Many people land onto my blog while looking for information about doing their purchase on Ebay. Why? Most probably because the blog contains valuable data (found nowhere else on the Mauritian web) and on top of that, very active participation and numerous helpful contributions on the behalf of my blog readers.
If you have missed that blog article, I highly recommend you to go through it first and all the comments there (Over 200!)
- http://www.yashvinblogs.com/ebay-mauritius-3/ [ November 2012 – LATEST ]
- http://www.yashvinblogs.com/ebay-mauritius-2/ [ June 2011 ]
- http://www.yashvinblogs.com/ebay-mauritius/ [ July 2010 ] and
- http://www.yashvinblogs.com/ebay-info-for-mauritius/
- Also, the blog post about Amazon :
http://www.yashvinblogs.com/amazon-now-ships-to-mauritius/
Updated info about eBay/Amazon purchases and Custom clearance
About a week ago, I was informed about some changes at the Central Parcel Office and that’s the reason why I had to write an updated post to share these precious bits of information I gathered at the Central Parcel office while politely questioning a customs officer.
What has changed?
- A permit issued by the ICTA is necessary to clear all transmitter/receivers/routers from the customs. In short, everything which uses wireless transmission/frequencies to operate.
UPDATE 02 February 2015 :
Great! I just called the customs at the central parcels office. The polite officer informed me that any device (whether using wifi, bluetooth etc) imported in REASONABLE quantity for PERSONAL use DOES NOT REQUIRE any ICTA permits.
Read Facebook post here. - An Import Permit issued by the Ministry of Commerce is needed to clear any USED/REFURBISHED items from the customs.
The custom officers are only applying the existing laws. These permits have long been in our constitution but they were not applied, until now. From what I have learnt, these measures are now strictly taken into consideration to control the entry of purchases into the island and also, to ensure that items are not forbidden by law.
How to get the permit(s)?
You should know that YOU cannot directly apply for an import permit. Only registered Custom Brokers can complete the procedures by acting as some sort of intermediary between the you and the ministry of commerce. It takes 1-2 days for the permit to get issued.
Now, the permit delivered by the ICTA is a bit more PITA.
Don’t know what it means? You should probably learn by yourself if you go through the steps, but anyways, I will help you. PITA = Pain In The Ass.
Why? It can take up to 2-3 weeks for the ICTA to process your request.
UPDATE 02 February 2015 :
Great! I just called the customs at the central parcels office. The polite officer informed me that any device (whether using wifi, bluetooth etc) imported in REASONABLE quantity for PERSONAL use DOES NOT REQUIRE any ICTA permits.
Read Facebook post here.
New to items clearance from the customs?
I will briefly go through some main points that were discussed on the previous post dedicated to Ebay/Mauritius :
- Any purchases above
Rs10,000Rs30,000 [Read this updated blog post – November 2012] need to be cleared out of the customs by a Custom Broker - Any purchases above Rs1,000 Rs2,000 are taxable, 15% VAT.
- No duty applicable for items below Rs2, 000.
Items like bags/cigarettes etc have additional duty. For example, 30% on bags + the 15% VAT. - A post office storage fee of Rs50-Rs100 is claimed for any item delivered at the Central Postal Office.
- Small and cheaper items usually get delivered by your postman or you may need to fetch it at the nearest post office (no charges to pay for)
What you need at the customs?
- Your National Identity card
- Your Paypal receipt or any other receipt/bank statement which shows the value of the purchase (very important)
Some prohibited goods.
- Guns (Including stunt guns/Pain ball guns) or any other kind of weapons or you may find yourself behind the bars and your house searched immediately after the parcel is opened for verification purposes.
- Sex toys. Not all of them but because I do not hold enough knowledge into the topic, I forgot those specific things which cannot be imported.
- Laser pointers > 1mW
Whenever you are ensure, do give a call to the customs office to inquire. The phone numbers are available on this page itself.
Note that you may need medical certificates to prove that you need some medicines(drugs) and all drugs are verified and approved by a pharmacian at the customs. (I think that was what I was told).
Where is the Central Parcels Office located?
That’s a question which I regularly need to answer (just like tons others on this topic.)
The Central Parcels Office is located at the back of the Post Office headquarters of Port Louis. The Postal Museum (that old famous stone-made building) is just 50metres away.
If you are travelling by car, you can use the Caudan Parking or the one found at the Granuary (just at the back of the post office). Rs25 for the first 2hours.
Some useful phone numbers
- Mauritius parcel office : 213-4813
- Customs (Post office): 216-3506
- Bureau d’exchange :212-0150
- EMS : 213-4813
- MRA Tariff Unit : 202-0500 (Call there to get details about duties applicable on products)
I know that many among you will probably be looking for the contact number of a Customs Broker to get your item cleared. In that case, you can drop me a message and I will contact you asap.
Do you have any questions?
Just as I mentioned above, I receive lots of questions either through the blog or by mail. However, lots of people contact me without reading the article and related comments. (btw, many thanks to all those people who contribute to the posts.)
I would politely ask you to go through my first article first, and if you still can’t find the answers to your questions on that page or on this new blog post, do not hesitate to post it here. This said, I have closed the comments section on the previous post, and all questions will now be replied here. If you really want to get an answer fast, the best thing to do is to comment on the blog.
And finally, don’t forget that there’s a newer article (November 2012) with update info about the limits, etc. Read it here : http://www.yashvinblogs.com/ebay-mauritius-3/
Have a nice time shopping online!
Yashvinblogs 
I guess that includes mobile phones. Suckers.
2/3 weeks to process a permit? So you have to apply for a permit before purchasing the product. Brilliant.
Oh, another tip. Shipping costs are not included in the VAT calculation.
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If am not wrong, you need to apply for the permit when your item reaches Mauritius, lol. Anyone correct me if it is not the case.
@carrotmadman6:disqus , thanks for your much appreciated contribution to the blog 😉
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Can you cheat? Can you tell the seller to make the item look as if it is new? How do they know if it is a refurbished/used one? Damn, I was planning to buy a refurbished item. Thanks for informing.
