International Shipping from / to Jamaica

Customs in Jamaica

The Customs process in Jamaica is painfully slow.  It does not make a difference whether you walk your items off of a plane yourself or ship them through a carrier, you will still be met with a slow Customs check.  There are countries that do handle this process slower, but it is something to be aware of before you go and expect something to pass through quickly.

Security concerns when shipping to Jamaica

There is a fair amount of gang violence that occurs in Jamaica, as well as petty theft and random acts of violence in the more densely populated areas.  This can impact your shipping abilities over there as sometime the delivery companies are targeted.  Specifically, parcels that appear to be gifts or hold some value are targeted above other packages.  That being said, it is not a fore gone conclusion that your parcel will be stolen; just something to be aware of so you can plan accordingly such as pulling out insurance on your goods before you send them off.  Your shipping company will be apply to let you know your options and get you all set up in the regard.

Required documents when shipping to Jamaica

To help speed things up with the Customs department when shipping to Jamaica, try to have all the necessary paperwork filled out before you ship your items there.  You will need a Bill of Lading, the original Commercial Invoice and a Certificate of Origin, most likely.  Above these essentials you may need additional documents for your particular items, such as if you are shipping live plants.  Items like this will require special permission before it will granted admission into the country which you should get before it arrives in Jamaica.  Talk to your shipping company for details on how to get this special permission and what to filed.