Clearance of passengers under the Customs Management Act 2011 |10 March 2014

All passengers expect a speedy Customs clearance at the airport when they travel and Customs is faced with the challenge of striking a good balance between easing the passengers’ clearance and enforcement of the law.  

In order to help Customs achieve this and to avoid unnecessary delays and/or inconveniences with Customs upon arrival, it is imperative that passengers know what is expected of them, what their rights are in terms of their duty free allowance and what they can or cannot bring into the country (prohibited and restricted imports).

What is a passenger exemption allowance?

A passenger exemption allowance is the total value of goods a passenger is allowed to bring back into the country without paying duties/taxes. This allowance includes a given value of import as accompanied luggage plus perfume, alcohol and tobacco as per the accompanying table. However, in order for these goods to be exempted they must be for the personal use of the passenger and not be intended for resale. Furthermore, they must not be of a commercial quantity. Goods in excess and goods brought in for commercial purpose will be liable to the applicable taxes and duties.

The following are the exemption allowances for passengers entering Seychelles:

For passengers aged 18 years or older

•    200ml of perfume and Eau de Toilette

•     2 litres of alcoholic beverages containing less than or equal to 16% alcohol (such as beer, wine and sparkling wine)

•    2 litres of alcoholic beverages containing more than 16% alcohol (such as whisky, rum, gin and fermented or distilled liqueur)

•    250 grams of tobacco product or 200 cigarettes. Tobacco product includes but is not limited to cigars, cheroots, smoking & chewing tobacco and snuf

•    R5,000 worth of other goods

For passengers below 18 years old

•    200ml of perfume and Eau de Toilette;
 
•    R3,000 worth of other goods

It is very important to note that passengers below 18 years are not allowed to bring any alcoholic beverage and tobacco product.

What does prohibited and restricted imports mean?

Prohibited imports are goods which are banned completely from entering the country (such as illicit drugs) whereas restricted imports refer to goods which require an import permit to enter the country (such as fresh flowers). Passengers must not attempt to smuggle prohibited and restricted goods into the country. For the full list of these goods please visit the SRC website (www.src.gov.sc) or contact the Customs office.

What are the obligations of a passenger under the Customs Management Act 2011?

A passenger arriving in Seychelles needs to fulfill the following obligations:

• Allow Customs to examine any luggage and all goods in his/her possession and to answer any questions put to him/her by a Customs’ officer;

• Open, unpack and repack any luggage for and after the examination, respectively. Luggage are examined in such manner as the Customs officer may direct;
 
• Produce any requested records or documents related to the goods being brought into the country;

• Declare goods that are in excess of the passenger exemption allowance and those that fall under the restricted and prohibited category. Failure to declare those goods may result in the passenger being prosecuted.

In cases whereby unaccompanied luggage arrives after the passenger, then the goods may be examined and be subject to the appropriate duties and taxes. Where the luggage is not cleared within six months from the date of its delivery to Customs, the uncleared luggage shall be transferred to the government warehouse for further action.

Choosing the right channel upon arrival

Before clearing Customs, arriving passengers must choose the appropriate channel depending on whether they have goods to declare. The Red channel identified by red symbols is for use by passengers with goods to declare that is goods in excess of the duty free allowance or restricted goods. At the red channel verification of goods and or/examination of the luggage are done followed by the appropriate procedures or actions by the Customs officer.
 
The Green channel identified by green symbols is for use by passengers carrying goods in quantities or value NOT exceeding their duty free allowance and which are not restricted or prohibited.
 
Passengers going through the Green channel are randomly selected for scanning of their handbags, hand luggage and other travelling bag in their processions.

According to the result of the scanning processes, passenger may be asked to divert to the verification or examination desk for proper examination of their luggage.
 
For passengers who are in doubt and not sure which channel to choose depending on the type of goods in their possession, it is always best to ask for further clarification. Please do not hesitate to approach a Customs officer present to clarify your doubt.

For more information

The Customs Management Act (CMA) 2011 was implemented in June 2012. You can contact the Seychelles Revenue Commission on 4293737 or email us at commissioner@src.gov.sc. The Customs Management Act, (CMA) 2011 is available on the Seychelles Revenue Commission website (www.src.gov.sc).