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After it reaches Mauritius? So 2 to 4 weeks for the item to reach Mauritius and another 2 to 4 weeks for some lazy fat a$$ to deliver a permit. AWESOME!!!!
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@d39a7bcf182c2ac48591126b369a41a1:disqus
They don’t know if it’s used unless you tell them. 😉
@456c569b4d9dbb879eda873e3de22144:disqus
Easy to undervalue product using the Paypal “receipt.” 😉
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“Easy to undervalue product using the Paypal “receipt.” ;)”
how?
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Hi Yash,normalment non,to bizin fini gagne to permit avant to gagne to lartik,sinon ena n lamende a payer sa,a moin ki to pas au courant ki bizin n permit..if nt they will charge you number of days zot pou garde to lartik la poste,as li pou dir toi “outi bizin fini apply pou ou permit,nu papu kav donne ou portab la”en dautre mots si possible zot pou ralier li parski ena bcp dimun papu al fatigue zot al rode permit,dans sa ban case la c nu ki perdant,alors bizin pas baisse les bras..parski nune payer pou gagne sa ban item la..
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*Cough* No product undervalue *cough*
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Be careful of undervaluing products now guys; i just went to the parcels post office today, and they actually verified the product with the item number on ebay directly!
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The MRA officer there told me about this verification process but someone asked me how they could verify that. Do they have some access to verify and access price of purchased products?
You can perhaps help us to understand this process.
Thanks a lot in advance.
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Thanks for the updates Yashvin…really helpful…
It sucks though…coz 30% + 15% vat on bags!!!??? 😦
Thank again 🙂
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This sucks BIG TIME. ICTA is already a joke. Now I, literally, have to beg them. I already made a few wireless camera last week.
Jeez, I prefer to live in a forest now!!!
“Your Paypal receipt or any other receipt/bank statement which shows the value of the purchase (very important)”
Complete bullsh!t.
just another way to make the government richer.
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Hi Yashvin,Thanks for clarifying that Cellphone issue about the ICTA,by the way,could get rhe iphone,for tunetely knew someone who could clear the item for us,if you knew what goes on at the Parcel Office there..I will only say that didnt even needed the Permit to clear the item,The reason you make know..Any way thanks for these useful updates..
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Merci boku Yash, really useful infos.
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Cyberisland?
“Only registered Custom Brokers can complete the procedures by acting as
some sort of intermediary between the you and the ministry of commerce.
It takes 1-2 days for the permit to get issued.”
And, dear Sir, we presume that these Custom Brokers don’t work benevolently – so what’s the fee for obtaining the permit?
“Now, the permit delivered by the ICTA (…) can take up to 2-3 weeks for the ICTA to process your request.”
Again same question: how much does it cost to get the permit?
And now the final question:
What is the total cost of importing an item via eBay (or other outside sources) into Dodoland?
Please give the breakdown as follows:
– time taken to confirm the order on the internet (connection cost)
– distance travelled to reach parcel post office (travelling cost)
– if parcel post office doesnt work on week-ends, time off required to retrieve item from the PPO
– if transactions with Customs Broker and ICTA cannot be done over the phone,
– distance and time off required to travel to Customs Broker
– distance and time off required to travel to ICTA
– Customs Brokers’ fees
– ICTA’s fees
– purchase price, including shipping, handling and insurance (whichever applicable)
Now, please feel free to add any other cost component that did not come to my mind at the time of writing this…
OK, when you’re done adding up all the little rupees and cents from here and there, what’s the TOTAL cost now?
Now my two cents:
– “Note that you may need medical certificates to prove that you need some
medicines(drugs) and all drugs are verified and approved by a pharmacian
at the customs”
Oh man! I used to be lactose intolerant, and needed lactase (an enzyme) tablets to prevent the (very uncomforatble) effects of accidental ingestion of milk by-products hidden in almost every product. No pharmacy knew of lactase tablets, and this food supplement (as they call it abroad) was simply unknown by local regulations. So what if one has to import food supplements which are not found in the official list – does the pharmacian reject the thing and lets you feel the joys of acute diarrhea? And what about those who wish to get some para-medical stuff (cosmetics, hair/skin serums from ultra-rare manufacturers and what not that only girls have expertise on…) that have the appearance of medicines?
– “these measures are now strictly taken into consideration to control the
entry of purchases into the island and also, to ensure that items are
not forbidden by law.”
I get an uncanny feeling that this is actually now that some related to Customs Brokers realise that Customs Brokers would be getting more fees by the enforcement of this long-forgotten / now-remembered regulation. In the name of transparency and equality, why don’t the customs authorities open every single luggage that transits through the airport? And every single container that goes through the port? Guess how the “cigarettes électroniques” found their way to shops until
people reported to the Ministry of Health that these gadgets resembled
actual cigarettes…? So, why penalise only people that need their (private) goods to transit through the post?
Mon cul est plus efficient à traiter des merdes que ces connards dans leurs boîtes à traiter leurs procédures à la con!
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Cyberisland?
“Only registered Custom Brokers can complete the procedures by acting as
some sort of intermediary between the you and the ministry of commerce.
It takes 1-2 days for the permit to get issued.”
And, dear Sir, we presume that these Custom Brokers don’t work benevolently – so what’s the fee for obtaining the permit?
“Now, the permit delivered by the ICTA (…) can take up to 2-3 weeks for the ICTA to process your request.”
Again same question: how much does it cost to get the permit?
And now the final question:
What is the total cost of importing an item via eBay (or other outside sources) into Dodoland?
Please give the breakdown as follows:
– time taken to confirm the order on the internet (connection cost)
– distance travelled to reach parcel post office (travelling cost)
– if parcel post office doesnt work on week-ends, time off required to retrieve item from the PPO
– if transactions with Customs Broker and ICTA cannot be done over the phone,
– distance and time off required to travel to Customs Broker
– distance and time off required to travel to ICTA
– Customs Brokers’ fees
– ICTA’s fees
– purchase price, including shipping, handling and insurance (whichever applicable)
Now, please feel free to add any other cost component that did not come to my mind at the time of writing this…
OK, when you’re done adding up all the little rupees and cents from here and there, what’s the TOTAL cost now?
