MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
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HomeCustoms GuidesTrinidad & Tobago Customs Guide
📋 Customs Guide • Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹 • Excess Luggage Co.

What Can I Ship to Trinidad & Tobago? 🇹🇹
Customs rules, prohibited items & required documents

⛨ Official source: TTCustoms (Customs and Excise Division)https://www.customs.gov.tt

Trinidad and Tobago is one of our fastest Caribbean sea freight routes — 2 weeks to Port of Spain. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side. Air freight to Port of Spain (POS) takes 4-9 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. Detailed itemised packing list required.

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Transit times

✈ Air freight to Trinidad & Tobago: 4-9 working days from UK door collection • ⚓ Sea freight: 2 weeks to Port of Spain • Price confirmed before we collect • Freephone 0800 096 38 39

Items restricted or controlled when shipping to Trinidad & Tobago

These items are not automatically refused but face restrictions, duties, inspections or require specific documentation. Check before you pack.

⚠ Food items

Many food products require Ministry of Agriculture approval. Fresh produce and meat restricted.

⚠ Firearms and weapons

Heavily restricted. Require specific approval from the Commissioner of Police.

⚠ Medications and pharmaceuticals

Controlled substances require Ministry of Health documentation.

⚠ Plants and plant material

Require phytosanitary certificate from Ministry of Agriculture.

⚠ Currency

Above TTD $50,000 must be declared.

⚠ Alcohol and tobacco

Subject to duties. Limited personal allowances duty-free.

⚠ Electronics

Subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) and duties on commercial quantities.

⚠ Counterfeit goods

Strictly prohibited.

Items you cannot ship to Trinidad & Tobago on any service

The following items are prohibited on all services — air freight, sea freight and door-to-door (subject to your destination). Do not pack them. Items found during inspection will be confiscated, and you may face penalties.

Illegal drugs and narcotics
Pornographic material
Counterfeit goods and currency
Firearms without permits
Hazardous materials
Lithium batteries — not accepted in a standard shipment (can be sent as declared dangerous goods, ask us)
Aerosols and pressurised containers
Flammable liquids including perfumes
⚡ Lithium batteries — universal restriction: Lithium batteries are not accepted in a standard shipment to any destination — air or sea. They can be packed and exported as declared dangerous goods — ask us before you pack. Undeclared dangerous goods are a criminal offence and the duty sits with the sender. This includes loose batteries, power banks and devices containing lithium batteries. If you are unsure whether an item contains a lithium battery, call us before packing.

Documents you need to ship personal effects to Trinidad & Tobago

Customs clearance at destination is your responsibility as sender — who must also be the receiver for personal effects classification. Have these documents ready before we collect.

Detailed itemised packing list with declared values
Valid passport of receiver
Booking reference from Excess Luggage Co.
Air Waybill or Bill of Lading — prepared by us
⚠ Important — Shipper Liability & Storage Charges

If customs or inspection issues arise at the destination — including holds, queries or inspections — you must respond promptly. Failure to respond, or submission of incorrect documentation, will result in storage charges accumulating at the destination warehouse at your cost.

You are liable for storage, inspection fees and any duties that arise where:

Your packing list is incomplete, vague or does not match the physical contents of the shipment
Tax identification numbers (Tax ID, TIN, VAT, IOSS or local equivalent) are missing or incorrectly provided where required by the destination country
Declared values are inaccurate, understated or missing
Prohibited or restricted items are found during inspection
You do not respond to customs queries or inspection notices within the required timeframe
Required signatures, originals or supporting documents are not received before the day of collection

If you are unsure about any item, its declared value, or the documentation required for your destination — call us before you pack. We would rather spend ten minutes on the phone with you than have your shipment held at customs for two weeks while fees accumulate.

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What we know from shipping to Trinidad & Tobago since 1998

After more than two decades on this route, we know exactly what causes shipments to be held, delayed or refused at Trinidad & Tobago customs. These are the practical tips that make the difference.

1

Trinidad to UK sea freight is 2 weeks — one of our fastest Caribbean routes.

2

Port of Spain (POS) is the main airport and sea port.

