A vacation with your closest animal friend is worth the experience and when travelling to the bustling capital or the quiet out-islands settlements of The Bahamas, timely preparation is the best approach when taking your furry friend on your island getaway. Avoiding unnecessary hiccups during your travels contributes to a great holiday, and in order to achieve this we present the short guideline below:

Applying for Import Permit

If you plan on taking your pet during your Bahamas vacation it is important that you submit an application for an import permit within a reasonable time before your planned departure date as the time for approving your application may take at least a month to process. Despite the long wait, the import permit will be valid for one year from the date of issue; therefore it is advised that you permit enough time to submit your application before your trip.  You must also present the import permit upon arrival to the designated port of entry.

Approval for the provision of an import permit is granted subject to the following conditions:

• The animal must be 6 months of age or older.

• The animal must be accompanied by a valid certificate which substantiates that it has been vaccinated against rabies within not less than 1 month and not more than 10 months prior to importation.

Completion of Form (IMP/1(B)) by Your Local Veterninarian

Upon receiving your approved import permit, you will also receive a form (IMP/1(B)) for your veterinarian to confirm the age and health of your pet. This form needs to be dated no more than forty-eight (48) hours before your arrival in The Bahamas.

Veterinary Health Certificate

Upon arriving in The Bahamas you must present your import permit along with a veterinary health certificate presented within 48 hours of arrival in the Bahamas to a licensed veterinarian for an examination. This certificate should be prepared by a licensed veterinarian from the country of origin certifying that:

• if your pet is a dog: the dog(s) has/have adequate levels of immunity conferred by being actively immunized against the following diseases: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Adenovirus and Coronavirus or

• If your pet is a cat: the cat(s) has/have adequate levels of immunity conferred by being actively immunized against the following diseases: Feline Leukemia, Feline Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus, Feline Panleukopenia an Feline Pneumonitis.

• The animal(s) is/are free from internal parasites as determined by a negative fecal floatation examination,

• the animal(s) is/are free from external parasites.

• the animal(s) is/are six (6) month of age or older.

• the animal(s) must be presented to a Licensed Veterinarian for examination within forty-eight (48) hours of arrival in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Payment of Fees

Application forms, along with cash or international money order payment of $10.00 per animal should be sent to the Director of Agriculture at the following address:

Director of Agriculture

Department of Agriculture

Levy Building, East Bay Street

P.O. Box N-3704

Nassau, Bahamas

You may also submit an additional payment of $5.00 via cash or international money order if you wish to have your approved import permit faxed to your home or office. You can call the department at 242-325-7502 or 242-325-7509, or fax them at 242-325-3960 if you have an inquiry or if you wish to follow up on your submitted application.

Customs duty

Upon arrival to The Bahamas you may be required to pay customs duty for permanent entry of your pet. Dogs, cats, cattle and horses are $10.00 plus 1/2% of the value of the animal. Yearly fees for dog licenses in New Providence, Grand Bahamas and the family islands are: $2.00 for male or spayed female, and $6.00 for unspayed females.

Don’t forget to permit yourself enough time to submit and receive your application and to have your furry pals examined by your local veterinarian prior to your departure date. We would recommend using international money orders when submitting your application and request that the approval for your import permit to be faxed rather than receiving the document via post. Also, we would recommend making an appointment to visit one of the Bahamian veterinarian clinics prior to your departure in order to avoid any complications during your stay.