IMO - FAL (International Maritime Organisation - Facilitation)

The IMO concept is a set of directives which simplifies maritime transport by standardising certain basic reporting formalities that ships have to fulfil when arriving in and/or departing from ports. 

Since July 2023, The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) has digitalized the vessel clearance process through the introduction of the Vessel Clearance System whereby the agent can submit all the IMO FAL forms, Certificates and other required documents pertaining to arrival, inspection and departure of vessel in Port Louis Harbour.

Refer to Protocol for entry and departure of Vessel in Port Louis available on the MPA website on the following link http://www.mauport.com.

The IMO FAL (International Maritime Organisation’s Facilitation) forms can be listed as follows:

• Form 1 (general declaration)

• Form 2 (cargo Declaration)

• Form 3 (ship’s stores declaration)

• Form 4 (crew’s effects declaration)

• Form 5 (crew list)

• Form 6 (passenger list)

• Form 7 (dangerous cargo manifest)

Cargo & Cruise Vessel (ships)

1. Arrival
   • Arrival Information
   • Parcel list
   • Arms & Ammunition
   • Health & Quarantine formalities
   • Customs formalities
   • Ship Stores
   • Customs Seal
2. Departing
   • Departure Formalities

Arrival Information

Masters of cargo & cruise vessels are required to call at Port Louis which is the only port of entry in Mauritius. Protocol for entry and departure of vessel in Port Louis is available on the MPA website on the following link http://www.mauport.com.

Arriving documents needs to be submitted by the shipping agent through the VCS (Vessel Clearance System).

In addition, a manifest in respect of the ship’s cargo shall be submitted to Customs, in electronic form or in any other manner acceptable to the Director General.

The time limit for the submission of the inward manifest is:

• For a ship arriving from Reunion Island-not later than 5 hours before arrival in Port Louis.

• For a ship from any other port-not later than 24 hours after loading in the last port of departure.

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Parcel list

Goods to be landed but not listed in the manifest must be declared on the parcel list in the VCS.

Arms & Ammunition

Arms & ammunition and allied products must be declared on the respective field in the VCS and approval from the Commissioner of Police must be attached.

Health & Quarantine Formalities

• Please stay on board. No person except the Health officer is allowed on board, nor can any person, animal or article leave the vessel until health clearance has been obtained.

• Any plant, animal and any agricultural item on board has to be declared to the quarantine officer.

 Customs Formalities

After clearance by Health authorities, Customs may board the vessel for further formalities, based on information already submitted through the VCS. These include:

• Affixing of seal on the bonded store

• Procedures for unloading of Arms & ammunitions

• Rummage of ship

• Examining of goods declared on Parcel list

After clearance by Health authorities, Customs may board the vessel for further formalities, based on information already submitted through the VCS. These include:

• Affixing of seal on the bonded store

• Procedures for unloading of Arms & ammunitions

• Rummage of ship

• Examining of goods declared on Parcel list

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Ship Stores

Vessels are eligible to purchase ship stores, for consumption on board, free of duty and taxes. A request is to be made on Form 19 “Requisition for Ship stores” and duly signed by the Master shall be submitted to Customs for approval, through the ship agent/ship chandler.

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Customs Seal

Cigarettes and alcoholic products may be placed under Customs Seal in the bonded store. Reasonable quantities of these products shall be issued for the daily consumption of passengers and crew members.

In addition to that, ship’s store purchased locally from Freeport and Bonded Warehouse free of duty, excise duty and taxes shall be placed on board under Customs supervision and/or sealed as required by Customs.

Master, Crew members & passengers on board are also eligible to Duty free purchases in Downtown duty free shops.

The items under Customs seal shall remain as such until the vessel has left Mauritius for the outward voyage.

No Customs seal will be affixed on bonded stores of Cruise vessels during their stay at the port if prior request has been made for Customs to sentry on board.

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Departing from Port Louis

Certificate of Clearance

Protocol for entry and departure of vessel in Port Louis is available on the MPA website on the following link http://www.mauport.com.

Request for departure clearance for Cargo & Cruise Vessel is made by the appointed agent through the VCS. A Departure Clearance Certificate is automatically generated through the VCS once the Director of Shipping/Customs has approved. No signature is required. 

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Aircrafts

There are two main types of commercial aircrafts:

• cargo planes also known as freighters which are designed for the carriage of goods rather than passengers, and
• passenger planes which carry passengers as well as goods.

Procedures for aircrafts landing in Mauritius from foreign airport are more or less the same as compared to marine vessels.

