Reunion Import Duties & Taxes Explained

You will likely pay Import VAT, Sea Tolls (Octroi de Mer and Octroi de Mer Régional), and potentially a Small Parcel Tax. These charges are calculated based on your total landed cost including shipping.

The standard Import VAT rate in Reunion is 8.5%, with a reduced rate of 2.1% for essential goods like certain foods and medicines. This tax applies to all orders starting from €0.

Sea Tolls consist of Octroi de Mer (typically 4% to 15.5%) and a regional surcharge of 2.5%, both applied to the CIF value of your shipment. Rates vary depending on the specific product category.

Customs duty generally applies only if your shipment value exceeds €150. Orders under this threshold are exempt from traditional duties but may still incur other taxes.

A flat fee of €2.00 per article type applies to shipments with an intrinsic value under €150. For example, a box with one shirt and one pair of shoes counts as two types and costs €4.

Expect to pay roughly €15 to €20 in carrier handling fees for processing customs declarations and advancing tax payments. This fee is charged by carriers like DHL or FedEx upon delivery.

Taxes are calculated on the CIF value, which includes your item price plus shipping and insurance costs to Reunion. Any duties or Sea Tolls are also added to this base before VAT is applied.

Commercial consolidations like shipments are rarely treated as gifts, so you should expect to pay standard import charges. Private gift relief thresholds usually do not apply to these forwarded packages.

French Customs (Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects) determines and collects all applicable taxes and duties upon arrival. The carrier typically collects these fees on behalf of customs before releasing your package.

You can use the worked example as a guide, but final charges depend on your specific product classification and exact shipping costs. It is best to prepare for potential fees up to 50% of your item value plus shipping.