VerifiedGet matched with vetted international mover We match you with only accredited partner for your route: fewer calls, less stress, and a clearer quote.
Moving back to Jamaica for good? As a returning resident you may bring your used personal and household effects in under a one-time duty concession. It's set by the Jamaica Customs Agency, and it's arranged after you arrive, at an interview, using Form C27. Below we explain who qualifies, what's covered, the steps and the documents you'll need. Tell us what you're shipping and we'll connect you with one vetted mover who handles returning-resident moves. Asking is free.
✅ The quick answer — Returning home for good may let you bring used belongings in duty-free, arranged after arrival on Form C27. We connect you with a vetted mover, free.
👤 Who qualifies — A Jamaican aged 18 or over, who's lived abroad at least 3 consecutive years and is returning to live permanently.
📦 What's covered — Used personal and household effects and tools of trade. Vacations abroad don't break your 3 years.
📋 The form — Pick up Form C27 (the unaccompanied baggage declaration) at the airport or seaport when you arrive.
📅 The deadline — Bring your goods in within 6 months, and attend an interview at the Returning Residents Unit.
🚗 Cars — No duty concession on vehicles, even for returning residents. See the car shipping guide.
The Jamaica Customs Agency grants the concession to people who meet three conditions. You must be a Jamaican national aged 18 or over, you must have lived overseas for at least three consecutive years, and you must be returning to live in Jamaica permanently. Short visits home for a holiday don't break the three years.
There are sensible extras. A non-Jamaican spouse can usually receive the same treatment if both partners have lived abroad for three years, and a couple returning together counts as one family with one concession. Students who studied abroad for between one and three years may get a partial concession on tools of trade and some effects.
The concession is for your used personal and household effects, the everyday things basic to a home: clothing, toiletries, furniture, a television, a fridge, a stove and the like, whether new or used. It also covers tools of trade, meaning the instruments and equipment you use in your own profession or trade without taking on extra labour.
It doesn't cover everything. Goods clearly brought in to sell are out, and cars are a separate matter with no concession at all (more on that below). If you're shipping a full home, a container is usually the way, and the cost guide shows what to expect.
The concession is arranged after you land, not before. The steps run like this:
One firm deadline: you must complete the importation of your effects within six months.
Bring originals where you can. You'll typically need:
This catches people out, so it's worth being plain: there is no duty concession on a motor vehicle, even for returning residents. The same vehicle rules apply to everyone. A car needs an import licence from the Trade Board before it ships, a used car must usually be no more than ten years old, and full duty is payable. A licensed customs broker has to clear a vehicle.
You can still ship a car alongside your move, you just budget for the duty. The car shipping guide covers the licence, the age limit and the paperwork. Many returning residents settle in Mandeville; we also cover Kingston, Montego Bay and the rest of the island on the Jamaica hub.
Sorting money is part of most moves to Jamaica, whether you're buying a home or just getting set up. For many years we've steered people to trusted partners who handle any currency, so that part is covered.
Start at the Jamaica hub for every destination and service, or carry on with a related guide or town below.
Tell us what you're sending, and we connect you with a single partner suited to your shipment and the route. No call centre, and no wading through ten quotes.
On a full container move, partners are FIDI FAIM accredited, the one international standard for movers, audited independently by Ernst and Young, with BAR Overseas signalling the same in Britain. For smaller loads and barrels, partners are Caribbean specialists who handle Kingston and Montego Bay day in, day out.
A note on who we are: not the shipper. International Removals Companies hands your enquiry to one vetted partner who handles everything, and has run free since November 2010. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743, Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Give us the details and an approximate date. One vetted mover comes back with the price, the timeline and the customs steps. No cost and no commitment.
Get my free quoteYour shipper confirms every price, transit time, insurance and customs point before you book.
International Removals Companies is the official enquiry service for three FIDI FAIM and BAR Overseas certified international moving companies in AGM Group, members of IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC. It's a free route-matching service, not a removal company, a man with a van or a house clearance service.
Use this page to send your Jamaica removal enquiry, then speak directly with the partner mover we connect you with before booking.