MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
🗻 & ✈ Shipping to Mauritius • UK’s Mauritius specialists • Since 1998

Shipping to Mauritius from the UK
Luggage, personal effects & household goods — by air or sea

Everything you need to ship to Mauritius in one place. We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, handle the customs paperwork, and deliver to Port Louis and across the island and beyond. Air freight in 6–9 working days, or economical sea freight in roughly 5–8 weeks, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side. Shipping to Mauritius since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

Mauritius is a rewarding route to get right: returning citizens and new residents can bring their used household and personal effects in free of both duty and VAT. The catch is a set of conditions around timing, presence and paperwork that need lining up before the shipment sails. This guide brings together everything that actually matters for a UK–Mauritius shipment, drawn from our Heathrow-side operation and 25+ years on this route.

Every way we ship to Mauritius

Not sure which service you need? Start here — each links to full details, transit times and what’s included.

How shipping to Mauritius works, step by step

1
Quote & book

Tell us what you’re sending and where. We’ll give you a clear quote up front.

2
Door collection

We collect from your address anywhere in the UK. No depot or airport drop-off needed.

3
Pack & document

Goods are export-packed and we prepare your itemised inventory and the customs declaration.

4
Ship by air or sea

Air freight from Heathrow, or consolidated sea freight to Port Louis.

5
Customs clearance

The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) assess your shipment. The owner must be in Mauritius at clearance — returning citizens at least 2 weeks before the shipment arrives.

6
Delivery

Your goods are delivered to your Mauritius address, or ready to collect from the arrival depot.

Returning-resident relief — duty & VAT-free effects

Mauritius gives returning citizens and new residents a genuinely generous relief — used household and personal effects free of both customs duty and VAT — provided the conditions are met.

Full exemption from duty and VAT on used household and personal effects for: Mauritian citizens returning to take up permanent residence after 12+ months abroad; anyone settling permanently on first arrival; and non-citizens coming to work (with an occupation or work permit).
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Purchased abroad, within 6 months: the effects must have been bought abroad, not be intended for sale, and be imported within 6 months of your arrival.
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You must be present. The owner needs to be in Mauritius at clearance — returning citizens at least 2 weeks before the shipment arrives — with the residence or work permit in place, or the goods may need a bank guarantee or deposit to clear.
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What’s covered: furniture, bedding, kitchen appliances, crockery, up to 2 TV sets, musical instruments, exercise and garden equipment, and one bicycle per family member. Motor vehicles, goods for sale, and tobacco/spirits sit outside the relief.
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The 4-year rule: don’t sell or dispose of the exempted goods within 4 years, or the duty, VAT and a 10% penalty become payable. You’ll confirm each year (for two years) that you still live in Mauritius.

Personal effects & household goods ›

What you can’t ship — and what slows shipments down

Some items are prohibited and others need release from a ministry. Declaring honestly keeps your clearance quick.

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Prohibited in freight: aerosols, perfumes and aftershaves (flammable), loose batteries, and tobacco. Firearms need a police permit before shipping.
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Medicines and pharmaceutical products need release by the Ministry of Health and a doctor’s certificate.
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List everything clearly. If toys are included, the children’s passports are needed; each family member’s effects need that person to hold a valid residence permit at clearance. Number your boxes to match.
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When in doubt, declare it.

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

Most UK–Mauritius shipments clear without drama. The ones that don’t nearly always come down to the same short list:

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Owner or permit not ready. The owner must be present and the permit in place before the shipment lands — otherwise storage, demurrage or a bank guarantee follow.
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Leaving it past 6 months. Effects should be imported within 6 months of arrival.
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Forgetting the 4-year rule. Selling exempted goods within 4 years triggers duty, VAT and a penalty.
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A thin inventory. Clear itemisation keeps the exemption straightforward and clearance quick.

What a shipment to Mauritius actually looks like

An illustrative example of a common scenario — your quote is always to your exact shipment.

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A Mauritian family returning to Port Louis after several years in the UK would typically send a home’s contents by sea freight, with us collecting from their UK door, export-packing, and preparing the MRA exemption paperwork and inventory. Provided they’re back at least 2 weeks before the shipment and their paperwork is in order, used furniture, appliances and belongings clear free of duty and VAT. Transit is usually 5–8 weeks. Urgent items go ahead by air.

Door-to-door across Mauritius

We deliver nationwide. Here are our most popular destinations — each with local delivery detail and transit times:

Which is right for your shipment?

Air freight suits a few boxes or anything urgent — 6–9 working days, priced on weight and size. Sea freight suits volume — a room, a family’s contents or a whole home — at a fraction of the per-kilo cost, over roughly 5–8 weeks door-to-door. Many customers split the two: air for the essentials, sea for the rest.

Shipping to Mauritius — your questions answered

Should I ship or pay the airline for extra bags? +
For more than a bag or two, shipping is usually cheaper than airline excess-baggage fees — and you’re not carrying the weight through the airport. We collect from your door and deliver across Mauritius.
How long does it take? +
Air freight is typically 6–9 working days. Sea freight is typically around 5–8 weeks door-to-door, plus customs clearance.
Will I pay duty? +
Returning Mauritian citizens (12+ months abroad), permanent settlers on first arrival, and work-permit holders can import used household and personal effects free of both duty and VAT — if imported within 6 months, the owner is present at clearance, and the goods aren't sold within 4 years. New items and vehicles sit outside the relief.
What paperwork do I need? +
Your passport, residence or occupation/work permit, a detailed inventory, and the MRA exemption documents. Returning citizens should be in Mauritius at least 2 weeks before the shipment arrives. We prepare these with you.
Can I send electrical items and furniture? +
Yes — furniture and appliances are covered (up to 2 TV sets, and one bicycle per family member). Mauritius uses 230V and UK-style three-pin (Type G) plugs, so UK appliances work without adapters.
Is my shipment insured? +
We offer marine transit cover — we’ll explain the options and cost when we quote, and we always recommend cover for a long-haul shipment.
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Lak Kharod, Director
Excess Luggage Co. • overseeing UK–Mauritius shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

Excess Luggage Co. has shipped personal effects, luggage and household goods from the UK to Mauritius for over 28 years — through our own Heathrow-side warehouse and collection fleet. We know this route and exactly what Mauritius customs looks for. For a quote or advice on your paperwork, call us on 0800 096 38 39.

Ready to ship to Mauritius?

Tell us what you’re sending and where it’s going. We’ll come back with a quote and a realistic transit-time estimate — before you commit to anything.