Shipping Your Belongings to Bermuda: Customs Duty, Relief and Movers
This guide is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Some links may be affiliate links. See our disclosure.
Almost everything in Bermuda is imported, and imports pay customs duty. Get the paperwork right and your used household goods can come in with duty relief. Get it wrong and you could pay duty at the standard rate on everything you ship.
This guide covers the rules from Bermuda Customs, the paperwork step most people miss, and how to plan the shipment itself.
The key numbers from Customs
From the Customs Traveller Declaration (gov.bm PDF):
- Duty is generally assessed at the standard rate of 25% of the value of goods above your duty-free allowance.
- Transfer of residence allowance is available to returning islanders and immigrants for their used personal baggage.
- Live animals, plants, fruit and vegetables require an import permit.
- Controlled drugs, obscene material, fireworks, firearms and ammunition are generally prohibited.
- Allowances for people aged 18 or over include up to 1 litre of spirits, 1 litre of wine, 0.5kg tobacco, 50 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
Specific goods can carry different rates. The 2025 Budget, for example, cut duty on building materials and supplies to a flat 10% (gov.bm). The full rates are in the Customs Tariff schedule (gov.bm PDF).
Duty relief for people moving to Bermuda
Customs’ page Exemption from duty when moving to Bermuda (gov.bm) sets out the rules:
- First-time residents need proof of permission to live in Bermuda, e.g. a work permit or spousal letter.
- Returning residents need proof they’ve lived overseas for more than a year.
- Both need proof that the goods are older than six months to claim relief.
- If goods arrive with you at the airport, tick the appropriate box on your Customs Traveller Declaration.
- If you’re shipping goods separately, you need a Transfer of Residence Certificate.
The step people miss: ask for the certificate at the airport
The Customs page says: “You must ask a customs officer for this certificate at the airport, when you arrive to take up residence. There is no fee for the certificate. This certificate is processed immediately.”
So when you land with your work permit or residence letter, ask for a Transfer of Residence Certificate before you leave the airport, even if your shipment is still weeks away. Your mover or customs broker will need it to clear your goods.
Customs also warns there are “severe penalties for false declarations”. If you’re unsure, ask an officer.
What counts as “older than six months”?
Customs requires proof that goods are older than six months, but the page doesn’t list which documents it accepts. Keep anything that shows a purchase date. In practice:
- Gather receipts for higher-value items (electronics, furniture, bikes).
- Don’t buy new items just before the move expecting them to come in duty-free. Items under six months old may be dutiable.
- Keep a detailed inventory with approximate purchase dates and values.
Planning the shipment
What to ship and what to leave
With duty at 25% on dutiable goods and shipping costs on top, it’s worth thinking hard:
- Worth shipping: good-quality furniture you love, specialist kit, personal items, and things that are expensive to replace.
- Often not worth shipping: cheap flat-pack furniture, UK electrical appliances, and anything bulky and low-value. Bermuda runs on 120V/60Hz with US-style Type A plugs, so most UK appliances won’t work without a transformer (Electricity in Bermuda).
- Ask whether a rental is furnished before you ship beds and sofas.
Sea freight, air freight and baggage
- Excess baggage suits the first few weeks’ essentials.
- Air freight is fast but expensive per kilo.
- Sea freight, either a shared container (groupage) or your own, suits household moves. Ask each mover about routing and transit times.
Getting quotes
Get at least three quotes from movers with international and Bermuda experience. You can request several quotes at once through a comparison service such as Sirelo. Ask each mover:
- Do you handle Bermuda customs clearance, or do I need a local broker?
- Is the quote door-to-door, including Bermuda delivery?
- What’s excluded: duty, port charges, storage, insurance?
- How is marine insurance priced?
- Typical transit time from the UK?
We haven’t quoted typical costs because they vary hugely by volume, route and season, and we won’t invent figures.
Cars and bikes
Think carefully before shipping a vehicle. Bermuda limits private cars to one per residence under the Motor Car Act 1951 (bermudalaws.bm), and vehicles must meet local size and specification rules. Check with the Transport Control Department before shipping. See cars, bikes and mopeds in Bermuda.
Bicycles are personal goods like any other, so the same six-month rule applies.
Pets
Animals need an import permit (Customs Declaration). Start pet paperwork months ahead.
Duty-free allowances when you travel later
Once you live in Bermuda, a separate allowance covers goods you bring back from trips abroad. The 2025 Budget raised the returning-resident allowance from $200 to $300 (gov.bm). Some older Customs forms still show $200.
Moving checklist
- Work permit or residence permission approved
- Inventory with purchase dates and values
- Receipts for higher-value items
- Three or more mover quotes, comparing like with like
- Marine insurance arranged
- Transfer of Residence Certificate requested at the airport on arrival
- Certificate passed to your mover or broker
- Import permits for pets or plants, if needed
Sources checked 12 October 2026. Customs rules are the final word. If unsure, ask a customs officer.
FAQ
Do new residents pay duty on everything they ship?
Not necessarily. Used personal and household goods older than six months may qualify for relief if you have permission to live in Bermuda and a Transfer of Residence Certificate (gov.bm). New or dutiable goods are generally charged at the standard 25% rate on value above allowances (Customs Declaration).
Can my shipment arrive before me?
It can physically arrive, but you need the Transfer of Residence Certificate to claim relief, and that’s issued when you arrive to take up residence. Ask your mover what storage charges apply if goods arrive before you.
I’m on Permission to Reside, not a work permit. Can I claim relief?
Customs asks first-time residents for “proof that you have permission to live in Bermuda (work permit, spousal letter etc.)”. A Permission to Reside letter seems to fit that description, but confirm with Customs before shipping.
What about online shopping after I move?
Goods you order from abroad are imports and normally attract duty at the applicable rate. Many residents use freight forwarders. Compare their fees before ordering anything large.
Can I bring food?
Fruit and vegetables require an import permit, so leave fresh produce behind. Check the Customs and Agriculture rules for other foods.
What value does Customs use?
Customs assesses duty on “the value of the goods” (Customs Declaration). Ask your customs broker exactly how the value is calculated for your shipment before you budget.