Declarations
All persons entering the country are required by law to declare to Customs anything contained in their baggage, or carried with them, which has been obtained outside of St. Lucia. Passengers are also required to answer all questions asked by the Customs officer relating to their travels, baggage, its contents and other items being imported.
Customs declaration forms are distributed at ports of entry and exit, airline and ship's agent offices. It is advisable to fill out your declaration in advance of arrival in order to expedite your Customs/Immigration clearance. Completion of the form requires a listing of items brought with you (whether purchased or not) and their prices. This includes gifts for other persons, articles carried for other persons, articles for sale, and commercial samples. This does not include your personal effects. The purchase price of articles may be declared in the currency of the country of purchase.
For duty purposes the value to be used will be the price paid or payable for the article. The officer will convert the amount to EC dollars and will give you an indication of the amount of duty payable. Misinformation can result in delays and penalties. Articles imported in excess of your exemption are subject to applicable duties.
Baggage Exemptions
The personal effects of a passenger, carried in his/her baggage or on his/her person which he/she might reasonably be expected to carry with him/her for his/her own regular and private use, which are so declared and passed as such by the proper officer and in which in the case of the personal effects of a passenger eighteen years old and over may include:
- Wines or spirits not exceeding 40 ozs in all, and
- Tobacco, not exceeding half a pound; or
- Cigars, not exceeding fifty in number; or
- Cigarettes, not exceeding two hundred in number;
- Goods to the aggregate value of US$250.00 belonging to a passenger, including a passenger under eighteen years old (18) which accompany that passenger, and were acquired abroad by him/her for his personal or household use or as souvenirs or gifts and which the Comptroller is satisfied are not for sale.
Provided that:
- A passenger shall not be entitled to the exemption granted in respect of alcoholic beverages or tobacco products in excess of the quantities specified above;
- A passenger may only claim the allowance once a year.
Exemption under this item shall not apply to arms and ammunition, except service weapons being carried by a member of an armed force entitled to carry such arms on his person.
Prohibited Imports
Prohibited imports are those items that are considered detrimental to the general welfare of the country. Such imports will be immediately seized by Customs and the importer may be liable to severe penalties.
List of prohibited imports:
- Counterfeit currency and coins.
- Food unfit for human consumption.
- Indecent or obscene prints, paintings, photographs, books, cards, lithographic or other engravings, pornographic records, videos or any other indecent articles or matter.
- Matches which contain white or yellow phosphorus.
- Prepared opium and pipes or other utensils for use in connection with the smoking of opium or other narcotic drugs.
- Opium, morphine, cocaine, LSD, marijuana and other narcotic drugs.
- Preparations of opium or other narcotic drugs for smoking.
- Any pistol or other apparatus in the form of a stylographic pen or pencil capable of firing any kind of shot cartridge whatsoever there from; and any cartridge containing gas.
- Fictitious stamps and any die, paint instrument or materials capable of making any such stamps.
- Condoms manufactured by MONKOK LATIX of South Korea.
- Flick knives and blades, night sticks, ratchet knives and other similar and familiar knives with flying blades.
- Shaving brushes made in or exported from Japan.
- All publications, articles or other matter associated with black magic, secret magic obeah, witchcraft or other magical arts and occultism.
- Goods the importation of which is prohibited by any other enactment of the State.
Restrictions on Imports and Exports
Restricted Imports
- Arms and ammunition except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police.
- Explosives, except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police.
- Handcuffs of any type except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police.
- Radio and television transmitting equipment, including walkie talkies except under licence of the Minister of Communications.
- Cannabis sativa, including parts of the plant, cannabis indica, choras, ganja or any preparation or mixture thereof, except under licence of the Chief medical Officer.
- Other narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances including controlled drugs except under licence of the Chief Medical Officer.
- Motor vehicles fitted with left hand driving control, that is to say, having the steering wheel placed so as to be controlled from the left hand side of the motor vehicle except under special permit issued by Cabinet.
- Tear gas and any ingredient which may produce what is commonly known as tear gas or tear smoke except with the written authority of the Minister.
- Any goods whatsoever which bear the Coat of Arms or the Flag of Saint Lucia or any facsilile, imitation or representation thereof, except with the approval of the Minister.
- Rare or threatened species of animals or plants, their products and derivatives, whose international trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) unless such goods are accompanied by the appropriate permits signed by the CITES authorities in the country of exportation or importation.
- Chain saws, except under licence from the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Nightscope binoculuars and similar night vision instruments or apparatus of a kind generally used by the armed forces, para military and other law enforcement agencies, except with the written permission of the Comptroller of Customs.
Restricted Exports
- Arms and ammunition except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police.
- Explosives, except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police.
- Handcuffs of any type except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police.
- Radio and television transmitting equipment, including walkie talkies except under licence of the Minister of Communications.
- Cannabis sativa, including parts of the plant, cannabis indica, choras, ganja or any preparation or mixture thereof, except under licence of the Chief medical Officer.
- Other narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances including controlled drugs except under licence of the Chief Medical Officer.
- Motor vehicles fitted with left hand driving control, that is to say, having the steering wheel placed so as to be controlled from the left hand side of the motor vehicle except under special permit issued by Cabinet.
- Tear gas and any ingredient which may produce what is commonly known as tear gas or tear smoke except with the written authority of the Minister.
- Any goods whatsoever which bear the Coat of Arms or the Flag of Saint Lucia or any facsilile, imitation or representation thereof, except with the approval of the Minister.
- Rare or threatened species of animals or plants, their products and derivatives, whose international trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) unless such goods are accompanied by the appropriate permits signed by the CITES authorities in the country of exportation or importation.
- Chain saws, except under licence from the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Nightscope binoculuars and similar night vision instruments or apparatus of a kind generally used by the armed forces, para military and other law enforcement agencies, except with the written permission of the Comptroller of Customs.
Prohibited Exports
Goods the exportation of which is prohibited by any other enactment.