A pesticide is any substance (including an organism) that directly or indirectly controls, destroys, attracts, or repels any organism or disease that is injurious, noxious, or troublesome to plants or animals.

In order to import a pesticide into Bermuda you must be registered to do so. 

How to import a pesticide to Bermuda

To import a pesticide into Bermuda:

1. Complete and submit an Application to Import Pesticides (found on page 3 of the attached document) to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) [emailed to pesticides@gov.bm ] along with:
   • a link to or a paper copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
   • a link to or a paper copy of the actual product label
2. You will be invoiced to pay the required fees. See fee structure below.
3. Wait for approval prior to ordering your product. Completed applications are processed within three weeks.  Application processing time depends on the active ingredient, prior approvals for similar products, the product formulation and the amount of research required.  Every effort will be made to process the application within twenty-one (21) days, however, delays may occur due to the research required for new active ingredients, new products, emerging information on existing products which may be linked to human health or environmental concerns.
4. Once approval has been granted your pesticide can be imported. Approval will be provided in writing from the DENR or Department of Health (DOH) (for all structural, interior and personal insect repellent products).

Applications will not be processed if:

• payment has not been made,
• required documentation is not provided or web links are invalid,
• any fields on the application form are left blank or field information does not match the product. Applications received without the correct manufacturer's number (or the number that appears on the invoice) will not be processed.

Customs Clearance of Pesticides

Submit all Bermuda Customs Declaration (BCD) forms (emailed to pesticides@gov.bm) for incoming shipments containing pesticides to the Plant Protection Laboratory at the DENR before submitting them to Customs to be reviewed for compliance then stamped and signed. Fees apply (see below). Customs will reject BCDs that do not have the DENR stamp and signature. 

Note:

• Pesticides imported without approval may be confiscated.
• Items approved for importation are authorized for use by the applicant only and MUST NOT be sold to, distributed to or used by other individuals or companies without specific approval from the DENR or DOH.
• Once approval has been given for a pesticide, an importer does not need to apply again. However, an importer must reapply if the concentration, formulation, the active ingredient or the product name has changed, or the importer's information has changed (new company name, sale of company etc.)
• The DENR and the DOH reserve the right to deny the importation of any pesticide, and approval may be revoked if the pesticide is later determined to be unsuitable for the Bermuda environment or market. Approvals may be revoked if the product is found to be used in a manner other than that specified on the application form or if the applicant is found to be applying the product in contravention to the label.  Approval of a pesticide for one importer does not infer approval for all importers.

Importing fertilizers

Currently applications are not required to import permit to import a fertilizer into Bermuda unless it contains an herbicide component, such as in “weed and feed” products or contains microbes. However if a fertilizer is found to have human health or environmental concerns it will be evaluated for suitably.

What to do when a shipment of fertilizer arrives in Bermuda

All Bermuda Customs Declaration (BCD) forms for shipments containing fertilizers must be delivered to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for review prior to submission to Customs. Approved BCD’s will be stamped and signed. There is no fee for this service (unless the fertilizer contains pesticides, in which case permission would have to be granted to import the pesticide prior).

Fees

Application to import pesticides fees

• Issuing a letter of authorization to import pesticide: $60 per pesticide
• Issuing a letter to authorization to import an environmentally-safe pesticide: free

Bermuda Customs Declaration processing fees

• Verification of authorization to import pesticides on invoice:
  • 1-5: $50
  • 6-10: $60
  • More than 10: $70
• Importation of a pesticide not approved for entry: $200
• Importation of a prohibited pesticide: $555 per pesticide