Sending a package to the Seychelles: Customs, VAT and delivery time

Sending a package to the Seychelles: What companies should know before shipping

The Seychelles are located in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar.

The island nation consists of more than one hundred islands.

The following are particularly relevant for business and logistics:

• Mahé
• Praslin
• La Digue

On Mahé you will find:

• Victoria
• port victoria
• Seychelles International Airport
• a large part of the economic and administrative structure

This means that a significant portion of international goods first reaches Mahé.

Therefore, for German shippers, the destination country is not the only decisive factor.

The specific island should also be determined before booking.

What documents do I need for the Seychelles?

The following are typically required for normal commercial shipments:

• Commercial invoice
• Air Waybill or Bill of Lading
• Packing list for larger shipments
• precise product description
• HS code
• cart value
• Origin of goods
• Import permit (if applicable)
• Proof of origin, if applicable
• possibly further certificates

The Seychelles Revenue Commission explicitly points out that the necessary permits must be obtained before importing restricted goods.

A commercial invoice is used for a normal sale of goods.

For:

• free patterns
• Guaranteed deliveries
• Replacement goods free of charge
• Gifts

A pro forma invoice can be useful.

Even free goods should be declared with a realistic customs value.

For more information, please visit How to correctly use a pro forma invoice at customs.

Is there a trade agreement between the EU and the Seychelles?

Yes.

The Seychelles are among the countries of East and Southern Africa that have:

Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the ESA states

apply.

The agreement has been implemented since 2012.

The German customs administration refers to the regulation as:

mutual preference for origin.

This means:

Qualifying goods with European preferential origin may receive more favorable customs conditions upon import into the Seychelles, depending on the tariff position.

The following are particularly important:

• HS code
• product-specific rule of origin
• actual origin of preference
• proper proof of origin

A product does not become EU-origin simply because it is shipped from Germany.

A device produced in Asia that is merely stored in a German warehouse does not automatically have European preferential origin.

Do I need a EUR.1 for the Seychelles?

For exports from the European Union, the documentation requirements in the ESA agreement have changed.

The German customs administration currently lists the following at:

Exports from the EU to ESA countries

especially:

• Declaration on the invoice of a registered exporter
• Declaration on the invoice of a non-registered exporter for originating products up to 6.000 euros

This plays into the following:

REX system

plays a central role for German exports.

For consignments with a value of originating products not exceeding:

EUR 6.000

Under the conditions of the agreement, the declaration can also be made by an unregistered exporter.

For higher values, it should be checked whether REX registration is required.

Therefore, an EUR.1 should be used for current exports:

Germany → Seychelles

It cannot simply be automatically planned as the standard solution.

The correct proof of preference depends on the current ESA regulation and the specific procedure.

How long does it take to send a package to the Seychelles?

DHL currently states a delivery time estimate of:

9 to 16 working days.

The storage period is:

30 days.

The actual runtime can be affected by:

• Customs clearance
• missing documents
• Goods inspection
• Import permits
• specific target island
• local onward transport

For urgent spare parts, technical components or other time-critical B2B goods, an express service should therefore also be considered.

Customs declaration in English or French

DHL currently lists the following for the customs declaration:

• English
• French

as permitted languages.

English is particularly practical for international B2B deliveries.

The product description should be specific.

Not:

“Spare parts”

but for example:

“Stainless steel replacement impeller for commercial seawater pump”

This will:

• Product Type
• Material
• Usage

directly recognizable.

Write the correct address in the Seychelles

DHL recommends using Latin letters and Arabic numerals.

A possible business address could be structured as follows, for example:

ABC Engineering Ltd.
Providence Industrial Estate
MAHE
SEYCHELLES

DHL's current country information also lists Mahé as a destination and additionally recommends sending:

• Phone number
• Email address

of the recipient.

For Praslin or La Digue, the destination island should be clearly identifiable in the address.

Port Victoria is the country's most important maritime gateway.

The most important international port is:

Port Victoria on Mahé.

The Seychelles Ports Authority describes Port Victoria as an important industrial, fishing, cruise and yacht port in the southwest Indian Ocean, as well as the country's central maritime hub.

The port plays a particularly important role for:

• Container traffic
• General cargo
• Fishing
• Supplies
• Industrial equipment
• Project and freight traffic

Mahé is therefore usually the most important entry point for machinery, pallets and larger business deliveries.

Air freight is routed via Mahé

The international airport is also located on Mahé.

The customs administration maintains its own airport cargo unit there for:

• incoming air freight
• outgoing air freight
• Customs inspection
• Customs valuation
• Tax calculation

For:

• urgent spare parts
• high-quality electronics
• smaller machine components
• time-critical B2B shipments

Air freight can therefore be a sensible alternative to sea freight.

How do goods get to Praslin and La Digue?

Mahé is not automatically the final destination.

For deliveries to:

• Praslin
• La Digue
• smaller inhabited islands

A further domestic transport stage may be necessary.

Praslin has its own port and air transport infrastructure.

In 2023, La Digue received an expanded port with its own cargo terminal to better handle the island's goods and passenger traffic.

One possible freight route could therefore be:

Germany → Mahé → Praslin or La Digue → Recipient

At:

• Machine
• Pallets
• large spare parts
• heavy packages

It should be clarified before booking whether the international carrier will handle this final leg of the journey.

Low-value rule for small commercial courier and postal shipments

For smaller B2B shipments, there is an interesting special rule in the Seychelles.

Since May 2024, commercial goods imported via postal or courier services, whose customs value or CIF value is:

1.500 SCR or less

is generally from:

• VAT
• Customs Duty

freed.

This rule does not apply to alcohol and tobacco products.

For restricted goods, the following may still be available:

• Import Permit
• Bill of Entry

to be required.

This rule applies especially to:

• small spare parts
• low-quality samples
• small B2B restocks

interesting.

However, it should not be confused with the personal allowance for private mail.

Automate recurring export data

Companies that regularly ship spare parts or technical goods often use the same item data.

These include:

• Product name
• HS code
• Origin of goods
• Weight
• cart value

For goods eligible for preferential treatment, documentation of origin is also required.

This data should be maintained centrally whenever possible.

Shipping and customs information can be directly integrated into the shipping process via shop and ERP connections.

You can find out more at Automate shipping documents and reduce errors.