Buying used cars from the UK
Our car sourcing specialists have unparalleled trade networks and experience to find your perfect car at the best price. We strive to source VAT qualifying cars if buying from the UK and process the VAT reclaim on your behalf. If you car is eligible for VAT reclaim then we give you the 20% discount in your purchase price and so you will not need to cover the VAT whilst we reclaim it.
Car Export Process UK to Mauritius
Our buying specialists will help you source your perfect car, negotiate the purchase and import it carefully to Mauritius. If you have found the car you want to buy in the UK, we are happy to manage the transaction and provide our export service for you.
Find your perfect car.
Share your perfect car with our buying specialists and they will run the checks to ensure that it has a clean bill of health.
Reserve your car
Once you have decided a small deposit is needed to reserve it.
Import permit application
Our recommended dealer will help you apply for your import permit.
Buy your car
We will buy your car and bring it to our offices and arrange the Bureau Veritas inspection
Ship your car
Our team personally delivers your car to the port ready to ship to Mauritius.
Arrival in Mauritius
Your clearing agent and dealer will then complete the import for you.
Payment Process for UK cars exported to Mauritius.
A small deposit is needed to reserve your car while your import permit application is processed.
The balance payment for the CIF service is required before your car is delivered to the UK port.
Separate payments are made to your approved dealer and clearing agent in Mauritius for their services.
Shipping a Used Car to Mauritius
Shipping options to Port Louis.
Vehicles can be shipped via car shipping methods: Roll on – Roll off services or in secure containers.
Roll on Roll off shipping; This is the cheapest method for shipping cars to Mauritius which makes it the most popular choice. Cars are driven onto the ship’s deck and secured to the deck with large straps before leaving for Port Louis.
Container shipping; This is a popular choice for high value cars as it is the most secure. Cars are carefully loaded into either single 20ft containers or a shared 40ft container where they are secured prior to locking the container. Additional items can be shipped in the container too such as accessories. This is a more expensive method of shipping but the security it provides give peace of mind.
Shipping Process – How to Book
Our team take care of this for you as part of our car shipping service.
Vehicle Collection and Preparation
Our experienced team of drivers, collect your car and drive it back to our offices for photographing and preparation you may request such as window tinting, accessories and alloys.
We arrange and manage your Bureau Veritas inspection before being exported.
Vehicle Shipping from the UK
When your car is ready to leave, our team drive it to the port. This ensures that the car’s battery is fully charged before spending around 30 days in transit to Mauritius.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car from the UK to Mauritius?
The shipping costs for a 20 foot container from the UK to Mauritius are circa £2,770. This is for a single container. Ask the team about shared 40 foot containers if you want to reduce this cost by sharing with another car. This is common practice in car export. These prices were accurate when we updated this post (Feb 2025).
Excise Duty and VAT rates for motor vehicles entering Mauritius.
Summary of Taxation Rates
* Vehicles with smaller engine capacities (up to 550 c.c.) and all hybrid/electric cars have NO excise duty.
* Larger petrol and diesel engine (above 2,000 c.c.) have the highest excise duties of 55%.
* Medium size engines (551 c.c. - 2,000 c.c.) are subject to between 20-40% excise duty.
* All cars are subject to 15% VAT.
Further information can be found at the MRA page for importing motor vehicles.
Cost Checklist to Get Your Car on the Road
The costs you can expect to pay to import and put your car on the road are:
Purchase of the car (includes car price, shipping to Port Louis and marine insurance)
Import permit
Customs Duty
Port charges
Sales tax at the current rate
Registration fees
Road tax, known locally as 'declaration'.
Bureau Veritas Pre-Export Inspection
Prior to export, each car must undergo a roadworthiness inspection. These are carried out by Bureau Veritas which facilitates the importation of cars to Mauritius by ensuring they meet required standards before shipping. We book and manage the inspections for all our clients.
The price for a Bureau Veritas inspection is £390
Vehicle Regulations for Mauritius
The key requirements are:
Age: The car must be between 18 and 48 months old when shipped.
Drive: Motor vehicles can only by Right Hand Drive (RHD)
Road-worthiness: All vehicles must have the Bureau Veritas Certification
Import permit: All second-hand motor vehicles must have a valid import permit. The approved import permit must be obtained before the shipping of the vehicle from the country of origin.
Documents Needed to Import your car into Mauritius
When your car arrives, your clearing agent will need all of the following to clear and register your car in Mauritius.
Import Permit obtained from the Ministry of Commerce prior to export of the car.
Import Declaration Form application and processing (IDF).
Import duties and levies.
Registration of your vehicle in Mauritius.
Port charges.
Road tax.
How Long Does it Take to import a car to Mauritius?
The shipping journey to Mauritius is 30 days from the UK.
Clearance, Registration and Collection of your car.
When your car arrives, your dealer will assist with clearing customs and registration ready for you to drive your new car home for the first time.
