1. Check the vehicle is young enough
The Trade Board sets a maximum age for every category of vehicle, counted from the year of manufacture. Most private cars must be six years old or less. Returning residents may import a vehicle up to ten years old, with proof of ownership. Confirm your case with the Trade Board before you pay a deposit.
| Category | Max age |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles and ATVs | 5 years |
| Cars: sedans, station wagons, SUVs | 6 years |
| Buses, up to 8 persons | 6 years |
| Pickups, up to 1,500 kg | 6 years |
| Pickups and small trucks, 1,501–3,000 kg | 10 years |
| Panel vans and window vans | 10 years |
| Buses, 9–14 persons | 10 years |
| Buses, 15–20 persons | 12 years |
| Buses, 21–30 persons | 15 years |
| Buses, 31–45 persons | 20 years |
| Buses, 46 persons and over | 25 years |
| Trucks, 3,001–6,000 kg | 20 years |
| Trucks, 6,001–8,000 kg | 25 years |
| Trucks over 8,000 kg | 30 years |
| Heavy-duty equipment | 30 years |
Ministry Paper 36/14 amendment, in force since 6 November 2019. Returning residents: up to 10 years.
2. Get your TRN and settle who imports
Every vehicle entering Jamaica needs an import licence from the Trade Board Limited before it ships. Most buyers now arrange a special import through a licensed dealer: the dealer sources the vehicle, applies for the licence in their name, and clears it, while you supply your Taxpayer Registration Number, your ID and a deposit. The rates on this site are the ones customs charges on those dealer imports.
Jamaica Customs is blunt about the order of operations: the vehicle must not ship until the licence is issued. The Trade Board answers licensing and age-limit questions on 876-967-0507 and 876-967-0674.
3. Budget the full landed cost
Run the listing price through the calculator to see the customs charges, then add the costs in step 6. Aggregate duty on a petrol car is 45% to 73% of the CIF value on the dealer sheet, so the customs bill is often more than half the price of the car.
4. Buy and ship
Most Japanese exporters quote CIF to Kingston, which bundles the vehicle, insurance and freight. That is the figure customs will value, converted at the Bank of Jamaica rate on the day of clearance. If you buy FOB, you arrange shipping and insurance yourself and customs adds them to the value.
Used vehicles must pass a pre-shipment inspection in the export country and arrive with the certificate. Damaged or salvaged vehicles are prohibited outright, so avoid auction grades that describe accident repair or flood damage.
5. Clear the vehicle with a broker
Motor vehicles must be cleared by a licensed customs broker, who prepares the Special Declaration and submits the entry. On a dealer import the dealer's broker does this and bills you the assessed duties plus port charges. Once customs releases the vehicle you can collect it or have it trucked. The documents the broker needs:
- Import licence
- Issued by the Trade Board Limited before the vehicle ships.
- Title or export certificate
- Issued to the owner by the government of the country where the vehicle was bought. In Japan this is the export certificate produced when the car is de-registered.
- Bill of lading
- From the shipping line or agent once the vehicle is loaded.
- Invoice
- The supplier's invoice, showing what you paid.
- Tax Compliance Certificate
- From Tax Administration Jamaica.
- Special Declaration
- Prepared by your licensed customs broker and signed by you.
- Pre-inspection certificate
- Required for used vehicles, issued by an approved inspection company in the export country before shipping.
6. Costs beyond customs
The estimate covers government charges only. Plan for these too, and ask your broker for a written quote because they vary by port, size of vehicle and season:
- Customs broker fee
- Wharfage and port handling
- Trucking from the wharf
- Registration, licensing and fitness certificate
- Motor insurance before you drive
Sources
- Trade Board Limited motor vehicle age limits
- JCA motor vehicle age limits
- JCA documents required to import a motor vehicle
- JCA import clearance procedure
- JCA Motor Vehicle Rates, dealers / ex-warehouse (revised April 2020)
- Bank of Jamaica exchange rates
Policies change. This guide reflects the sources above as read on 1 September 2026. Confirm anything that affects your money with the Trade Board or your broker.