Now my two cents:
– “Note that you may need medical certificates to prove that you need some
medicines(drugs) and all drugs are verified and approved by a pharmacian
at the customs”
Oh man! I used to be lactose intolerant, and needed lactase (an enzyme) tablets to prevent the (very uncomforatble) effects of accidental ingestion of milk by-products hidden in almost every product. No pharmacy knew of lactase tablets, and this food supplement (as they call it abroad) was simply unknown by local regulations. So what if one has to import food supplements which are not found in the official list – does the pharmacian reject the thing and lets you feel the joys of acute diarrhea? And what about those who wish to get some para-medical stuff (cosmetics, hair/skin serums from ultra-rare manufacturers and what not that only girls have expertise on…) that have the appearance of medicines?
– “these measures are now strictly taken into consideration to control the
entry of purchases into the island and also, to ensure that items are
not forbidden by law.”
I get an uncanny feeling that this is actually now that some related to Customs Brokers realise that Customs Brokers would be getting more fees by the enforcement of this long-forgotten / now-remembered regulation. In the name of transparency and equality, why don’t the customs authorities open every single luggage that transits through the airport? And every single container that goes through the port? Guess how the “cigarettes électroniques” found their way to shops until
people reported to the Ministry of Health that these gadgets resembled
actual cigarettes…? So, why penalise only people that need their (private) goods to transit through the post?
Mon cul est plus efficient à traiter des merdes que ces connards dans leurs boîtes à traiter leurs procédures à la con!
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Cyberisland?
“Only registered Custom Brokers can complete the procedures by acting as
some sort of intermediary between the you and the ministry of commerce.
It takes 1-2 days for the permit to get issued.”
And, dear Sir, we presume that these Custom Brokers don’t work benevolently – so what’s the fee for obtaining the permit?
“Now, the permit delivered by the ICTA (…) can take up to 2-3 weeks for the ICTA to process your request.”
Again same question: how much does it cost to get the permit?
And now the final question:
What is the total cost of importing an item via eBay (or other outside sources) into Dodoland?
Please give the breakdown as follows:
– time taken to confirm the order on the internet (connection cost)
– distance travelled to reach parcel post office (travelling cost)
– if parcel post office doesnt work on week-ends, time off required to retrieve item from the PPO
– if transactions with Customs Broker and ICTA cannot be done over the phone,
– distance and time off required to travel to Customs Broker
– distance and time off required to travel to ICTA
– Customs Brokers’ fees
– ICTA’s fees
– purchase price, including shipping, handling and insurance (whichever applicable)
Now, please feel free to add any other cost component that did not come to my mind at the time of writing this…
OK, when you’re done adding up all the little rupees and cents from here and there, what’s the TOTAL cost now?
Now my two cents:
– “Note that you may need medical certificates to prove that you need some
medicines(drugs) and all drugs are verified and approved by a pharmacian
at the customs”
Oh man! I used to be lactose intolerant, and needed lactase (an enzyme) tablets to prevent the (very uncomforatble) effects of accidental ingestion of milk by-products hidden in almost every product. No pharmacy knew of lactase tablets, and this food supplement (as they call it abroad) was simply unknown by local regulations. So what if one has to import food supplements which are not found in the official list – does the pharmacian reject the thing and lets you feel the joys of acute diarrhea? And what about those who wish to get some para-medical stuff (cosmetics, hair/skin serums from ultra-rare manufacturers and what not that only girls have expertise on…) that have the appearance of medicines?
– “these measures are now strictly taken into consideration to control the
entry of purchases into the island and also, to ensure that items are
not forbidden by law.”
I get an uncanny feeling that this is actually now that some related to Customs Brokers realise that Customs Brokers would be getting more fees by the enforcement of this long-forgotten / now-remembered regulation. In the name of transparency and equality, why don’t the customs authorities open every single luggage that transits through the airport? And every single container that goes through the port? Guess how the “cigarettes électroniques” found their way to shops until
people reported to the Ministry of Health that these gadgets resembled
actual cigarettes…? So, why penalise only people that need their (private) goods to transit through the post?
Mon cul est plus efficient à traiter des merdes que ces connards dans leurs boîtes à traiter leurs procédures à la con!
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Late but A.H. always get me going… for future generation of A.H.
Oh man! I used to be lactose intolerant,..
(used too?)
, and needed lactase (an enzyme)
tablets to prevent the (very uncomforatble) effects of accidental
ingestion of milk by-products hidden in almost every product
(self medication? There’s no doctor in Mauritius? No substitue?? Wow!!!!)
No
pharmacy knew of lactase tablets, and this food supplement (as they call
it abroad) was simply unknown by local regulations
(You bet they call it food supplement. The US FDA do not even recognize lactase as really effective).
So what if one has
to import food supplements which are not found in the official list –
does the pharmacian reject the thing and lets you feel the joys of acute
diarrhea?
(Go see a doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!A “Pharmacian” whatever he may be, is not a doctor)
And what about those who wish to get some para-medical stuff
(cosmetics, hair/skin serums from ultra-rare manufacturers and what not
that only girls have expertise on…) that have the appearance of
medicines?
(have or have not, bears or does not bear any resemblance/appearance, is not the real concern but chemicals and health are the real concern. If we follow your logic I can import lsd because it only has the appearance of aspirin??)
below there’s Tushal 🙂 Oh my…
So You guys thinks that someone in the US that want, let say “Pima rodrig”, that cost around Rs 100 (because we are nearly industrialized but not really out of third world etc) 1 liter will pay only $4 ??? may be $ 5? Stop being childish and naive
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Hey
ignorant fucktardgrammar-cum-punctuation-cum-chronoligcally impaired human being, thanks for having taken so much time and grammatical and punctuation errors to give such a profusely absurd reply to my rant.1 – “(used too?)”
