Returning Residents
Returning Resident Shipping to Jamaica
Returning to live in Jamaica after years abroad is not an ordinary shipment. You are moving a household rather than sending a barrel, you may be eligible for duty concessions that do not apply to anyone else, and the conditions attached to those concessions are strict enough that getting the order of operations wrong can cost you them. Shore to Shore Shipping handles returning-resident moves from our Union, New Jersey head office to our own offices in Kingston and Montego Bay.
Confirm your status before you ship
Returning-resident concessions are granted by the Jamaica Customs Agency against conditions on how long you lived abroad, what you are bringing, and how long you keep it after importation. Confirm your eligibility with them before your goods are on the water — the concession generally cannot be applied retrospectively.
What a Returning-Resident Move Involves
Most returning residents are moving the contents of a home rather than a few boxes, which usually means a container — shared (LCL) if you are bringing part of a household, dedicated (FCL) if you are bringing all of it. Personal effects, furniture, appliances and often a vehicle travel together as one move rather than as separate errands.
The part that differs from an ordinary shipment is the paperwork. A returning resident is making a customs claim as well as a shipment, and the two have to line up: what you declare, what arrives, and what your concession covers all need to match.
What You Will Need
- Evidence of the period you lived abroad, in the form Jamaica Customs accepts.
- A TRN — the Taxpayer Registration Number used to receive imported goods.
- A detailed packing list of what you are shipping, item by item.
- Proof of ownership for higher-value items, and for a vehicle, the title.
- Identification and your travel documentation.
The packing list matters more than people expect
A vague inventory is the most common cause of delay on a returning-resident move. List contents properly, box by box, before anything is sealed — reconstructing it at the port is far harder than writing it down at home.
Bringing a Vehicle
A vehicle can form part of a returning-resident move, and a concession may apply to it — but the vehicle also has to satisfy Jamaica’s ordinary import rules on age, category and licensing. Both tests apply, and passing one does not carry you through the other. Confirm the vehicle qualifies for import before you buy or ship it.
How We Handle It
- Tell us roughly what you are moving and when you are relocating.
- We advise whether shared or dedicated container space suits the volume.
- Your goods are received at, or collected for, our Union, New Jersey facility.
- We prepare the shipping documentation and book the sailing.
- Our Kingston or Montego Bay office receives the shipment in Jamaica.
- Clearance is handled with your concession claim, and your goods are released.
Before You Move
Frequently Asked Questions
Who counts as a returning resident?
What do the concessions cover?
When should I arrange the concession?
Can I bring a car as a returning resident?
Do I need a container, or will a few barrels do?
Returning Residents
Moving Home to Jamaica?
Tell us what you are bringing and when you are relocating. We will advise on container space and handle the shipment end to end — you confirm your concession with Jamaica Customs.
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