Customs & Immigration
warehouse registrars and a Customs Broker. This enables goods in the warehouse to be sold to a third party and the duty paid to Customs at the time of each sale instead of paying to clear the whole container at one time. CONCESSIONS PENDING APPROVAL In some cases qualifying investment projects can obtain exemption from duties pending cabinet approv al. This process can be facilitated by GIDC. BROKER’S FEES By Customs Brokers may vary. Generally Brokers fees are charged based on the value of the impoted item. IMMIGRATION ENTRY Persons entering the country are required to produce a passport valid for at least six months at the time of arrival and immigration card along with a valid return travel ticket at the immigration desk. It is a requirement that all items such as fruits, drugs and vegetables are declared at the customs desk before been allowed into the country. Any attempt to smuggle items illegally through customs will result in the confiscation of these items and the person(s) guilty of this offence will be arrested and made to await a preliminary inquiry in a Magistrate’s court. At the expiration of a visitors visa, should additional stay time be needed, one should seek legal counsel or go directly to the head immigration department at the Botanical Gardens. Diplomats, Dignitaries, and Ambassadors are granted specials immunities and are required to receive clearance at the immigration desk. RESIDENCY & CITIZENSHIP A person can apply for permanent residency after residing in Grenada a minimum of two years. The procedure is as follows. Completion and submission of permanent residency application forms, accompanied with the following supporting documents: • Reference letter from a reputable person in the country of residence and Grenada • Bank statement from a financial institution • Police certificates of character from the country of origin and Grenada. • Four passport size photographs certified by a Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public. • Original and one photocopy of birth certificate. (Original Affidavit if name does not appear on the birth certificate)
Customs & Imigration
CUSTOMS is a department of the Ministry of Finance. Their aim is to protect and collect revenue on dutiable goods. For the speedy clearance of imports, it is recommended to employ the services of a Customs Broker who will be well versed in the procedures and relevant paperwork required. Grenada Customs has implemented the globally recognized Automated System for Customs Data, more widely known as ASYCUDA. CONCESSIONS All necessary paperwork regarding concessions should be completed before the importation of goods. It must be noted that even when a company has been granted a Duty Free concession, they are still subject to: • The Environment Levy, which must be paid on white goods coming into the country at a rate of 1% • A custom’s service charge of 5% on the CIF All concessionaires must provide Customs with : • A licence / company registration, proving the right to operate their business in Grenada • A copy of the concession letter of approval by the GIDC accompanied by the list of items being imported A BOND For more convenient clearance of containers on your own premises or site, businesses must enter into a bond, to the value of EC$100,000.00 This must be done through a local bank so therefore requires that the business has an account with a local bank. CREATING A BOND DECLARATION Follows the same steps as a regular import declaration. In “Document Library” of ASYCUDA, select the following path; ASYCUDA - Goods Clearance - Declaration - Detailed Declaration, then right click and select “NEW” from the drop-down menu. 1. Complete Detailed Declaration (SAD) and the six forms 2. Verify for consistency all mandatory fields have been entered on all the necessary forms, this action also calculates the duty liability. 3. After Validation, the system will display: ‘A Declarant Reference Number’, a ‘Customs Reference Number’, and an ‘Assessment Reference Number’. 4. Proceed to cashier to make payment WAREHOUSING Businesses often enter into an agreement with customs to have goods stored in a warehouse under the supervision of two www.businessgrenada.com
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