A Permit is required for the importation of Agricultural Commodities. All processed foods of plant and animal origin.

Eligibility

Any person who is desirous of importing plants, plant products or other regulated articles, may make an application and pay the prescribed fee(s).

Process

1. Make an application to the Food Safety and Quality Unit via an online process;
2. Once the import requirements are met, make payment of the requisite fees online or via check (cashier’s check or bank draft) at the BAHFSA office;
3. Inspection by a Department of Agriculture Inspector, Bahamas Customs Officer or a BAHFSA Inspector shall occur before a consignment is released;
4. Consignments may be sampled for analysis. A consignment found to be unwholesome may be re-exported to the country of origin or shall be destroyed;
5. A fee shall be charged at the point of inspection for trailer consignments not inspected at the Port of entry.

Application Form(s)

The application for the Importation of Agricultural Commodities can be accessed online at www.bahfsa.com with instructions on the required documentation.

Supporting Documents

Supporting documents are listed on the import permit and can be accessed at www.bahfsa.com.

Turn-around time

Upon successful completion of the application, no more than five (5) business days is required to complete the approval process.

Deadline

The application for importation is valid for 14 days after which a new form and fee must be paid to begin afresh.

Related Fee(s)

Application fees are subject to each use of a permit as follows:

1. Personal - $15
2. Retail - $25
3. Wholesale - $30
4. Other (non-personal) - $20
5. Off-site (not at the Port of entry) trailer inspections - $400

For more information please contact
 

Complaints Process

1. All complaints can be expressed on the customer service link on the bahfsa website or send an email detailing the complaint to bahfsa@bahamas.gov.bs;
2. If a customer is not satisfied with the service or has a dispute, he/she may forward complaints to the attention of the Executive Director at bahfsa@bahamas.gov.bs.