Cayman Immigration & Entry Requirements

This section provides detailed information on the Immigration and Entry requirements needed to become legally resident in the Cayman Islands. We discuss in detail the 9 ways of becoming legally resident in the Cayman Islands and we cover such topics as 'Term Limits', 'Work Permit Dependants' and the 'Point System' which is used in relation to becoming a permanent resident. (Cayman New Resident Magazine) More...

History

The Cayman Islands were first sighted by European explorers on 10 May, 1503, owing to a chance wind that blew Christopher Columbus' ship off course. More...

Arriving in the Cayman Islands

Prohibited items include:

• Narcotics: The importation or possession of any illegal drugs, including marijuana (ganja), is a violation of Cayman Islands law. All violators will be arrested and prosecuted by the proper local authorities.
• Firearms of any kind, Spearguns: This includes pole spears or
  Hawaiian Slings.
• Vegetation: Live plants, cuttings, raw fruits and vegetables are restricted due to the risk of diseases or harmful insect pests (for restricted items, import permits are required).

Some discussions group encourage people to take their own pre-packed (sealed) food to Cayman in freezer bags or ice chests. The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism has advised that visitors are allowed to bring meat into the islands, but you may be charged duty if the value is over US$35 per person, or the quantity exceeds what customs consider to a reasonable amount for personal consumption. Meat should be preferably be packed and sealed as sold in supermarkets, and may have to be inspected by an official from the Department of Agriculture.

The ban on the importation of US bone-in meats imposed in December 2003 following a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or 'mad-cow disease') has been lifted. Personal imports of meat up to 5kg for personal consumption will now be allowed providing the original packaging is intact and the packaging bears the USDA inspection legend.

Following is a link from the Cayman Islands Agriculture Department, which set out general rules as to the importing food and meat products. Click  here.

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Leaving the Cayman Islands

It is prohibited to bring any plants, seeds, vegetables, or fruits into the United States unless you have an official permit from US Customs. Otherwise, these items will be confiscated by Customs at US gateways.

The products made from the farmed green sea turtles at the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm are offered primarily for local consumption. The importation of genuine sea turtle products is prohibited by any country that has signed the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (1978) (CITES).

These countries include the USA, Canada and the UK. In addition, US Customs prohibits the shipment of turtle products through the U.S. Any product found will be confiscated.

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Returning to the United States

What you must declare...

• Items you purchased and are carrying with you upon return to
   the United States.
• Items you received as gifts, such as wedding or birthday presents. 
  Items you inherited.
• Items you bought in duty-free shops, on the ship, or on the plane.
  Repairs or alterations to any items you took abroad and then brought back, even if the repairs/alterations were performed free
  of charge.
• Items you brought home for someone else.
• Items you intend to sell or use in your business.
• Items you acquired - whether purchased or received as gifts in
  the U.S. ,Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or in a Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act country that are not in your possession when you return. In other words, if you acquired items in any of these island nations and asked the merchant to send them to you, you must still declare them when you go through CBP. This differs from the usual procedure for mailed items.

You must state on the CBP declaration, in U.S. currency, what you actually paid for each item. The price must include all taxes. If you did not buy the item yourself - for example, if it is a gift - get an estimate of its fair retail value in the country where you received it. If you bought something on your trip and wore or used it on the trip, it's still dutiable. You must declare the item at the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market value.

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Joint Declaration

Family members who live in the same home and return together to the United States may combine their personal exemptions. This is called a joint declaration. For example, if Mr. and Mrs. Smith travel overseas and Mrs. Smith brings home a $1 ,000 piece of glassware, and Mr. Smith buys $600 worth of clothing, they can combine their $800 exemptions on a joint declaration and not have to pay duty.

Children and infants are allowed the same exemption as adults, except for alcoholic beverages.

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Duty free Exemption

• You are 21 years old.
• It is for your own use or as a gift.
• It does not violate the laws of the state in which you arrive.

Federal regulations allow you to bring back more than one liter of alcoholic beverage for personal use, but, as with extra tobacco, you will have to pay duty and Internal Revenue Service tax.

While Federal regulations do not specify a limit on the amount of alcohol you may bring back for personal use, unusual quantities are liable to raise suspicions that you are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as for resale.

If you are returning directly from anyone of the 24 Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act countries (which does not include the Cayman Islands), your exemption is $600:

If you travel to the Cayman Islands and to one or more of the Caribbean Basin countries (for example, on a Caribbean cruise) you may bring back $800 worth of items without paying duty. But only $600 worth of these items may come from the Caribbean Basin country(ies); any amount beyond $600 will be dutiable unless you acquired it in the Cayman Islands or another non-Caribbean Basin country.

Useful telephone numbers

Cayman Islands Customs Department - (345) 949-4579
Cayman Islands Agriculture Department – (345) 947-3090

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