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Origin and trade agreements

Importing into Bermuda

Bermuda's duty on parcels: the simplified post and courier rates (6.5% clothing, 25% for most goods), the BD$30 gift relief, wharfage and the CAPS ID.

Updated · 5 official sources

Bermuda charges customs duty on parcels from the first dollar, apart from bona fide gifts worth up to BD$30 per packet. Goods sent by post or courier can be declared under a simplified tariff heading, 98.03, with rates such as 6.5% for clothing and footwear, 12.5% for watches and 25% for most other goods.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

How is a parcel to Bermuda taxed?#

A parcel to Bermuda pays customs duty under the Customs Tariff Act 1970 at the rate for its tariff code, on its value in Bermuda dollars. For goods imported by post or by a licensed courier, section 2A of the Act lets the importer declare them under heading 98.03, a short list of broad rates, instead of the exact code.

Goods sent by post or courier Tariff code Duty
Printed books, newspapers, computer software 9803.114 0%
Bona fide gifts worth up to BD$30 per packet 9803.181 0%
Clothing 9803.121 6.5%
Footwear 9803.141 6.5%
Jewelry and imitation jewelry 9803.122 6.5%
Trunks, bags and cases 9803.125 6.5%
Cameras and camera accessories 9803.132 10%
Watches 9803.143 12.5%
Food products, including dietary supplements 9803.151 15%
Batteries and generators 9803.161 35%
Other goods 9803.199 25%

Customs can refuse a 98.03 declaration where the goods' own code in Chapters 1 to 97 carries a higher rate, and it accepts the own code where that rate is lower or specific. Sugar, for example, must be declared at its own 75% rate rather than the 15% food rate. Invoices in foreign currency are converted at Customs' weekly exchange rate for importers.

What does a typical order pay?#

A typical online order to Bermuda pays duty on its full value, because the only small-value relief is for genuine gifts. These examples use the 2026 tariff rates, before the courier's own charges, and assume the customs value shown is the value Customs accepts.

Order Code and rate Duty
A jacket, BD$120, by courier 9803.121, 6.5% BD$7.80
A smartphone, BD$800, by courier 8517.130, 25% BD$200.00
A birthday gift from family, BD$25, by post 9803.181, 0% None

A purchase is never a gift, so a BD$25 order from a store pays duty at its rate.

Who declares the goods, and what is wharfage?#

Bermuda's courier services make the customs declaration for their customers, and at the post office a customer service representative usually prepares the Bermuda Customs Declaration Short Form for the importer to sign, and the importer must provide invoices or receipts for any purchases.

Wharfage is a separate levy of 1.25% of the customs value, which Customs collects for the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George's on goods landed at their ports and at L.F. Wade International Airport. Goods imported by post are exempt from wharfage. Courier parcels aren't on the exemption list.

Anyone claiming a duty relief other than the gift relief, and every commercial importer, needs a CAPS ID number, which they give to the courier or use to lodge a Bermuda Customs Declaration. Most reliefs are listed in the 5th, 6th and 7th Schedules of the tariff. The landed cost calculator adds duty to a Bermuda quote before checkout, and the Bermuda country page holds the live data.

What can't you send to Bermuda?#

Bermuda bans some goods outright and allows others only with a licence or permit. Banned goods include illegal drugs, offensive weapons such as flick knives, butterfly knives and knuckledusters, self-defence sprays, stun guns, and indecent or obscene material. Customs warns that its list of examples isn't complete.

Restricted goods include firearms and replicas that can be converted to fire, live animals, plants and plant products, goods from endangered species without a CITES certificate, and radio transmitters such as CB and VHF radios. Carrots, sweet potatoes, corn and soil can't be imported. Counterfeit goods may be detained. The restricted goods docs check products against destination rules.

Common questions#

Is there a de minimis in Bermuda?#

Not for purchases. Bermuda's only small-value relief is for bona fide gifts worth up to BD$30 per postal packet or courier package; orders from stores pay duty from the first dollar.

What is the duty on clothes sent to Bermuda?#

Clothing sent by post or courier can be declared at 6.5% under tariff code 9803.121. Footwear is also 6.5%.

Do I pay wharfage on a parcel?#

Not on a parcel sent by post, which is exempt. Wharfage of 1.25% of the customs value applies to most goods landed at Bermuda's ports and airport, and courier parcels aren't on the exemption list.

Sources#