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 MPA through the Harbour Radio for insertion of their arrival credentials in the VCS. However they will have to complete the Customs boarding documents which are available at the Customs office of the Customs Landing Steps.

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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 MPA (Harbour Radio) 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:

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5. Any foreign yacht is allowed to stay for a period of 3 months as from date of arrival. A security in form of a Bank guarantee or office cheque to cover the duties, taxes as per Regulation 26 of the Customs Regulation will have to be submitted if the Yacht will stay beyond 3 months.

   If a pleasure boat fails to leave Mauritius at the expiry of the authorised period then the security/bank guarantee shall be realised.

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 MPA (Harbour Radio).

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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Exporting Tips

1. All export entries must be lodged electronically and prior to goods being loaded for export (aircraft or ship).

2. Export clearances must be obtained from customs prior to loading for export.

3. Customs may require the examination of any export. For this reason exporters are required to start the procedures for export at the earliest possible so as to avoid delays whenever customs need to verify the goods.

4. Exporters having claimed drawback should inform Customs whenever goods are not exported on scheduled time.

5. We recommend that all exporters lodge their electronic export entry or other declaration as soon as they have all information.

Note: "Information can move ahead of the goods"

FAQs - Export Entry

1. What is an export entry?

2. Can I export foodstuffs, fruits and vegetables to other countries?

3. Where and when should I submit the Export Entry?

4. What kinds of goods are required to be declared in the Export Entry?

5. If my export shipment does not need carry any dutiable commodities, do I need to submit any declaration?

6. How can I make amendments to the lodged export declarations?

1. What is an export entry?

   An export entry also known as the export bill of entry is a customs document which takes care of all the details (value, classification, origin, destination, weight, freight and insurance, exporter’s name and address, etc.) of the goods being exported. It is submitted electronically to customs (for validation) by a declarant on behalf of the exporter or by an exporter who is a TradeNet User. Exporters may need to liaise with their shipping agents (both for air and sea transport) to know the time they should bring their goods to the export shed so as to leave a reasonable time frame for any customs verification.

2. Can I export foodstuffs, fruits and vegetables to other countries?

   You can send these items to other countries provided you have:

   • submitted an export entry covering your consignment,

   • obtained the appropriate export permit or authorization from the relevant authorities,

   • made necessary arrangements and reservation with the airline agencies (storage at required temperature).

   You might be able to export these products but clearance from customs in the recipient country will depend on the authorities in that country. Permits/authorisations might be necessary to clear the goods. MRA Customs is unable to provide information about the Customs requirements that apply in other countries. To source this information, contact the appropriate consulate or embassy representative.

3. Where and when should I submit the Export Entry?

   The export entry should be submitted electronically before the shipment of the consignment. Normally, these formalities are carried out by the declarant. As a private exporter, you can perform these formalities provided you have a Front End System.

   After customs clearance is obtained, the goods can be entered in the export shed from where they would be shipped.

4. What kinds of goods are required to be declared in the Export Entry?

   All goods, except bona fide person's baggage, to be exported should be declared in the export declaration.

5. If my export shipment does not carry any dutiable commodities, do I need to submit any export declaration?

   Yes, except in cases where parcels and packets and bona fide trade samples not being merchandise for sale are exported by post or courier

6. How can I make amendments to the validated export declarations?

   Amendments are also known as post-entries and can be made if errors or changes have occurred in the details of the export entry. Post-entries are sent electronically by the declarant / broker to customs for approval.

Customs Role in Exportation

We facilitate legitimate trade and help secure access for Mauritian exports to overseas markets.

We do this by:

• assuring the security of Mauritius’ trade supply chains
• providing technical input to trade negotiations, resolution of trade issues
• implementing, monitoring and enforcing border aspects of trade agreements.

 MRA Customs recognises the importance of keeping trade flowing and ensure security. In this context, we are working on various projects designed to ensure the security and fluidity of the supply chain which is also in line with the recommendation of the Word Customs Organization's Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. Among these projects are the Container Security Initiative and the Cargo Community System.

The aim behind such projects is to abide to international norms and also to reduce red-tapism and risks of delays for Mauritian exporters. In addition to that, local exporters may gain international recognisance as the fluidity and security concepts are the dominating issues in international trade. Adherence to such standards will ease the access to markets and will also facilitate the procedures during crises. For example, in case of an international alert (terrorism, smuggling, etc), Mauritian exports will be cleared easily as these goods are recognised as being safe, thus guaranteeing a safe and on time arrival to destination.