Abé alor?? Yes, some years ago, I used to (not too) be lactose intolerant – even a biscuit with traces of milk would upset my digestive system, but now I can tolerate a glass of milk – why does this surprise you? Why is it that your tone suggests that some fundamental scientific law may have been violated in the process??
2 -“self medication? There’s no doctor in Mauritius? No substitue?? Wow!!!!”
Abé alor?? Ki pou éna sinon? What’s your bloody problem when not one but two local doctors themselves (like you? Hope not, else I’d ensure that no-one consults an
uncouth heartless bitch likeyou) told me that lactase is not available in Dodoland? No, madam, there was no ‘subtitue’; If you were selling them, I’d come to you, but you seem to be more at ease riling at my health condition than to offer a solution…3 -“(Go see a doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!A “Pharmacian” whatever he may be, is not a doctor)”
I did, ma’am, I did. I reply same as above.
4 – “(have or have not, bears or does not bear any resemblance/appearance, is not the real concern but chemicals and health are the real concern. If we follow your logic I can import lsd because it only has the appearance of aspirin??)
Ah, you have LSD? You mind sharing some? With Gro Derek, I meant… Who
the bloody helltold you that I wanted LSD??? My simple (but you’re blinded by your destructive sarcasm since the beginning) question was: what happens when you import para-medical stuff that are packaged to resemble medicines, like the special cosmetological things that are marketed as luxury items, especially for affluent females. Get yourself a dictionary if you cannot understand this kind of proper English, but please don’t put words I did not intend in my mouth.5 – “below there’s Tushal 🙂 Oh my… So You guys thinks that someone in the US that want, let say “Pima rodrig”, that cost around Rs 100 (because we are nearly industrialized but not really out of third world etc) 1 liter will pay only $4 ??? may be $ 5? Stop being childish and naive”
So what? Why not? Well, I got a USB-powered LED light for my keyboard from obostore.com for just 2 (TWO) USD and free shipping, what’s your problem with low-cost bargains? Since when it was wrong to have bargains? If you are angry about it, you are free to go and shut down e-bay and the like, but please, keep your value judgments to yourself…
So, your obscene and destructive sarcasm and half-attempted pseudo-intellectual irony mixed with the approximately good ingliss makes you an adult and non-naive “super-intelligenter” than us…? Bravo! I, the puny little human non-being that you despise so much, hereby allow you to be “super-intelligenter” than the whole world, now you can go and tell everyone and have an orgasm about it.
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Oops! Forgot to add:
Mehfooz’s comment also proves that the “enforcement” of the regulations carries a significant dose of gett-figir arbitrariness in the process…
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Hi friends. @ Torpedo,Just pour dire toi que tousa ban zafr la,c just kan banla envie ki zot mettre en vigeur sa,comme je lai dis a Yashvin lot fois la,moti commande n iphone 2nd hand,banla ine cummence fr n ta maniere laba,bizin al tire permit ect,,mo pane kas tete,in dir ok,but finally,moti deja conne a custom officer.and la suite tu le c deja,in al apply pou permit mais pane servi a rien,iphone already in my hands.just pou dire toi que la corruption est partout.These Customs Officers are just money minded thts all,give some money and u get ur items,la loi c zot ki fr..si figure passer corek dresser partout..Seul conseil bizin mari courtois ek zot laba,Tk Cre
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Approve.
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FTFY
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“pou dire toi que la corruption est partout.These Customs Officers are
just money minded thts all,give some money and u get ur items,la loi c
zot ki fr”
You mean: if some decently hard-balled ICAC officers took the pains of doing their work if investigating and prosecuting as they are paid for (from our taxes), these corrupt people could go behind bars ek ramasse savon…?
Ki zott pé attann…?
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“pou dire toi que la corruption est partout.These Customs Officers are
just money minded thts all,give some money and u get ur items,la loi c
zot ki fr”
You mean: if some decently hard-balled ICAC officers took the pains of doing their work if investigating and prosecuting as they are paid for (from our taxes), these corrupt people could go behind bars ek ramasse savon…?
Ki zott pé attann…?
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last year i bought a 2nd hand iphone on ebay n ze custom officer refused to release ze iphone as zey told me dat i need a permit to release any item above RS 10,000. i tried to convince the guy dat i was unaware abt ze permit, but the custom officer told me that it was impossible to release ze item unless i contact a broker and ive a permit.
Three days later i sent my cousin (a young n beautiful lady) to collect the iphone on my behalf. Ze custom officer was a big flirt. li kumance dialoguer ar mo cousine et li release mo parcel telling her dat next time she must have a permit to release such parcels. li aussi done so mobile number et li dire mo cousine call li si ena ban kitchose ki li p amener by post !!!!!!!
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Just great, now it’s gonna be a greater pain tin the arse to receive mobile phones. and@carrotmadman6:disqus , knowing WomWorld, they’ll wash hands on this one, if their phones get blocked in customs for 3-4 for each new reviewer to get a permit, they’ll soon refuse to send to Mauritius(they don’t like sending places where there are a lot of custom complications).
And how is omebody under the age of 18 supposed to get the permit?!
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“how is omebody under the age of 18 supposed to get the permit?!”
Ahem, they assume that someone under 18 years of age cannot purchase online because that person is not supposed to have a credit card.
Well, as usual, those who make assumptions expose themselves to their assumptions being proven wrong at any time. Like in the case you mention.
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Damn, now I realize why I was charged Rs. 500 for my bag :S
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did the deliver you directly or you have to go to the parcel office?
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I had to go to the parcel’s office since it was quite a huge size…
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Gireek,this doesnt apply to New ones.so dnt worry,we are just talking about Refurbished and used ones :),so no worries.Import permit only applies to Refurbished and used ones…by the way someone was asking if we can ask supplier to declare refurbished one as new,Yes you can but prices of refurbished one are lower and i dnt know how these custom guys will react to this,will be taking one soon,will keep you updated,for the time being just took an unbranded one,will see how it goes one and let you know..
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This will surely be a huge pain in the a$$ now. .
Let me reply to Torpedo.
I wanted to buy a new laptop from Dell US.
