Everything That Is Duty-Free in The Bahamas
By George · updated 2026-10-08 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
A good share of what people in The Bahamas buy online carries no import duty at all. This is the list, grouped roughly the way the shops group things.
Computing and electronics
Laptops and notebooks, desktops and all-in-ones, monitors, printers and multifunction printers, keyboards and mice, internal computer parts, routers and networking gear, and cables with connectors (USB, HDMI). Headphones and earphones are duty-free, and so are cameras, including action and security cameras. Computers, monitors, printers, keyboards and mice do carry a $5 environmental levy each.
Not on the list: smartphones (10%), batteries and power banks (10%), and speakers and soundbars, which are 45%. The electronics guide explains why headphones and speakers end up 45 points apart.
Baby and children
Baby clothing and accessories, diapers, strollers and baby carriages, and infant cribs and play-pens. The baby gear guide has the details. Toys are the exception at 20%.
Health and reading
Medicines, medical and diagnostic instruments, orthopedic and mobility aids, and printed books.
Personal items
Handbags, luggage and backpacks, precious-metal jewelry, wrist watches and sunglasses.
Home, building and energy
LED lamps and light fittings, fans, household gas stoves up to 30 inches wide, single-door household refrigerators (which do carry a $15 environmental levy; a fridge-freezer with its own freezer door is 35%), Portland cement, screws and bolts, and solar panels.
Sport and leisure
Exercise and gym equipment, bicycles, guitars and other string instruments, and electronic keyboards and digital pianos.
Other
Roasted coffee, dog and cat food, and certified energy-efficient appliances under concession heading 9869.00.00. Motor vehicle parts are free of customs duty as well, but they carry excise instead, so read the excise guide before assuming they're cheap to bring in.
What you still pay on duty-free goods
Duty-free goods still pay the processing fee (1%, $10 minimum) and 10% VAT on the landed cost:
- $1,000 laptop: $10 processing, the $5 levy and $101.50 VAT. It lands at $1,116.50, 11.7% over the price.
- $350 stroller: $10 processing and $36 VAT. It lands at $396, 13.1% over.
- $200 headphones: $10 processing and $21 VAT. They land at $231, 15.5% over.
- $15 book: $10 processing and $2.50 VAT. It lands at $27.50, 83% over.
The cheaper the item, the bigger the percentage, because the $10 minimum stays the same. On duty-free goods that fee is most of the bill, which is why combining orders saves proportionally more on duty-free shopping than on anything else.
Things people expect to be duty-free that aren't
Smartphones are 10%. Mattresses are 60%. Speakers, game consoles and power tools are 45%. Fridge-freezers with a separate freezer door, microwaves, vacuum cleaners and other small kitchen appliances are 35%, and adult clothing and shoes are 20%.
What this means for Amazon's deposit
On duty-free items, Amazon's Import Fees Deposit should be small. If it's high, Amazon has probably put the item under a different tariff heading from the one the Bahamas schedule uses, so check before you buy. The deposit is refundable: Amazon returns any unused portion on items it ships to The Bahamas itself.
The duty-free products page lists items people have looked up.