How to Self-Clear a Package on Click2Clear
By George · updated 2026-09-30 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
Click2Clear is the Bahamas Customs online clearance system. Self-clearing means you file the declaration yourself instead of paying a broker to do it: you enter the goods and their tariff codes, Customs assesses the entry, and you pay duty and VAT directly. On small shipments this usually saves the broker fee, and you pay the assessed charges rather than someone's estimate of them.
The steps
- Register for an individual Click2Clear account. You only do this once, and you'll need your NIB number and ID.
- Collect your documents: the commercial invoice (your Amazon order confirmation with prices on it), the airway bill or bill of lading from your forwarder, and the freight charge.
- Create the entry. Ordinary purchases go on a Home Consumption declaration. Each item needs its value and tariff code, and the code is where getting the classification right saves money. You can look a product up here.
- Submit and pay online once the assessment comes back. Duty, processing fee, levy and VAT are listed separately, the same way as in the fee guide.
- Collect the package from your forwarder or the carrier with the release.
What you need before you start
- Your NIB number and photo ID, for registration.
- A commercial invoice that shows what you paid. Most people use the order confirmation with the item prices visible. A packing slip without values won't do.
- The airway bill or bill of lading from your forwarder or carrier.
- The freight charge as a figure. Customs assesses on the CIF value (goods, insurance and freight), so the entry needs it, and it goes into both the duty and the VAT calculation.
- A tariff code for each item. The first time, this takes longer than everything else put together.
Common mistakes
Guessing the tariff code. This one field decides the bill. A code that's wrong in your favour is a compliance problem, and one that's wrong the other way means paying more than you owe. Headphones (0%) and speakers (45%) are under the same four-digit heading; the classification guide covers how to read the schedule.
Leaving out freight. The declared value should include freight, and Customs will assess it that way whatever you enter.
Forgetting the levy or excise. A television has a $5 environmental levy on top of duty. A vehicle is free of customs duty but pays excise of up to 65%. Neither shows up in the duty column.
Understating the value. Customs has the invoice on file, so declaring less than you paid will be noticed.
When to do it yourself
Self-clearing costs you time and saves a broker's fee. As a rough guide:
- Small, simple, regular shipments: yes. One or two items with codes you've used before take about fifteen minutes.
- A large mixed consolidation: usually yes, but allow an hour for classification the first time. This is also where you save the most in dollars.
- Vehicles, restricted goods, or anything that needs a permit: use a broker. Mistakes there are expensive.
Setting up takes an evening, and after that a typical entry takes 15 to 20 minutes. For a $600 TV the broker fee you save is usually more than $50, which adds up if you ship every month.
Whether you clear it yourself or not, it helps to know the figure before the shipment lands. Put it through the calculator with your freight cost before it ships.