Information About Car Import into Bahamas

Regulations, taxes and rules for importing cars into the Bahamas

All individuals or businesses interested in importing one or more used vehicles should know that there are a number of necessities to be accomplished before claiming your vehicle. All cars should be insured if you wish to import to The Bahamas. If a right hand drive vehicle is being imported, please keep in mind that the headlights will need to be readjusted to be set to the left. Once your vehicle has arrived it should be carried to the local Road and Traffic department immediately for the purpose of licensing and inspection.

You must produce the appropriate documents and pay the specific amount of money to cover custom duty fees and any other associated fees. In that respect you will need to complete the relevant entry forms (C-14 form for Nassau, C-13 form for Freeport and C-43 form for Declaration of Value), submit shipment documents and provide an invoice received by you to the Bahamian Customs Department. Due to the recent government implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) that began on January 1st 2015, Bahamians are obligated to pay an additional 7.5% tax on imported vehicles with the exception of it being imported on a temporary basis.

Car trends in the Bahamas

If you are an individual buyer or a business owner with the primary goal of making a good profit by selling imported cars to your local Bahamian customers, here are a few things you should take note of.

Be mindful of the types of cars that are most popular in the Bahamian community; there is a reason for them being so common. As we all may know, as car owners it is extremely frustrating to finally purchase a nice car and when the time comes to have it repaired, there are no parts in stores anywhere locally. Therefore it is important for you to import cars that maintain a good reputation in terms of finding parts for it. Furthermore, Bahamians prefer cars that are good on gas such as Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, and Kia models to name a few. Not to mention, their car parts are also more accessible locally in The Bahamas.

Naturally the younger group of Bahamians takes pleasure in driving sports cars because of their speed. Honda civic and Honda accord coupes are sporty yet inexpensive cars that are regularly purchased by men between the ages of eighteen to thirty in The Bahamas for the most part. On a larger scale Honda is the best-selling brand of cars across the Commonwealth of The Bahamas whether new or used, and it is well liked for its stylish appearance, fuel efficiency and reasonable pricing. Hence, Nassau is also called the Honda Nation according to the civilians.

On the other hand, Toyota, Infiniti and Kia SUVs and sedans are far more appreciated by female consumers within the country. Right hand drive used Japanese vehicles are on the rise rather than left-hand drive used Japanese vehicles, and are becoming more popular amongst the Bahamian population of car owners. The Nissan Cube has been spotted regularly on the roads of New Providence as it is indeed a very smooth car and suitable enough for any driver regardless of gender or age.

Customs

Custom duty rates are determined by the value of the vehicle. For instance, if a vehicle costs $10,000 or less you will be charged a duty rate of 65% while a vehicle that is valued at $10,001 to $40,000 will stand at a rate of 75%. Vehicles priced over $40,000 have a duty rate of 85%. Hybrids and other electric vehicles are much less, charged with only 25% duty. Other charges may include: 1% processing fee, environmental levy fee for vehicles, storage fees, freight and insurance and landed charges. Bear in mind that the 7.5% VAT is not included with such fees and must be paid separately. For vehicle importers that reside in Freeport, Grand Bahamas please be advised to read the "VAT and the Hawksbill Creek Agreement".

Head over to www.bahamas.gov.bs/customs for more information on fees and importing vehicles.