Clearing a Car Through Customs in Haiti
Getting the car onto the boat is the easy half. The half that decides whether your family drives the car home or watches it sit at the port is clearing — dédouanement — the customs process in Haiti that releases the vehicle to its owner. This guide walks through it in order: what papers to prepare before the ship sails, what charges to expect, and who does what when the car lands.
The money side, in brief: on top of the general documented charges — a 5% verification fee, a 10% TCA turnover tax and a 2% CFGDCT contribution — a vehicle carries documented duties of 5–20%, and a used vehicle carries a 10% tourist tax on used vehicles. Customs assesses the vehicle itself, so the final bill is set in Haiti. The port and customs have the final word. What you control is preparation — and preparation is what this page is about.
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What should you prepare before the car sails?
Clearing starts before the boat leaves. The receiver in Haiti can only move fast if the papers arrive before the car does. Prepare these, and send copies to your receiver early:
- Proof the car is yours and that you have the right to ship it — the title paperwork your shipping company asks for.
- The shipping documents the company gives you when the car is loaded — your receiver will present these at the port.
- A clear copy of the receiver's identification, matching the name on the shipping documents.
- The money plan: who pays the customs bill, how much you have set aside for the documented stack of charges, and how the money reaches the receiver before the ship arrives.
Ask your shipping company exactly which papers it needs and which papers your receiver will hold. Companies that ship vehicles regularly — CargoMax International from Canada, Interworld Freight from Miami and Accordia Shipping from Fort Lauderdale — deal with these questions every week. If a company cannot explain its own paper flow, choose a different company. Our guide to the documents you need to ship to Haiti covers the wider list for all kinds of shipments.
What happens when the car arrives at the port?
The order of events is simple to describe, even when the day itself feels slow. The ship arrives and the vehicle is unloaded. The receiver — or a broker working for the receiver — presents the shipping documents and identification. Customs assesses the vehicle and builds the bill from the documented charges. The bill is paid. Customs releases the vehicle, and the receiver drives it away or arranges for it to be moved.
Two things decide how painful this is. The first is whether the receiver's name and papers match the shipping documents exactly — a mismatch means corrections, and corrections mean days. The second is whether the money is already in Haiti. A car that is cleared on paper but not paid for stays where it is, and storage charges can build while everyone waits. Plan for the car to be picked up as soon as it is released.
Decide before shipping whether your receiver will clear the car personally or work with a broker at the port. Both are normal. What is not normal is deciding after the ship has already arrived.
What will the customs bill be built from?
| Charge | Documented rate |
|---|---|
| Verification fee | 5% |
| TCA (turnover tax) | 10% |
| CFGDCT contribution | 2% |
| Vehicle duties | 5–20% |
| Tourist tax on used vehicles | 10% |
Customs applies these documented charges to the vehicle as it assesses it. Because the assessment happens in Haiti, nobody abroad can honestly give you the final total in advance — be wary of anyone who does. The full explanation of each charge lives in our guide to Haitian customs charges, explained in plain words, and the boat-side costs are covered in how much it costs to ship a car to Haiti.
If a broker helps your receiver, agree the broker's own fee in advance, separately from the customs bill, and keep the receipts for both. The customs receipt is your proof of what customs actually charged.
Which port should the car land at?
Clearing happens where the car lands, so choose the port around the receiver, not around habit. Port-au-Prince serves the capital and the west; Cap-Haïtien serves the north; Miragoâne serves the south. A receiver who lives near Cap-Haïtien and has to clear a car in Port-au-Prince adds travel, time and risk to an already long day. Our guide to choosing a port in Haiti compares the three honestly.
Compare vehicle shippers by where you are shipping from: the South Florida corridor for Florida departures and the Canada — Montreal & Toronto corridor for Canadian departures. Then put the whole plan in writing with your company — papers, port, receiver, who clears, and who pays — before the car leaves your driveway. The short answers are on the frequently asked questions page if you need the quick version first.