That is the information that should be submitted by the agent to Customs are as follows:

1. Aircraft’s inward Manifest that is a declaration by master of:
   • All goods on board (Cargo)
   • Goods intended to be landed in Mauritius
   • Goods intended for transhipment
   • Goods kept on board for other airports
   • Arms and ammunitions and allied products

    

2. Passenger manifest:
   • Passengers on Board
   • Passengers intending to Depart from the aircraft
   • Passengers intending to Board the aircraft

    

3. Crew manifest according to nationality

    

4. Stores List

    

5. Parcel List

    

6. Controlled Drugs List

    

7. Last Ports of Call

    

Submission of report:

The report should be submitted, in the case of an aircraft, where the flight duration:

1. does not exceed 4 hours, at the time the wheels of the aircraft reach its body after take-off;

    

    

2. exceeds 4 hours, not later than 4 hours before arrival

Small Crafts (yatch)

1. Small Crafts Arrival
   • Arriving to Port Louis
   • Health & Quarantine Formalities
   • Customs Formalities & general information
   • Immigration Formalities
2. Small Crafts Departure
   
   • Departing from Port of Louis
   • Certificate of Clearance
   • Return of detained goods by Customs

Arrival to Port Louis

Masters of yachts are required to call at the Customs Landing Steps at Port Louis which is the only port of entry for yachts upon immediate arrival for completion of Health & Quarantine, Passport and Immigration and Customs formalities.

Protocol for entry and departure of Vessel in Port Louis is available on the MPA website on the following link http://www.mauport.com.

Arriving yacht need to make an arrival declaration in the VCS (Vessel Clearance System) through their shipping agent if one has been appointed.

In case no shipping agent has been appointed to act on behalf of the yacht master/owner (which is not mandatory by the law) then the yacht master/owner is required to contact the MRA-Customs through mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for insertion of their arrival credentials in the VCS. The list of required documents will be forwarded via mail to the yacht owner/skipper/master.

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Health & Quarantine Formalities

• Please stay on board. No person except the Health officer is allowed on board, nor can any person, animal or article leave the yacht until health clearance has been obtained.

• Any plant, animal and any agricultural item on board the yacht has to be declared to the quarantine officer.

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Customs Formalities

1. After clearance from Health Authorities, the yacht will be boarded by Customs.

2. The following information must be declared by the master/skipper or owner of the yacht through VCS by their appointed agent or the MRA-Customs who will insert the necessary information in the VCS:

   1. General declaration by master/Owner of pleasure boat as per IMO FAL Form 1.

   2. The Crew members and their possession, including dutiable goods as per IMO FAL Form 4.

   3. Any Parcel on board to be landed or in transit.

   4. Any arms and ammunitions or allied products.

   5. Any narcotics and controlled drugs.

3. Once clearance has been obtained by Health Authorities, then the yacht master/skipper or owner must call at the Customs office at the Customs Landing Steps to complete the boarding documents.

4. Any yacht once cleared by all authorities is allowed to leave port and move to any other mooring place around the island. However, the duration of stay and place of stay will have to be clearly indicated on the Declaration by Master/Owner of Pleasure Boat - Form 20 which shall be approved by the Boarding officer and handed over to the yacht master/owner at time of boarding.

   Customs must be notified of any change in the duration of stay and a mail must be sent on the following address:

   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

5. Any foreign yacht is allowed to stay for a period of 3 months as from date of arrival.

6. Any controlled drugs and dangerous cargo shall be declared to Customs and shall be accompanied by supporting documents.

7. Arms and ammunition or allied products shall be detained and handed over to police for safe keeping. Same will be returned back at time of departure of the vessel.

8. Underwater Fishing is strictly prohibited in Mauritius. Underwater Fishing Gun must be declared and same will be detained by Customs and will be returned back on board at the time of departure.

9. Any vessel may be rummaged by Customs Officers as per Section 128 of Customs Act.

10. Currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments of an amount of more than 500, 000 rupees (Section 131A of the Customs Act) or its equivalent in any foreign currency shall be disclosed to the Customs officer.

11. Report any suspicious behavior of other yachts to the boarding Customs Officer or to the Customs Hotline: 8958.

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Immigration Formalities

All people on board will be required to produce a valid passport. Visa will be issued by the Immigration Authorities upon presentation of required documents.

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Departing from Port Louis

Certificate of Clearance

Any departing yacht to a foreign port shall call back to Port Louis Harbour to complete the departure formalities which are also processed through the VCS either by the appointed agent or by the MRA-Customs. The yacht master/owner must send mail to the MRA-Customs on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and confirm the actual date of departure, the next port of call as well as the departure crew/passenger list.

A departure clearance certificate is automatically generated through the VCS once same has been approved by Customs and does not need any signature. However an endorsed copy may be requested from the Customs office at the Customs Landing Steps if required by the Yacht master.

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Return of detained goods by Customs.

Items detained by Customs at time of boarding, pending reshipment, will be returned on board by Customs prior to the departure of yacht. For this purpose, necessary arrangements have to be made by contacting Customs on the following phone numbers 59421449 or 52519296 in order to avoid any delay in the time of departure.

Wild Life & Endemic products.

Wildlife and endemic products are strictly controlled. In the event that it is intended for any such goods to be transported from Mauritius, necessary permits/certificates have to be requested from the Ministry of Agro Industry & Food Security.

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