Shipping From Canada
to Seychelles.

Documents Only

Seychelles customs allows the following entry to the country as a document shipment:

• Advertising literature and price lists
• Airline tickets, passports and visa applications
• Annual reports and intercompany mail
• Blueprints
• Business cards, calendars, and labels
• Catalogues, pamphlets, and brochures
• Charts and graphs
• Cheques
• Computer print-outs
• Diplomas
• Drawings (which includes sepia drawings)
• Driver's licence
• Greeting cards and invitations
• Magazines and periodicals
• Manuscripts and publications
• Mylars and transparencies
• Negatives, photographs, and slides
• Proposals and bids
• Seismic data
• Specifications sheets

If any of the following items is shipped to Seychelles, it must comply with its restriction to be allowed entry as a document. See below for details.

Sources:
https://www.ups.com/ga/CountryRegs?loc=en_CA

Shipping Gifts

Gifts shipped to Seychelles will be allowed a duty- and VAT-free entry up to a value of $200 USD (about $250 CAD).

NOTE:
Any powders or liquids in excess of 100 mL in volume will require a Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS).

Shipments from Individual-to-Individual

Gifts shipped from an individual in Canada to an individual in Seychelles will be duty and VAT free if the shipment's value is $200 USD or less (about $250 CAD).

Shipments from Business-to-Business

In general, gift shipments to Seychelles will be exempt from duties and taxes if the parcel's value is no more than $200 USD (about $250 CAD).

Shipments from Business-to-Individual

A gift shipment valued at no more than $200 USD (about $250 CAD) may enter Seychelles exempt from VAT and duty.

Gift Checklist

• A commercial invoice must be included with your shipment
• The words 'Gift Shipment' or 'Unsolicited Gift' are included on the commercial invoice, even if the shipment is sent at Christmas time (see sample)
• List the items in the parcel and write the value of each
• Sending more than one gift in the parcel? Wrap and tag each one individually.

Multiple Gifts in One Shipment

Should your parcel contain multiple gifts to different people, please wrap and tag each gift separately.

Sources:
https://www.fedex.com/en-us/ancillary-clearance-service.html

Shipping Personal Effects

Citizens of Seychelles and those moving to the islands will be allowed a duty-free admission of their personal effects provided the goods have been used*, owned, and possessed by the claimant for at least 1 year.

Customs officials will allow entry to all goods that are normally required to maintain a household. However, containers of CFC gases are strictly prohibited.

*New items will be given a duty-free concession up to a value of Rs 1,000 per member of the household (about $95 CAD).

Moving Temporarily

Students

There is no information available at this time regarding students moving from Canada to Seychelles to study with their personal effects.

NOTE:
Seychellois students who have been studying in Canada may ship their personal effects home exempt from the payment of customs duties if he or she has lived outside Seychelles for a minimum of 12 months. (The student will require documentation that certifies they were sent overseas to study or that they had attended an educational facility in Canada.)

Non-students

Non-students moving temporarily to Seychelles will be allowed to ship their personal effects duty-free provided the goods are used and owned by the claimant. Also, those goods must have been in the possession of the individual for at least 12 months.

Moving Permanently

Personal effects shipped to Seychelles by immigrants and returning citizens moving permanently will be exempt from duties provided the goods have been:

• Used*; and
• Owned; and
• Possessed by the claimant for a minimum of 1 year

*Each person of the household will be entitled to a duty-free entry for new household items up to the limit of Rs 1,000 (about $95 CAD).

Personal Effects Checklist

• A commercial invoice must be included with your shipment
• Commercial invoice must clearly state 'Personal Effects' (see sample)
• A detailed description of each item is provided
• Students returning to Seychelles, must provide documentation certifying attendance at a Canadian education institute or having been sent abroad to study

Sources:
https://www.tradeportal.sc/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Import-guide-April-2022.pdf

Food, Chocolate, Candies

Foodstuffs (including food samples) shipped from Canada to Seychelles will require a health certificate before they will be allowed entry into the country. This is particularly important for fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, and meat.

NOTE:
Non-commercial shipments of meat (maximum of 10 kg) will require a single-use import permit from the Veterinary Services of Seychelles

You May Ship

• Chocolate
• Candies
• Non-perishable foodstuffs

Do Not Ship

• Perishables - fresh meat and fish, produce

Food, Chocolate, Candies Checklist

• Clearly indicate 'Food' on the commercial invoice in the General Description or Remarks section (see sample)
• Ensure that your food, chocolate, or candies may be imported into the country
• You are not shipping commercial quantities (for any duty & tax exemption)
• Check with your carrier that they will accept food shipments

Sources:
https://www.fedex.com/en-us/ancillary-clearance-service.html
https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/G/LIC/N3SYC3.pdf&Open=True

Samples

Commercial samples* are shipped solely for the display and demonstration of products and to solicit sales of goods. They are not meant to be sold.

