Shipping a vehicle to Jamaica is a different exercise from sending a barrel. The vehicle itself is the simple part — it is the paperwork, the import permissions and the duties that decide whether the shipment goes smoothly or stalls at the port. Shore to Shore Shipping moves vehicles to Jamaica alongside our barrel, box and container traffic, from our Union, New Jersey head office to our own offices in Kingston and Montego Bay. This guide explains how the process works, what you will need, and what drives the cost.
Check the rules before you buy
Jamaica restricts which vehicles may be imported, and the restrictions turn on the vehicle’s age and category. Confirm your specific vehicle qualifies with the Trade Board Limited before you purchase it — not after. A vehicle that cannot be licensed for import is an expensive mistake to discover at the port.
How Vehicle Shipping Works
- Confirm the vehicle is eligible for import and obtain the required import licence or permit.
- Request a quote from us with the make, model, year, dimensions and running condition.
- Deliver the vehicle to us, or arrange collection, for our Union, New Jersey facility.
- We prepare the shipping documentation and book the vehicle onto a sailing.
- The vehicle sails to Jamaica and is received by our Kingston or Montego Bay office.
- Customs clearance is completed and duties assessed, then the vehicle is released to you.
Paperwork You Will Need
Requirements vary with the vehicle and the importer, so treat this as the shortlist to prepare rather than an exhaustive checklist. We will confirm exactly what your shipment needs when we quote it.
- The vehicle title, showing clear ownership and no outstanding lien.
- The bill of sale or purchase invoice.
- An import licence or permit where one is required for that vehicle.
- Your TRN (Taxpayer Registration Number) as the importer in Jamaica.
- Photo identification for the importer.
- Any documentation specific to the vehicle’s category or intended use.
What a TRN is
A Taxpayer Registration Number is the identifier Jamaica Customs uses for the person receiving imported goods. The consignee needs one before a vehicle can be cleared, and getting it in place early avoids a vehicle sitting at the port while it is arranged.
What Drives the Cost
Two separate things make up what you pay: the shipping, and the duties. They are assessed differently and it is worth keeping them apart in your head.
The **shipping** cost depends on the vehicle’s size, its weight, whether it runs and drives, the shipping method, and the origin and destination ports. A compact car and a large truck do not occupy the same space, and a non-running vehicle needs handling a driveable one does not.
The **duties** are assessed by Jamaica Customs on arrival and are typically calculated against the vehicle’s value together with its engine size and category, not against what you paid to ship it. This is frequently the larger of the two figures, and it is the one people underestimate.
Budget for duties separately
Duties are assessed by Jamaica Customs, not by us, and are commonly the bigger number. Ask Jamaica Customs or a licensed broker for an assessment on your specific vehicle before you commit — a shipping quote does not tell you what clearance will cost.
Before You Ship
- Empty the vehicle — personal belongings left inside complicate clearance and are not covered as cargo.
- Keep fuel to the minimum required for handling.
- Photograph the vehicle from every angle before handover, as your own record of condition.
- Have the title in hand; a vehicle cannot ship on a promise that paperwork will follow.
- Confirm who will clear the vehicle in Jamaica and that they hold a TRN.