The government has decided that duty-free imports for personal use will be limited to goods valued at MVR 10,000 FOB.

The decision was reached under the "Policy for Duty Exemption on Travelers' Personal Items, Small Personal Imports, and Commercial Samples" formulated by the President's Office and gazetted on November 9.

The policy states that items brought in under the names of foreigners will not be released without duty.

If the FOB value of goods or shipments determined by Customs exceeds MVR 10,000, a Goods Declaration must be submitted.

The policy goes on to state that duty must be paid on the excess amount if the value exceeds MVR 10,000.

The current government policy states that even if the value of items imported for personal use is less than MVR 10,000, if the nature, quantity, value, and frequency of imports indicate that it exceeds what can be considered for small personal use, a Goods Declaration must be submitted and duty must be paid on the items.