Mauritius customs rules & duty-free allowances

Last reviewed October 1, 2026·Official source

Mauritius pairs a beach-holiday image with one of the toughest customs and biosecurity regimes in the Indian Ocean. The single biggest risk for arriving passengers is food: vacuum-packed sausages, cheese, honey, fruit and home-cooked items are seized at SSR International more than anything else, and the green channel is X-rayed rather than waved through. If you are carrying anything edible, wooden or plant-based, declare it or drop it in the amnesty bin before you choose a channel.

Duty-free allowances

Alcohol
1.0 L
1 litre of spirits (over 22% ABV) OR 2 litres of wine, beer or other alcoholic beverage, per adult aged 18+. Anything above that is dutiable at the prevailing rate plus 15% VAT. Alcohol bought in the airport duty-free shop on arrival counts against the same allowance.
Tobacco
200 cigarettes
or 50 cigars / 250 g
Cash to declare
$10,000
MUR 500,000 or the foreign-currency equivalent (about USD 10,000) must be declared to the Mauritius Revenue Authority on the Customs Declaration Form handed out on the aircraft or at the arrival hall. There is no upper limit on what you may bring in — it just has to be declared. Undeclared cash is seized and can trigger a fine of up to MUR 1 million.
Goods duty-free
$800
Personal effects and gifts up to MUR 35,000 (about USD 800) per traveller are admitted free. Above that, duty is charged on the excess at the applicable customs tariff rate for the goods category, plus 15% VAT. Personal clothing, a laptop, a phone and a camera for your own use are not counted against the allowance.

Prohibited — banned from import

  • Narcotics and psychotropic substances, including cannabis — Mauritius has some of the harshest drug penalties in the region and life sentences are handed down for importation
  • Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, dairy, honey and any other fresh food of animal or plant origin
  • Live plants, cuttings, bulbs, seeds and soil
  • Firearms, ammunition, explosives and imitation firearms without prior written authorisation
  • Pornographic material and any material deemed offensive to public morality
  • Counterfeit goods and pirated media

Restricted — allowed with a permit or declaration

  • Controlled medicines (codeine, tramadol, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants) — require prior authorisation from the Pharmacy Board
  • Drones — require a permit from the Department of Civil Aviation before arrival
  • Satellite phones and two-way radios — require a licence from the ICT Authority
  • Pets and live animals — require an import permit and veterinary health certificate issued in advance
  • Plants and plant products — require a phytosanitary certificate and import permit from the Ministry of Agro-Industry

Arriving: red vs green channel

Every arriving passenger fills in a Customs Declaration Form (distributed on the plane, also available in the arrival hall) listing cash over the threshold, alcohol, tobacco, food and any goods to be declared. You then choose the green channel (nothing to declare) or the red channel (goods to declare) — at SSR International both channels feed past X-ray machines and sniffer dogs, so the green channel is not a free pass. If you have nothing to declare, hand the signed form to the officer and keep walking; if you are unsure about anything, take the red channel, because the penalty for a wrong green-channel declaration is far higher than the duty itself.

Tax-free shopping & VAT refunds

Mauritius has no tourist VAT refund scheme. The 15% VAT you pay on purchases in shops is not reclaimable at the airport, so do not expect a tax-free counter at SSR International — there isn't one.

Bringing medication

Bring personal medication in its original labelled packaging with the prescription or a doctor's letter showing your name, the drug and the dose. Quantities should be limited to what you reasonably need for the trip (a 30-day supply is the usual benchmark). Mauritius classifies a number of common medications as controlled — codeine-containing painkillers, tramadol, benzodiazepines, amphetamine-type ADHD drugs and some strong sedatives all require prior authorisation from the Pharmacy Board, and arriving with them undeclared can be treated as drug importation. Check with the Mauritius Pharmacy Board before you fly if your medication is on the controlled list.

Food, plants & animal products

Mauritius is an island with a fragile agricultural sector and enforces biosecurity hard. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, dairy, honey, seeds, bulbs, cuttings, soil and any plant material are prohibited or require an import permit from the Ministry of Agro-Industry. Packaged, commercially sealed and shelf-stable food is generally allowed in small personal quantities but must still be declared. All food and plant material must be declared on the Customs Declaration Form — the amnesty bin before the green channel is there for a reason, and using it costs you nothing.

Rules worth knowing

The green channel is X-rayed

Unlike many countries where the green channel is a walk-through, SSR International screens arriving baggage and uses sniffer dogs on both channels. Declaring a small overshoot costs you duty; getting caught on the green channel with undeclared food or goods costs you a fine plus confiscation, and repeat offences can lead to prosecution.

Food is the number one seizure

Customs and biosecurity officers at SSR International seize more food than anything else — vacuum-packed sausages, cheese, fruit, honey and home-cooked items in particular. If it came out of a kitchen or a garden, declare it or bin it in the amnesty bin before you reach the channel.

Duty-free on arrival counts against your allowance

The duty-free shop in the arrivals hall at SSR International is not a separate allowance. Anything you buy there is added to what you already carry, and if the total exceeds 1 litre of spirits or 200 cigarettes you pay duty on the excess at the counter.

Cash over MUR 500,000 must be declared

There is no limit on how much cash you can bring in, but anything at or above MUR 500,000 (about USD 10,000) must be written on the Customs Declaration Form. Undeclared cash is seized under the anti-money-laundering rules and the fine can reach MUR 1 million.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, but it counts against the same 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine/beer allowance. If you buy 2 litres of whisky in transit and also have a bottle in your suitcase, you will pay duty on the excess when you declare it at the red channel.
Not without prior authorisation. Codeine, tramadol and most benzodiazepines are controlled in Mauritius and require approval from the Pharmacy Board before you travel. Bring the original packaging and a doctor's letter, and if you have not obtained authorisation, leave them at home or you risk them being treated as an illegal import.
No. Mauritius does not operate a tourist VAT refund scheme, so the 15% VAT you pay in shops is not reclaimable at the airport. There is no tax-free refund counter in the departures hall.
Only with a permit from the Department of Civil Aviation arranged before arrival. Drones are treated as restricted goods and will be held at customs if you turn up without authorisation. The same applies to satellite phones and two-way radios, which need an ICT Authority licence.
Biosecurity officers will seize the item and issue an on-the-spot fine, which for a first food or plant breach typically runs into the tens of thousands of rupees. It is far cheaper to declare it at the red channel or drop it in the amnesty bin before the green channel.
Yes. Every arriving passenger completes a Customs Declaration Form, even with nothing to declare. Hand it to the officer as you pass through the green channel — the form is how Mauritius tracks cash, food and goods declarations, and an unsigned or missing form will get you pulled aside.
There is no cap, but any amount at or above MUR 500,000 (about USD 10,000) or its foreign-currency equivalent must be declared on the Customs Declaration Form. Undeclared cash is seized and can attract a fine of up to MUR 1 million under the anti-money-laundering rules.

Official source

Mauritius Revenue Authority — Customs Department

For guidance only. Customs allowances and prohibited-item lists change without notice — always confirm with Mauritius Revenue Authority — Customs Department before travelling.