Import, Insure and Register your own vehicle in Jamaica
It is actually pretty easy to import a vehicle into Jamaica. Here are 9 steps you would have to take to get the vehicle imported, custom cleared, insured and registered in Jamaica. Since duties have jsut recently been haled there has neber been a better time to import your own vehicle from Jim Autos Thaialnd, Jim Autos Austrlia and Jim Autos United Kingdom. Here are the steps
- Obtain an Import License: Visit the website of Jamaican Trade Board at www.tradeboard.gov.jm and complete the paperwork. The online fee is slightly more than US $50.00 and very convenient
- You select and pay for your vehicle and we ship it: Place your order with us and once selection and payment procedure is complete we will send your vehicle your way
- Select a Customs broker: If you are shipping anything worth $5,000 US or more to Jamaica you are required by law to have a custom broker. This may be a hassle but a good Customs broker can be invaluable in getting you the right deal
- Obtain a TRN (Tax Registration Number): This is an easy process which can be done in a few minutes and is free of charge. However, this can only be done in person at one of the many Inland Revenue offices on the island. All you need to obtain a temporary TRN is a valid passport. The permanent TRN can be picked up on a subsequent trip to the island. No government fees can be accepted without this card.
- Estimate the Duty you will have to pay: Take a look at http://toyota-hilux-vigo.com/car-import-duty-june-2012-jamaica.html to get a sense of what kind of duty your vehicle will attract
- Customs brokers steps in: A good custom broker will negotiate the best deal possible for you. The broker takes notarized Commercial Invoice we issued for you and presents it to the custom agent. The custom agent then checks their records to determine the appropriate book value of the vehicle. The agent can either accept your Commercial Invoice or demand the book value. This is when the negotiations begin. An experienced custom broker, like a good defense attorney, can make a case for your lower bill of sale. But in the end, you are at the mercy of the customs agent. Hopefully the Customs broker has already gone through import of vehicles from Thailand, Australia and United Kingdom and already knows the acceptable value of the veihicle leaving nothing to chance.
- Fitness Test: Your first stop after leaving the wharf is to go to the Inland Revenue office to pay for a "fitness" test and then visit an Inspection Station to get the test done
- Engineer's Report: From there the next stop was to get an "engineer's" report otherwise called a valuation report. This is required by the insurance company to establish a rate. Now you obtain car's insurance
- Get the vehicle registered.
You can import a new vehicle without any restriction but a used car can't be older than three years and four years for a commercial vehicle. If you are importing as individual, you can't sell the vehicle for three years. This will be clearly noted on the title.
You are also limited to importing two vehicles every three years. Caution: failure to obtain a proper import license can cause you to be fined "three times the value of the vehicle plus suffer the seizure of the vehicle!"