Ban on older cars lifted for returning Caymanians’ pre-owned vehicles

Cabinet has approved an exemption to a ban on importing vehicles that are older than eight years for Caymanians who are returning home after living overseas.

In an amendment to the Customs and Border Control (Prohibited Goods) Order, Caymanians, including students, who have lived abroad for at least one year and are returning to Cayman to live, are now allowed to import one used vehicle that is older than eight years for their personal use.

However, this does not mean they can simply order and bring in any older car. They must have owned the vehicle for at least a year before importation, according to the amendment.

Other exemptions

The new amendments to the legislation also allow for certain previously prohibited vehicles that were older than eight years to be imported, according to a press release issued by government on Tuesday.

These include lorry or truck trailers and vehicles used for the transportation of heavy goods or equipment, delivery vans, motorcycles and scooters, special-purpose vehicles, such as ambulances, fire engines, police cars and vehicles modified for physically challenged people, and North American and European exhibition vehicles that are at least 20 years old.

CBC Senior Deputy Director Kevin Walton said in the release, “In line with the government’s objective to improve the quality of life for Caymanians, these amendments will enable returning Caymanian students to bring their vehicles home as they settle back on the island.

“Additionally, it will provide Caymanian business owners, as well as those with specific needs, the opportunity to import previously restricted vehicles, offering greater flexibility and support for our local economy.”

Under the amended legislation, returning Caymanians must provide documentation that shows they have lived overseas for over a year, such as a work permit, a letter of employment, student visa or income tax receipts. They must also prove they have previously owned the vehicle they plan to import by providing a bill of sale, proof of registration, insurance documents or maintenance receipts, for example.

Ban background

A ban on importing vehicles older than eight years came into force on 1 May last year with no notice, so as to prevent a last-minute influx of secondhand older vehicles.

The ban, at that time, also applied to returning Caymanians who wanted to bring their own vehicles back with them.

The then-premier, Wayne Panton, said in May 2023 that the restriction on the importation of older vehicles was the first of a series of measures to address Cayman’s traffic-congestion problem, which has been exacerbated by the importation of almost 40,000 vehicles over the past decade.

He noted at the time that in the three preceding years, the percentage of imported cars between 11 and 20 years old had nearly doubled, from 32% in 2020 to 63% in 2022.

For more information on car import protocol, contact [email protected] or CBC customer support at 649-4579.