Bahrain Custom Regulations

When importing any kind of vehicles (small cars, buses, trucks, heavy machinery, trailers, or motorcycles), the following procedures and documents are required

1. Import Custom Declaration.
2. Passing Traffic Technical Inspections (Clearance Certificate must be included).
3. Obtain Inspection License Plate from Traffic Department at the Port which require the following:
   • Export License Plate
   • A copy of the vehicle details prepared by the Customs Port
   • Vehicle insurance certificate
   • Identification Card

Importation Procedures and Customs Laws to consider. If a vessel is detained by the ports authority then charges should be accounted for when the vehicle is left at the Customs Ports Arena.

Customs duty is collected based on the invoice or the on valuation price by the Customs Official.

Vehicles may only be collected by the owner or an officially authorized party.

American made vehicles imported directly from the USA are exempted from customs duty.

Vehicles are exempted from customs duty in the case that a genuine reconciliation is available and is approximately equal to the invoice value or valuation price.

Owners or residents of the Kingdom of Bahrain are granted duty exemption once only on vehicles registered in the GCC countries and made on the year 1998 or earlier; transfer of ownership will not granted within the first year.

An authorization certificate is required from the General Directorate of Traffic when importing four – wheel tractors and two – wheel motor cycles.

Note:

1. When importing through the sea port or air cargo, a delivery order, bill of lading and a clearance certificate must be included with the customs declaration; only then the General Directorate of Traffic can be approached to obtain and authorization certificate.
2. Demurrage charges at the sea port are collected by the General Organization of Sea Ports.

Movement of goods within member countries of the GCC Customs Union by final destination of goods for an interim period of three years.

If the source of the goods is the first entry point. The customs formalities must be completed in full (customs declaration, inspection, payment of customs duties) for the goods imported to the GCC countries at the first customs entry point.

b) The goods will be transferred as a whole lot from outside the GCC countries after completing the relevant customs formalities and payment of the customs duties from the first gateway to the final destination directly or through a member country or countries after being sealed, with a copy of the manifest showing the value of the goods and the payable customs duties for the account of the final destination country.