Includes import documentation and other requirements for both the U.S. exporter and foreign importer.
Last Published: 8/3/2019

The government only requires a license for the import of firearms, pharmaceutical products, petroleum products, and chicken and poultry products. Importers of pharmaceutical products must request an import permit from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In addition, all pharmaceutical products imported to Haiti are subject to sanitary registration, required by the Ministry of Health. To satisfy these sanitary registration requirements, the Ministry of Health requires information regarding clinical studies, toxicology, and pharmaceutical certification from the country of origin. The Ministry also requests three product samples of each drug to be imported. Chicken and poultry importers are required to specify the origin of the product in their request.

Food products imported to Haiti require:

  • The phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country;
  • Certificate of origin from the country of origin (farm included);
  • An import permit/sanitary certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture is required, and it is required for every shipment; the validity is for 15 days. Formal requests must be submitted to Agriculture Quarantine Division;
  • Both APHIS VS 16-4 and AMS are required;
  • The Declaration Prior to Import (DPI) and the original Certificate of Verification (AV) from SGS;
  • Commercial invoice;
  • Freight invoice; and
  • Bill of lading or Air Way Bill.
Shipment
Depending on the product, Haitian legislation requires that the manifest provide additional information, such as transport temperature, net weight or quantity and packaging type.

Verification process
At the arrival port, SGS reviews the documentation to ensure that all requirements are met and if physical inspection is required. In addition, SGS confirms the customs classification and submits the customs value of the imported goods.

Physical Inspection
A physical inspection may be conducted by an inspector of the Office of Quarantine and Control of Fishing and Agricultural Products to verify the documents and control the status of imported goods. For live animals, the inspector may recommend fifteen days in quarantine before release of the animal. If the inspection reveals anything abnormal, the goods may be confiscated or returned to the exporting country.

Customs payments
Customs duties and taxes are required for goods clearance. The cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of imported goods is used as a basis for the calculation of the import customs duties and taxes. Taxes include the verification fee (5 percent of CIF), value-added tax (10 percent of transaction value), Contribution to Territorial Collectivities Funds (2 percent of CIF, applicable for some food products), and Special Duty (1 percent of CIF). The payment of customs duties and taxes is collected by Credit National Bank (BNC in French), which is commissioned by Haiti Central Bank (BRH in French).

Custom Clearance. 
The Customs office requires all importers fill out the customs declaration and submit the following documents for customs clearance:
  • Declaration Prior to Import (DPI)
  • Original Certificate of Verification (AV)
  • Customs declaration
  • Bill of lading
  • Freight cost certificate
  • List of products
  • Commercial invoice
  • Import permit, if required
  • Zoosanitary or phytosanitary certificate, if required
  • Certificate of origin

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.