Imports
General Import Guidelines
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The importer must have a valid importer code from Customs Authorities
- Imported goods must conform to licensed activities of the importer
- Imported goods must be accompanied with an International Waybill, an Original Commercial Invoice, a Certificate of Origin and a Packing List. Failure to submit required documents might lead to penalties to be applied by Customs
Authorities
- All imported goods into
Bahrain must have the country of origin printed or embossed physically each item; for example "made in China", "made in Japan", etc. The country of origin must also be stated in the Commercial Invoice, failure to comply with this regulation
may prohibit entry of the goods
- HS Codes must be stated clearly
on Commercial Invoice. Where HS Codes are not stated on Commercial Invoice, Customs Authorities
may apply penalties
You can find the full list of HS Codes under Reference (2) Bahrain Customs HS Codes
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Import Duties and Fees
- The customs valuation is based on CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) which means that the amount used to assess customs duty is the sum of cost of goods, insurance and shipping cost to Bahrain
- Customs duties at 5%
is levied on CIF value
- International express or courier imports with declared value below BHD 100 are duty free
- Goods with declared value of more than a BHD 100 will be treated as normal cargo goods, and will require a formal customs clearance
Goods originating from Arab League Member States
Bahrain is a Member State of
the
Arab League,
accordingly goods originating from Arab League Member States will benefit from
customs duties
To benefit from
Arab League customs exemption a Certificate of Origin is required, accompanied with a Commercial Invoice
Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
Based on the Free Trade Agreement; the movement of goods between Bahrain and USA, will benefit from customs duties exemption
To benefit from FTA customs
exemption, Certificate of Origin accompanied with Commercial Invoice are required
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Duties Exemption
A number of goods are exempted from customs duties. Below are some of the applied exemptions:
- Raw materials for manufacturing in
Bahrain destined for companies holding
industrial license
- Imports for non-dutiable authorities and organizations
- Diplomatic goods
- Computer, computer accessories, digital cameras
If goods, prior to its entry into Bahrain, has passed through any GCC country where custom duties have been paid, the Original Customs Declaration stamped from GCC
customs must accompany the goods to avoid paying custom duties in Bahrain. Please refer to Reference (3)
GCC Customs Laws
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Imports Required Documents
General
Imports
Import Declaration is processed in the event of goods being imported into
Bahrain from other countries. The below documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of
Commercial Invoice approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
Re-Export
Import Declaration is processed in the event of importing goods into Bahrain for
purpose of re-exporting. The below documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of
Commercial Invoice approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
Temporary Import - Exhibition / Repair
and Return
Upon entry of goods into Bahrain on temporary basis for the purpose of taking
part in an exhibition or repairs / maintenance, a deposit amount equivalent to customs duties has to be made for the benefit of Customs Authorities.
The deposit is refunded upon exporting the goods. If the goods are not being exported the deposit is forfeited. The below documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of
Commercial Invoice approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
When completing your Commercial Invoice, we recommend that you abide by Aramex guidelines to ensure timely and efficient clearance Read More
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Exports
When exporting goods from
Bahrain some documents and regulations will be applied before the exit of
goods to the destination. Failure to submit required documents may delay goods
when exporting
Exporters need to include the
following documents with their goods:
- Original Commercial Invoice
- For
certain goods, a strategic export
license is required. Example where these licenses are needed include: military, and dual-use. For more information
click here
to check if your goods require an export license
Other documents that
could be required would depend on the specific requirements of the destinations. Aramex maintain a list of needed documents and customs information per country (please
select country name on this
page )
Important Notes
- All exported goods might be
inspected by Customs Authorities
Aramex will not transport
goods that are prohibited by the laws or regulations of Bahrain. For more information
click here
For more information on exporting from the Bahrain
click here
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Transiting Goods
Transiting Goods through Bahrain can only remain for 30 days from the
date of arrival into the country
To process Transiting Goods, the following documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of Commercial Invoice approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
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Prohibited /
Restricted Goods
Aramex will not transport goods
that are prohibited by the laws or regulations of Bahrain
In accordance to Aramex Shipping Policy, the following items are not acceptable
for transport by Aramex:
- Monetary Items including currency, fake money, and coins
- Publications that are offensive to religions, morals, human rights or aims to cause corruption and disorder
- Narcotics and drugs including heroin, opium, drugs raw material (powder, liquid), cannabis leaves, etc.
- Gambling related games or items
- Counterfeit goods covering all brands of clothes, machinery, shoes, electronics, watches etc.
- Fireworks*
- Ivory and ivory products*
- Furs*
- Jewelry, precious metals , stones, articles or antiques of exceptional high value*
- Bullion*
- Chemical waste and nuclear waste
- Hazardous as defined in IATA Regulations*
- Ammunitions*
- Human remains, including ashes*
- Animals, plants, food items and perishable*
- Pornographic related material
- Products labeled made in Israel
- Military
devices
*
Certain goods which are
listed above as prohibited may be accepted by Aramex on a contractual basis, if
exporters / importers are able to comply with all applicable regulations
Some goods require approval from the designated authority prior to importing
into Bahrain. Some examples are shown below:
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References
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Bahrain Customs
Bahrain Customs HS Codes
GCC Customs Laws
Customs Terminologies
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