It was costing me around Rs35,000.
The shipping cost was around Rs4,500Custom tax on the laptop is around Rs5,500.
Custom broker will charge Rs1,500 to get the laptop out of the useless customs.
Transport from my place to PL and vice versa: Rs72.
Total cost: Rs46,000 (approximate)
Which almost tally the laptop price in RapeLand.
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“RapeLand”
Waaahahahah! 😀
Wai do!!
Kinz-cent roupi pou clearance from customs: Pfiouuw!! Si mo ti konné, mo ti ava alle étidié customs regulation o-lié saki mo gagne-pain zordi-zour…
Bein, Rs 46k, dans sa prix-la, mo’nn gagne enn MacBook Pro avec so MS Office tout, la-oussi kass inn rester…
Bon, loin de moi l’idée d’engager un débat inutile PC vs Mac , mais li flagrant ki bann revenderr PC ek pièces PC content viole nou porttfeiy bien mem! Vive RapeLand!
Atann, tiommbo!
– “A permit issued by the ICTA is necessary to clear all
transmitter/receivers/routers from the customs. In short, everything
which uses wireless transmission/frequencies to operate”
Enn Dell sorte lamerik: Laptop-la bizin Wifi-enabled ha! Et, puisque c’est un “wireless” device, ICTA pas ti bizin etc etc… ça? Non?
Kii goo-blé…!
re-vive RapeLand!
Pourvu qu’ça dure!
Yashvin, sorry mo bien bien négatif pou çann post-la, mais c’est enn post ki’nn réveille enn nivo frustration contre Dodoland* ki mo pas ti conné mo capav ena en-dans moi. Bez ça.
* – now, thanks to Tushal, also known as RapeLand
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tiewww
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Thanks a lot for the clarification Yashvin. A few comments.
Generally if you use a courier service instead of Post/EMS, they will do the declaration and payment of any tax on your behalf, of course, after getting your permission. DHL, FedEx, UPS, they all do that very fast (same day). Sometimes you’ll need to sign and fax them but it’s quicker than going to Parcel office.
However, I haven’t bought anything since the change it seems. The last thing was my HTC phone two months ago which Customs valued as a no-brand Chinese phone 😛 which meant low low tax…
Bhoot
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“Any purchases above Rs10,000 need to be cleared out of the customs by a Custom Broker”
Glad I already bought my music gear online at the beginning of the year. Kinda sucks for this category considering there are only 5 places in Mauritius that sell music equipment, and they all sell (except 1) at 200-300% the online price
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Kindly note that any purchases above Rs1,000 are not necessarily taxable, Amount of VAT depends on the product type. Example: computer accessories have absolutely no tax even if price exceeds 1000 MRU.
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Duty depends on type of products. However, VAT is applicable for all above
Rs1000.
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Hi Kevin,oui to ena raison ena certain produit ki depasse Rs 1000 et ki pas taxable,example lot fois moti ht n lecran portable Rs2700,mo pane bizin paye nanien et lecran la in vine lacaz direct facteur mem ine amener,so i think you are right,si zot declare item as computer accessoires,u can be exampted
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Approve.
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“si zot declare item as computer accessoires,u can be exampted”
Bein, si mo comman enn sac pou mo laptop…? Pa compte couma enn computer accessory ha?? 🙂
@ Pramod 1 day ago
Damn, now I realize why I was charged Rs. 500 for my bag :S”Abé, ki mo pou dir ou: ou bizin prend enn sac ki moinss ki Rs1,000 ek declare li couma enn computer accessory… Ek coummence / termine tou ou phrase ki ou dir par “missié” (missié bonzour missié, siouplé missié, sorry missié, merci missié…) ki konné…? 🙂
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Cyber island, duty free island????
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Wai, hamem ki pe vinn dans mo l’esprit-la. Ki zott envie: facilite les choses, ou bien mett baton dans la-roue? Ki ça-bann slogans creux la ça hein?
Heureusement que le ridicule ne tue pas…
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A permit issued by the ICTA is necessary to clear all
transmitter/receivers/routers from the customs. In short, everything
which uses wireless transmission/frequencies to operate.
Note: if the transmitter/receiver is declared as gift by vendor and of small size(for e.g an usb wifi transmitter), it will be delivered free of charge to your nearest post office.
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Gift by vendor? Noted.
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For EVERY product above Rs1,000 there is VAT. A 15% useless amount to pay to the Parcel post office. I’ve yet to meet a product where I have to pay both tax and vat.
@364ece096841439f595e156d955a01e4:disqus :
Rapeland la. . in vini acoz mo ti pe dire sa article kot 1 frere in have sexual intercourse avec so sister a plusieur reprise and made her pregnant. . zordi zour, nek tend viole dan pays la. .
mais it will be really fun si pou bsn 1 permi pou tire 1 laptop wifi. . will that mean 2 permits? 😀
One for above rs10,000
and another one for wireless stuff?
Ah Mauritius c’est un plaisir. Vivre Rapeland.
au fait Rs1,500 la. c fees ki 1 broker ti pe prnd pou retire item la. mais aster mo pa koner si banla pou charge plis since pou ena some paper works aster. .
Yash kpv trase 1 pli cheap pou nu. 😀
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pu tire mo laptop 1 @$%@$* ti p dmand mwa Rs. 3,000 :@
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“@$%@$*”-la enn Custom Broker-ça ou bien enn post-office officer en-bas latab?? Some more precision will not hurt… 🙂
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janvier mo ti guete ene custom’s broker..li ti prend Rs1000 pou mo Pedal L;effect laguitare..li ti fair ebane demarse la vite..moins ki 1 semaine mo ti fini gange mo import permit tou…
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Can we import arrows (under category of sports equipment)?
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Give it a try, and let us know if the police takes you under custody 😉
Serious now, you should call the Customs department, they can answer that because I did the same thing before I purchased a swiss knife.
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Yeah…will try to call them. (do you know if they can be contacted using emails btw? )
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@Roushdat :
I once contacted them regarging the list of items and corresponding duty amount, they replied to me after a few months, just to say “Look into our web site”.
