each item.

Customs duty

Duty is a percentage of the value of the item, meaning the price you actually paid. The rate depends on the type of goods, which is why a laptop and a TV of the same price are charged very differently:

• Duty free: laptops, tablets, headphones, smart watches, perfume, vitamins, handbags, car seats, strollers, diapers and many more everyday items.
• 10%: cell phones, batteries and games on disc.
• 20%: clothing, shoes and toys.
• 35%: TVs, make-up, microwaves and small kitchen appliances.
• 45% and over: video game consoles, hats, rugs, and car parts at 60%.

The Government lowered many rates in 2025 and 2026, including shampoo (now free), wigs, blenders, vacuum cleaners and energy drinks: see what the 2026/27 budget changed. See the rates by category: electronics, clothing and shoes, home and appliances, car parts and more on the duty rates page.

Environmental levy

Some goods carry a flat environmental levy on top of duty, charged per item rather than as a percentage. Common examples are $5 on a TV, computer, cell phone, microwave or battery, $10 on a window air conditioner, $15 on a fridge, freezer or washing machine, and $20 on a generator. The levy is part of the landed cost, so VAT is charged on it too.

Processing fee

Customs charges a processing fee on each entry: a $10 minimum or 1% of the value, with a $1,000 maximum. On most online orders this is the $10 minimum, since 1% only goes above $10 once an order is worth more than $1,000.

Value added tax (VAT)

VAT applies to almost everything. It is 10% of the landed cost, which is the item's value plus:

• the duty,
• the processing fee,
• any environmental levy, and
• freight, insurance and other charges to get it here.

Because VAT is worked out on everything before it, a high duty rate costs you twice: once as duty and again as VAT on that duty. Our article on VAT on online orders breaks this down.

Since September 1, 2025, a reduced 5% VAT applies to a list of health and hygiene goods, including diapers and baby wipes, sanitary pads and tampons, adult disposable underwear, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, lancets and insulin syringes, first-aid kits, adhesive bandages, and many medicines such as antibiotics, insulin and vaccines. Our shipping calculator applies the 5% rate automatically when you pick one of these items.

A worked example

Say you buy a $400 TV and the freight, insurance and other charges come to $110:

Charge	How it is worked out	Amount
Duty	$400 × 35%	$140.00
Processing fee	1% of $400, $10 minimum	$10.00
Environmental levy	TV	$5.00
VAT	10% of $665 landed cost	$66.50
Paid to Customs		$221.50

The same $400 spent on a laptop would pay no duty, just the $5 levy, and VAT only on the value, fee, levy and freight. That is why it pays to check the rate before you buy.

Your invoice: what Customs needs

Customs works out duty on the price you paid, and it needs the supplier's invoice to do that. A good invoice shows:

• the store's name,
• each item and its description,
• the price of each item, and
• the order total.

Upload it in your account as soon as you place the order, or as soon as the package shows up. If your package arrives without an invoice on file, clearance waits until we have one. Our guide to customs invoices covers what to upload for marketplace orders, gifts and lost receipts.

Never under-declare. Writing a lower value on an invoice, or asking a seller to mark a purchase as a "gift", is a customs offence. Goods can be seized and penalties charged. It is never worth it.

The $500 travel exemption

Bahamian residents can bring back up to $500 of goods duty free, twice a year, when they travel and carry the goods with them. This exemption is for accompanied baggage only. It does not apply to packages shipped to you through a courier or freight forwarder, so plan on paying the full duty, fees and VAT on your online orders.

Prohibited and restricted items

Some goods can't be imported at all, and others need a permit or licence before they arrive. Check before you buy if your order includes:

• Firearms, ammunition, and their parts and accessories. These need a licence from the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Call us before ordering.
• Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, counterfeit goods and obscene material. These are prohibited.
• Plants, seeds, animals, meat and some foods. These need a permit from the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority.
• Prescription medicines. Keep the prescription with your invoice.
• Hazardous goods such as aerosols, lithium batteries shipped on their own, flammable liquids and some perfumes. Airline rules restrict how these can fly, and a hazardous materials charge applies.

If you're not sure about an item, call us on 603-5555 before you order. It is much easier to answer the question before the package is in the air.

Clearing goods yourself

If you ship goods to yourself by sea or air cargo rather than through a courier, you make the customs entry yourself or through a customs broker. Customs asks for:

• a Home Consumption Entry (form C13) and a Declaration of Value (form C43),
• the invoice or receipt for the goods,
• the bill of lading or airway bill and freight invoice from the shipping line or airline, and
• ID: a passport, NIB card or driver's licence for individuals, or a valid business licence for a company.

The entry has to be made within five days of the goods arriving (not counting Sundays and public holidays), and goods left uncollected for five working days are moved to the Government Warehouse, where removal charges apply. Our importing to The Bahamas guide explains when it makes sense to do this yourself and when a courier is simpler.

Tips to keep your customs bill down

• Check the rate before you buy. Two items of the same price can land at very different costs. Search the duty rates or run the calculator.
• Buy the energy-efficient model. Top-rated refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and water heaters can qualify for duty-free entry with a certificate from the National Emissions Registry. Apply before you ship.
• Put items in one order from one store so they arrive as one box with one invoice.
• Keep your invoice handy. Uploading it early is the single best way to avoid delays.

Contacting Bahamas Customs

The Customs Department is part of the Ministry of Finance, with its head office at Customs House on Thompson Boulevard, Nassau, and a separate division in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Official rates, forms and notices are on bahamascustoms.gov.bs. For anything about a package you are shipping with us, call us first on 603-5555: we deal with Customs on your behalf every day.