Samples with a value of less than Rs 300 (about $30 CAD) will be admitted to Seychelles duty-free. The samples must also be permanently marked 'SAMPLE' or rendered unsellable, for example, by defacement.

In the case of dutiable goods, customs will allow them to enter duty-free if they are marked as a sample as noted above.

NOTE:
Samples of foods shipped for tasting in Seychelles must enter the country with a health certificate. This also applies to vegetables and fruits.

*Any powders or liquids in excess of 100 mL in volume will require a Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS).

Commercial Sample Checklist

• A Commercial Invoice must be included with your shipment
• Clearly indicate 'Commercial Samples' on the commercial invoice in the General Description & Detailed Description of Goods (see sample)
• The item shipped has tearing, perforation, slashing, defacing, or has permanent marking clearing indicating the item as commercial sample

Sources:
https://tradeportal.sc/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SI-4-of-2014-Value-Added-Tax-Amendment-of-Schedules-Regulations2014.pdf

Advertising Material

Advertising and promotional materials with a maximum value of Rs1,000 per item (about $95 CAD) will be allowed a duty-free entry into Seychelles. The goods must not be sold whilst in the country.

Advertising Material Checklist

• Commercial invoice must clearly indicate 'Promotional Material - Not for Resale' (see sample)
• A detailed description of each item is provided

Sources:
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/syc_e/wtaccsyc48_leg_2.pdf

Repairs

Equipment and machinery that has been repaired in Canada will be allowed a VAT-free re-entry into Seychelles (duties will be incurred). However, if the work was done free of charge because of warranty obligations, no duties, levies, or other taxes will be applied to the shipment.

Items Under Warranty

Goods such as machinery and equipment that were shipped to Canada for warranty repairs will be exempt from all duties, taxes, or levies when they return to Seychelles provided the items were repaired at no charge.

Items No Longer Under Warranty

Items repaired in Canada that are not covered by a warranty will incur partial relief of duties and taxes when they return to Seychelles.

Sending Product for Repair to Seychelles

No information is available concerning machinery and equipment shipped to Seychelles for repairs.

Returning Repaired Product to Seychelles

Products repaired in Canada at no charge under a warranty obligation will be not liable to any taxes, levies, or duties when they return to Seychelles

Non-warranty repairs will be eligible for a partial exemption of taxes, levies, and duties

Repair Checklist

• Commercial invoice must clearly indicate 'REPAIR & RETURN' under the General Description or Remarks, and include the estimated time of return(see sample)
• Include repair contract with shipment
• Serial or product number and the cost of repairs should be indicated under the Detailed Description of Goods section
• Include the original shipping documents or tracking number from when the item was first exported to Seychelles or exported to Canada (depending on which case applies)
• A commercial invoice must be included with your shipment

Sources:
https://www.nation.sc/archive/230467/conditions-for-importation-of-re-imported-goods

Temporary Imports

Goods imported for a temporary stay in Seychelles may enter exempt from duty, taxes, and levies if they remain in the country no more than 12 months. (An extension to 24 months may be granted by a request to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs.)

Goods are to remain unchanged during their stay in Seychelles except for normal wear-and-tear.

NOTE:
Goods cannot be sold, hired out, or lent whilst in Seychelles

Goods granted a tax exemption because of a temporary stay in Seychelles include:

• Commercial samples
• Equipment used for a stage production, concert, or exhibition
• Any item imported for a specific purpose

ATA Carnets

Seychelles customs do not accept ATA Carnets for the temporary importation of goods.

Temporary Imports Checklist

• Commercial Invoice clearly stating 'Temporary Import'. This must be written in the General Description section and the Detailed Description of Goods. (see sample)
• The goods arrive and leave in the same condition, i.e. they undergo no repairs nor are they used in manufacturing
• Stay no longer than the period listed above
• Include your ATA Carnet with your shipment (if applicable)
• Include the expected return date or the date that it was originally received within the country (whichever applies)
• Any above listed items not listed in this checklist

Sources:
https://www.atacarnet.com/carnet-countries
https://media.seylii.org/files/legislation/akn-sc-act-2011-22-eng-2017-11-08.pdf

Permanent/Sold Goods

Sold goods shipped to Seychelles from Canada will be allowed a VAT- and duty-free entry into the country provided the shipment's value is Rs 3,000 or less (about $300 CAD).

While most goods may enter Seychelles, they are controlled - see the Prohibited and Restricted section for details.

Occasional Shipper

Occasional shipments of sold goods to the Seychelles, for example through eBay, will be duty and VAT free if the value of the goods is no more than Rs3,000 (about $300 CAD).

Regular shipper

Secureship recommends that regular shippers of sold goods consult a licenced Seychellois customs broker to ensure that all procedures are followed for a smooth importation of goods.

Sources:
https://tradeportal.sc/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SI-4-of-2014-Value-Added-Tax-Amendment-of-Schedules-Regulations2014.pdf