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got to buy a bag of 400 rs – 35 + 15 % = 580 rs do i need to go to the parcel office to collect it ?
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If the bag’s parcel is quite small, there are chances that it might reach your home directly. And since it is cheap too, there are big chances that you wont need to pay anything additional. Keep us informed!
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Faire tention, ena fermé la-dans mo bourzwa: ena 2 bourboné (Réunionnais, pour faire freunssé) ti gagne case la-polis lakoz zott ti pé transit par RapeLand avec bann fizi “sports” (tire koutt-ball la-peintirr) dans zott valise. PLis bez, ti ena enn grand palto (enn dirizan enn ONG local) ti gagne case la-polis li oussi parski li ti amenn cartouches fizi dans so valiz. Alors, un homme averti en vaut deux….
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@Roushdat :
I once contacted them regarging the list of items and corresponding duty amount, they replied to me after a few months, just to say “Look into our web site”.
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Purchased a wireless home alarm system. customs said I needed permit from ICTA as it was a wireless device.
ICTA told me they needed technical details which I sent. However, they wanted things which the ebay seller could not provide:
name of product ( it was a chinese no-name product)
proof of international standards or certification
Ebay seller agreed to refund me if returned.
Customs told me they will return the item back but they never did…….
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Mo sigzérr ou prend inpé fléss depi ar nou camwad Roushdat ek véiy zott quand zott isolé / péna témoin… Lerla ferr zott regretter ki Dodoland inn remplacé par RapeLand.
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Hello thank you very much for this detailled update! Hell an import permit, pfffffffffffffft
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Ahh! Perfect Post! Exactly what I was looking for! Unfortunately it’s only today thatIi’m seeing it 😦 I should have read this article before going there on friday! I went looking for the parcel post office asking everybody on my way..(maybe they thought I was a tourist :p)
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Great article indeed.
I think its good to restrict some kind of hazardous items but damnnn.. dont charge us addtional charges man!!! Nu aster online poo gaigne plis bo marC papi!! Ab si zot met enetas charges gaspiyas aster online…
pffff
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In short, if I buy that USB TV Receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-USB-DVB-T-TV-Receiver-Remote-Vista-Wins-7-P219-/250843618310?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6771dc06
it’ll take
7-15 days shipment
1-2 days permit to get issued
14-21 days for the ICTA to process the request.
In total, 38 days to get a small device I pay for a mere Rs302.
That sucks.
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In short, if I buy that USB TV Receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-USB-DVB-T-TV-Receiver-Remote-Vista-Wins-7-P219-/250843618310?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6771dc06
it’ll take
7-15 days shipment
1-2 days permit to get issued
14-21 days for the ICTA to process the request.
In total, 38 days to get a small device I pay for a mere Rs302.
That sucks.
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Hi..u need not worry,i bought one and received it at home
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Ok. Thanks. Will buy it and see.
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Rs 302, plus charges for ICTA permit, custom borker charges, transport, etc, etc…
Rs 3,020 pou vini la… Sorry, l’ami, mais c’est la dure réalité de RapeLand!
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Let me add one further comment:
eski ça-bann révenderr lapareiy electronik ki servi wireless-la (portab, laptop, TV card, tuner, tomtom, loto gran-palto (weh, certains loto permett ou branss ou portab avec loto-la so prop system communication ek communiké par activation enn ti-bouton lors volant), loto téléguidé, l’antenne TV (pa blié ki quand enn maron dans l’endroit pa’nn bien isole so l’antenne li brouille signal tou so voisin) etc, etc ), eski zott ena enn permi ICTA?
Mo ti-a bien content konner, parski guette bann la-banque zott display zott banking permit delivré par Bank of Mauritius, bann ki vann lalkol zott montrer zott permi “on/off”, bann ki VAT registered bizin display zott certificat, abé ki-ferr pa lezott??
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Hello..do shoes have additional duty as well just like bags? Thanks
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Dear friends,stop worrying about that import permit,I PRECISE THAT “it is only needed when you buy refurbished or used ones”,i just ordered a cellphone last week and i received it at home itself,postman just gave it to me,so stop being afraid to buy,
A permit issued by the ICTA is necessary to clear all transmitter/receivers/routers from the customs. In short, everything which uses wireless transmission/frequencies to operate.
An Import Permit issued by the Ministry of Commerce is needed to clear any USED/REFURBISHED items from the customs.)Only applies to used/refurbished one.hope this may help..cheers
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can anybody please give us a link of the customs which shows the list of products that can be bought and if there is duty or not.
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Hey yashvin, I’m trying to buy a sennheiser headphone(New) from ebay which cost around $55 and for the shipping, it says
US $25.00MauritiusStandard Int’l Shipping
The $25 shipping fee is ok but what about the Standard Int’l Shiiping? You’ve never mentioned about that afaik, just the usps thingy. How much time will it take to ship to Mauritius under Standard Int’l Shipping? Albeit Seller is top rated.
Thanks and very helpful blog you’ve got 😀
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Well, that would be difficult to estimate. In these situations, I usually mail the seller to get more info. Most probably, you won’t be getting any tracking number. To avoid if your item is costly.
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Hey yashvin, I’m trying to buy a sennheiser headphone(New) from ebay which cost around $55 and for the shipping, it says
US $25.00MauritiusStandard Int’l Shipping
The $25 shipping fee is ok but what about the Standard Int’l Shiiping? You’ve never mentioned about that afaik, just the usps thingy. How much time will it take to ship to Mauritius under Standard Int’l Shipping? Albeit Seller is top rated.
Thanks and very helpful blog you’ve got 😀
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Ah ok, will do that. So in your opinion, the USPS will be better since we can track our order? You have any idea of the USPS Priority? I know it’s slower than the express one but have you ordered stuffs via the Priority one which cost less? How much days would it take to ship it to our Island?
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The comparison between the different USPS shipping is already on the article : http://www.yashvinblogs.com/ebay-mauritius/
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Another thing I just forgot to ask in my last post, how do i choose between the USPS Priority and the USPS Express? It automatically sets the shipping to USPS Priority.