3

Tobago can be served via Trinidad with onward road transport.

4

Declare all electronics accurately — VAT applies at destination.

5

Call us for advice on specific items — the Caribbean has varied regulations per island.

How we handle your shipment

“We collect your luggage ourselves. We check it is properly packed, wrapped and secured before it leaves your door. After 28 years we know what arrives safely and what doesn’t. That happens before the bag is in the air — not after.”

Lak Kharod — Director, Excess Luggage Co. Since 1998

What your quote does not cover

⚠ Door-to-Door Services — Destination Charges Not Included

Your UK shipping quote does not include the following destination charges. These are levied by governing bodies and government agencies at the arrival country and are payable by you directly at destination:

Quarantine and biosecurity inspection fees — mandatory government charges, payable per consignment at destination, levied by the arrival country’s quarantine or biosecurity authority (e.g. AQIS in Australia, MPI in New Zealand). Payable per consignment at destination. Not included in your UK quote.
Government inspection fees — charges levied by customs authorities or other governing bodies where your shipment is selected for physical inspection. These are outside our control and not included in your UK quote.
Storage fees — if your shipment is held at the destination warehouse due to customs queries, incorrect documentation, missing tax IDs or failure to respond to inspection notices, storage charges accumulate at your cost. These are payable before your shipment is released.
Customs duties and taxes — any import duties, VAT, GST or local taxes assessed by the destination customs authority on your shipment are payable by you at destination.
Cargo dues and wharfage — mandatory port or airport handling charges levied by the destination authority (e.g. Ad Valorem Wharfage in South Africa, cargo dues in Nigeria). Payable per consignment at destination.

These charges are mandatory, set by the destination country’s governing bodies, and outside our control. We will advise you of known destination charges for your route at the time of booking so you can budget accordingly. If you have questions about what to expect at your destination, call us on 0800 096 38 39 before you book.

Shipping to Trinidad & Tobago — customs FAQs

What items are completely prohibited when shipping to Trinidad & Tobago?
The following items are prohibited on all services to Trinidad & Tobago: Illegal drugs and narcotics, Pornographic material, Counterfeit goods and currency, Firearms without permits, Hazardous materials and more. Lithium batteries are not accepted in a standard shipment worldwide — air or sea. They can be packed and exported as declared dangerous goods — ask us before you pack. Undeclared dangerous goods are a criminal offence and the duty sits with the sender. If you are unsure about a specific item, call us on 0800 096 38 39 before you pack.
How long does shipping to Trinidad & Tobago take? +
By air freight: 4-9 working days from UK door collection to the arrival airport. By sea freight: 2 weeks to Port of Spain. All transit times are estimates. We recommend allowing buffer time during peak periods. Price is confirmed before we collect anything.
Who clears customs in Trinidad & Tobago? +
For standard air freight and sea freight services, you — as sender and receiver — clear customs at the destination airport or seaport. The sender and receiver must be the same person for personal effects classification. For door-to-door (subject to your destination) services (subject to your destination), customs clearance is handled for you by our local agent.
Can I ship electronics to Trinidad & Tobago? +
Most personal electronics are accepted but may be subject to customs duties or inspection at destination. Laptops are accepted on standard air freight and sea freight. Lithium batteries are not accepted on any service. Declare all devices accurately with model numbers and realistic declared values on your packing list.
Is a booking deposit required? +
All bookings require a £75.00 non-refundable deposit to secure your collection date. This is offset against your total shipping charge at the time of invoice — not an additional fee.
👤
Lak Kharod
Director, Excess Luggage Co. • 28 years shipping to Trinidad & Tobago
Excess Luggage Co. was founded in 1998 and we have overseen shipped worldwide from MetEx House, Hounslow — right next to Heathrow. Trinidad & Tobago is one of our most active routes and our team knows the customs requirements well. If you have a question about what you can and cannot ship, call us at Excess Luggage Co. on 0800 096 38 39 before you pack.

Ready to ship to Trinidad & Tobago?

Tell us your UK collection postcode, destination in Trinidad & Tobago, number of bags and when you need to ship. Price confirmed before we collect anything.

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