Importing a vehicle to Jamaica

Bringing a car into Jamaica is a three-agency process: the Trade Board issues the import permit, the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) collects the duty, and the Island Traffic Authority and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) put it on the road. The order matters. Get the permit first, ship second, clear through a licensed broker third, then license it. This guide gives the current rules and rates as published on the agencies' own pages.

Who can import and how often

The Trade Board says individuals may import a combination of two motor vehicles every three years, except two motor cars, and must be a Jamaican resident, a child of Jamaican parentage, a spouse of a Jamaican, a Returning Resident, a contract officer or a work permit holder.

Age limits

The Trade Board's table, effective 6 November 2019, is the one that applies:

• Motor cycles: not exceeding five years.
• Motor cars (sedans seating up to five): not exceeding six years.
• Light commercial vehicles: between six and ten years depending on type; pick-up trucks and other small trucks of 1,501 kg to 3,000 kg unladen weight may be up to ten years.
• Vehicles imported by Returning Residents: not exceeding ten years, and owned by the importer for at least six months before applying.

If you read an older page saying five years for cars, ignore it. The Trade Board's current table says six.

Step 1. The import permit

Apply electronically on JSWIFT, the Jamaica Single Window for Trade, at jswift.gov.jm. Upload the supplier invoice or bill of sale, the registration certificate, certificate of title or Japanese export certificate, one valid photo ID with proof of citizenship, your TRN, and, for a used vehicle, the pre-shipment inspection certificate. The Trade Board lists the import permit fee as J$6,325.00 (J$5,500 before GCT, per the fee schedule effective 1 April 2020), an amendment fee of J$2,875.50 and a permit print-out fee of J$1,150.00. Processing time is three working days. The permit must be obtained before the vehicle arrives in Jamaica.

Used vehicles from the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates must be inspected before shipping by Autoterminal Japan Limited, which the Trade Board names as the inspection provider.

Returning Residents apply under their own category and must attach the pre-approval letter from the JCA; the fee and processing time are the same.

Step 2. Shipping and the broker

Ship only after the permit is issued. When the vehicle lands, the JCA requires that clearance be handled by a licensed customs broker. The broker's document list, from the JCA brochure revised August 2024, is the JSWIFT permit, the title or export certificate, the bill of lading, the invoice, a tax compliance certificate and the special declaration.

Step 3. What you will pay

Duties are assessed on the CIF value: the cost of the vehicle plus freight and insurance. The JCA's 2025 rate sheet for individual importers gives aggregate rates that bundle import duty, special consumption tax and GCT:

On top of that the sheet notes a Customs Administrative Fee of J$63,250 for new vehicles and J$66,125 for used ones. The JCA duties page adds an environmental levy of 0.5 percent of CIF and a Standard Compliance Fee of 0.3 percent of CIF collected for the Bureau of Standards. The JCA's What's My Duty tool gives an estimate, with the agency's own caveat that the figures are estimates and you should consult the JCA or a licensed broker before shipping.

Step 4. Fitness, insurance, registration

Once cleared, the vehicle needs a certificate of fitness. Since 21 July 2025 the Island Traffic Authority issues these electronically through its e-Fitness system instead of paper. Buy insurance, then go to a TAJ office with the fitness certificate, the insurance certificate or cover note, the receipt and invoice, and the original import entry (C78) signed by Customs with two photocopies. TAJ's procedure sheet says to collect the title in approximately three months.

Common mistakes

• Shipping before the permit is issued. Storage charges start immediately and the policy provides for a late permit fee.
• Buying a car that is one model year too old for the table.
• Forgetting that Returning Resident status does not remove duty; it only extends the age limit to ten years.
• Underestimating the administrative fee and levies on top of the headline rate.

What JaRanks cannot do

JaRanks cannot calculate your exact duty, confirm whether a specific vehicle will be approved, or act as your broker. Rates and fees are quoted from the pages linked below as of the review date and can change without notice. Confirm with the Trade Board and a licensed customs broker before you buy.