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If the seller does not offer you the choice for shipping, you can’t do anything about that.
These info are usually displayed in the “Shipping” tab.
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thx for the article… i am planning to buy a rather cheap tablet/ereader with wifi it is around rs.8,000…. will i need a permit from ICTA? how do i apply for a permit? need to go to ICTA or can be done online? any fee needed for that permit?
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Hello. Sorry for late reply.
That’s a good question but unfortunately, I do not have an answer right now. I will try to call the customs to ask that piece of info.
Keep tuned.
Y.A
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No,i bought one,the did not ask for certificate
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Hello. Sorry for late reply.
That’s a good question but unfortunately, I do not have an answer right now. I will try to call the customs to ask that piece of info.
Keep tuned.
Y.A
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this is what happens when we give power to fools.. deja nou malheureux roupies la pa vaut boku ek ki nou dja p paye vat lor ban l’article ki p vini laa ek sois disant tro bizin broker asterla to bizin apply pou 1 permit osii ( kan tne fini atan 2-3 semaine pou l’article la vin moris) kot nou p aler dan nou ti pays laa akoz saem mauricien pou plus hesiter enkor pou aster zafr par ebay au lieux donne nou faciliter zot mette la main dan nou la gorge
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I have never ever paid any VAT neither any broker fee. And most of the purchases were quite bulky and in the $1500-2000 range.
Here’s what I usually do:
– Tell the seller to send as gift (a risk, but worth it) and put some sort of fake happy birthday note inside (hide the receipt)
– Act over-confident at the post office and do not ask any payment questions
– Kick ass.
If everything else fails, walk around a little bit and try to chat up some of the workers there. Some of them are willing to take 500rs to get it out for you. I did that once when I forgot the gift thing and avoided rs10,000 VAT and the other trouble. A 15 kg, 1 meter long hard case, imagine that.
Alternatively, if you know someone who works there or know someone who knows someone whose uncle’s remarried wife’s second husband works there, it’s worth the 15percent + broker fees, especially on high purchases.
Additional experience with USPS, if your item’s tracking hasn’t been updated for a long time and there’s no mention of it arriving here, try to call the EMS office here and force them to check if it reached customs. One of my items updated 4 days after I went to collect it. It can be stressful at times. Also, adopting an English accent while calling them, guarantees instant verification.
This month I will be evading taxes on a $1000 purchase again.
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I have never ever paid any VAT neither any broker fee. And most of the purchases were quite bulky and in the $1500-2000 range.
Here’s what I usually do:
– Tell the seller to send as gift (a risk, but worth it) and put some sort of fake happy birthday note inside (hide the receipt)
– Act over-confident at the post office and do not ask any payment questions
– Kick ass.
If everything else fails, walk around a little bit and try to chat up some of the workers there. Some of them are willing to take 500rs to get it out for you. I did that once when I forgot the gift thing and avoided rs10,000 VAT and the other trouble. A 15 kg, 1 meter long hard case, imagine that.
Alternatively, if you know someone who works there or know someone who knows someone whose uncle’s remarried wife’s second husband works there, it’s worth the 15percent + broker fees, especially on high purchases.
Additional experience with USPS, if your item’s tracking hasn’t been updated for a long time and there’s no mention of it arriving here, try to call the EMS office here and force them to check if it reached customs. One of my items updated 4 days after I went to collect it. It can be stressful at times. Also, adopting an English accent while calling them, guarantees instant verification.
This month I will be evading taxes on a $1000 purchase again.
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Hi,
I have read your post from top to bottom, and it is very instructive (thanks dude). But one point remains unclear; what is the price I should consider when calculating the tax. Is it only the ((cost price-1000)*15%), or should the shipping price be included: ((cost price + shipping price – 1000)*15%) ?
I am willing to buy a headphone worth $40 (Rs 1156), and shipping price $50 (Rs 1445), on Amazon. So should the tax be ((1156-1000)*15%)=Rs23.40, or ((1156+1445-1000)*15%)=Rs240.15 ?
And is the tax still 15% for this electronic component?
Thanks
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hey can some1 help me..am planning to buy this..will it contain duty..its price is approx..3000rs..will i need a permit.or i can tell some1 who has a permit to go and collect it..
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Great site Yashvin!!!
Moi mo servi ebay zis pu aster ban bodybuilding supplement parski ena boku produit pna dan moris ek zt cheaper dehor.
Btw mo utilise mo debit card lor ebay. ban seki pna credit card zt kpav servi debit card. selma ena zis 2 labank (mo kroir) dan moris ki offer sa debit card la:
1.Banque des mascareignes (seki mo servi)
2.Bramer (mo kroir 1 mam ti sit sa labank la mai mo pa sir)
mo fek command 2 produits:
Jack3d on 22/7/11 ek xtend on 28/7/11 by usps first class international – no tracking 😦
zordi mone gagn mo 1st product, mo ti kroir jack3d la, letan mo ouvert mo truv xtend ladan…
pourtan jack3d mo ti pass command 1 week avan xtend ek mem seller. la mone contacter seller la pu geT kt produit eT. dmin mo pu al lapost.
mai 1 kam ti p dir moi ki jack3d la illegal dan moris. dan sa cas la eski lapost gagn droit sezi ou detruir mo produit sans averti moi???
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1 ti resignmnt ar tw..eski ton essai aster whey optimum..mo p ggn per tension zt saisie li koz li aC chere..mai selmen certain pharmacie ena produit la..b mo kroire li legal..aprs si nek protein ha..b avant to aster to bizin esai contacT dan post office la et prnd information lor ban produit ki illegal..aster ena 1 lot problem sa produit ceki mo p prnd la li 10lbs et li vin dan 1 gro sac..eski li compte dan bag(30%)..vat deja ena mem ha..
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Mo penser li depends ki qualiter sac nu p kozer.
Definitivement, si li ene genre sac plastik mo pas croire. Mais aster si li ene gros sac hiking sipa marque nike sipa koi, bane douaniers pu cpv charge sa aussi.
But a call to the central post office should provide you with the answer and dont forget to share with us 🙂
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b selmen li p vini par free shipping..et dan free shipping ban produit vin dan 1 boite.eski zot pu ouvre et pu checker,pu tesT,pu diman mw sipa bizin prescription dpi doctor..mai protein,tut ban dimum ki ale gym prnd protein.so prix 3000rs mo pa kroir bizin permi ha…sa zafr prescrition la p fatig mw la..
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Not all medication/drug products need a prescription. Some of them might need one to justify their use and ensure that they are legal in the country.
I dont think that you need to worry.
Most probably, you will have to pay the 15%VAT and the postage storage fee of about Rs50-Rs100.
🙂
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ahh ok..bein dreC alors..hey man merci buku..ha site la in mari aide mw pu komprnd ban trasaction ek system ebay..et mo pa kroir ti pu facile pu mo ale rod ha ban info la par mwa..merci kan mem..
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Le plaisir est pour moi.
Pas blier recommend mo site r to bane camarades 🙂
Ene ti click lo “Share”
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optimum whey 10lbs pu Rs3000 + free shipping 1 mari bon deal tne ressi fer sa…kot universal 5lbs – Rs3100 🙂 mo esperE selma seller ena bon rating…
definitivement pu sac la bizin pna problem parski produit lamem so packaging sa (li pa kont dan bag)
ek produit la bizin legal weh parski universal + pharmacie p vend li…
pu mo xtend pane dman moi prescription naniE (sauf ki seller la ti mark li as gift)
zis mo pensE to pu biizn paye 15% vat lor Rs2000 la…a moin to seller ine reduce price lor receipt la (kouma pu moi line met zis $7 🙂
sinon mo seller fek reply moi pu jack3d la..li dir moi “please allow another week or two for delivery as it could be delayed in customs.” pff
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wai dan maurice banla tir lavie lor ban produit gym..seller ena positive feedback..wai vat la ok sa..jack3d 1 mari top produit ha.mo ti envi aster mai aprs mo pu gueT.mai aster to p dir mw ha zafr illegal.mo prefer wait..bizin bat 1 lokol ar seller dir li baiise prix la enkor eupeu..
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Ey WAWA, t lor fb ? Fr moi gneto email add.
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Wawa plz fr moi kner si tne resi gne jack 3D la ! Moi osi m p envi pren li mais pas sure si li pu gbe paC laba. Fr moi thanks !
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o fek mo pa konE kouma ban customs la check items….parski ban produits mo ti pran mo ti gagn 1 lot produit apel tribulus en cado…
mo ti gagn xtend + tribulus sans problem….
pu jack3d mo ti bizin al parcel office…laba banla ine ouvert parcel la…finalement zt ine sezi tribulus la…mai mone gagn mo jack3d XD
la mo p repass command 1 lot jack3d mo esperE li pu paC…
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man t dja buy produit amino online?? li passe ladouane
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Nops, zamais ine aster sa.
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is amazon good to buy things..certain items zat ar availble on amazon are not on ebay..
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Several persons do buy on Amazon. I purchased only my Kindle there. I must say that I am not quite used to Amazon, especially when it comes to filter by items shipped to MRU.
To reply to your question, my only experience on amazon was nice and I guess loads of people use it for other items.
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That’s a very good write up. I’m a regular eBay buyer and I have recently been hit in the ass with this used item import permit. I bought lots of used mobile phones before but never encountered any issue and found out that they started to apply those laws more strictly now. I had to get a customs broker to apply for my permit after the phone reached the post office and yes what a royal PITA! I’ve been growing a lot of hate for our customs over the past years and I can only be more and more frustrated living in our little banana republic. We are just an island, and as such it’s quite difficult to get stuff directly here and we depend on importing things. In the end, we have to fork a lot of cash and time to get what we want. Everything’s damn expensive here. *sigh*. I would have suggested starting a revolution but us Mauritians are too sheep 😦
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Any more development on the protein being legal?
I have ordered vegeterian protein over ebay and the pst customs are giving me so much sh!t to bring it in here.
Its natural made from wild brown rice and it is just protein.
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hi! ive read ur blog articles about ebay and im hoping that you could help me. The mob which i bought seems to have disappeared from earth surface. the parcel office says that they dont know anything about it and the customs say that its none of their concern 😦 what should i do now 😦 i wanted the mob. its the second time in a row that a mob disappears like that. i dont know what to do! Help!
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Oh. too bad but that’s not the end of the world.
1. Do you have a tracking service for the mob? Is it updated in that case (does it show where your mob reached?)
2. When the mob was shipped? And through which shipping? Allow some 1month, 1.5 month in case you have taken a simple shipping package.
3. Contact your seller in case some weeks have elapsed. Tell him/her that you have not received anything yet.
If your item really got lost, dont worry, you will get your money back. In case the seller does not coperate, lodge a complaint in eBay resolution center and eBay will take care of the case and refund you back.
Keep us informed.
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yeah i know its not the end of the world 😛 c juste ke i really wanted this mob. I bought it 2 months ago. and i had bought the same mob 4months ago (from a different seller) and i didnt receive that one either. Yes, there was a tracking number (the shipping was through USPS First Class Mail International) and as you know this service shows the item only when it is in US. I dont know what happened to my item when it left US. 😦
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just wondering how much time does it take to get a parcel from china?? (hong kong) by china air mail?? its free shipping by the way??
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Free shipping can take something like 1-1.5 months.
I once ordered a lens and paid $50 for shipping through hong kong post, and it took 2 weeks! I was nearly mad for the price I paid and the tracking was not even updated!
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even if it is free shipping they gave me the tracking number and said it would take 20-30 says im not so sure though but thnx
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mo in deja import materiel pou la peche depuis USA et zot in charge only Rs 69..BTW the way when you import using cheapest way, the report will show that your item has left …..sort facility..pas croire ki item la in bloker labas mais li in transit ki kpav prend 2 mois pou rentre dan maurice.
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