Things to consider before coming to Mauritius

Things to consider before coming to Mauritius

CLOTHES

On the coast irrespective of the time of the year, you will need light and thin clothes, particularly cotton clothes. However, warmer clothes will be advisable during the evenings, especially on the central plateau.It is also important to note that the majority of the hotels in Mauritius will require their male guests to wear trousers and shirts for dinner in the restaurants. It is also advisable that you bring along your sports shoes since there are a variety of leisure activities offered in Mauritius including quad biking, hiking and biking among others. However, if you miss any of these essential clothing you can still purchase them in Mauritius as shops in Port Louis and Curepipe have a wide range of clothes.

CURRENCY

The currency of Mauritius is the Mauritian Rupees (Rs), where Rs 1.00 = 100 cents. There are a number of international and local banks available. Also, there are several Automatic Teller Machines (“ATM”) available around the island. The banking hours are normally 09:00 – 15:00 from Monday to Friday and there are a few banks which are opened on Saturday (09:00 – 11:00). They are closed on public holidays and Sundays. You will be able to change foreign currency at banks and foreign exchange counters but you will usually be required to present your passport. Some hotels also provide for foreign currency exchange services. It is also important to note that payment by credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard and American Express Card, are accepted in Mauritius.

TIPPING

Tipping is not compulsory in Mauritius.

DRIVING

In Mauritius, we drive on the Left-Hand and we give way to the right (the British Driving system).

ELECTRICITY

The voltage used in Mauritius is 240 volts and the power sockets use the British Three Pin standard and the Two Pin. If you bring electrical appliances with you then you are advised to bring along an adaptor.

INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY CALLING CODE:

+230

HEALTH & SAFETY

Measures have been taken by the Government so as to better ensure the safety and security of its population as well as its visitors. CCTV cameras have been introduced in Flic- en-Flac. They were then installed throughout Grand Baie, Pereybere and up to Grand Gaube. Also, the hotels in Mauritius have security posted at their entrance as well as throughout the hotel.

There are several public and private hospitals as well as medical clinics around the island. They offer high quality services and a variety of healthcare facilities. It is important to note that treatment at public hospitals is free of charge unlike treatment at private hospitals and medical clinics. Also, most hotels now provide medical assistance to its guests.

There is no requirement for vaccination except for people coming from yellow fever infected zones or yellow fever vulnerable areas. These people are required to present their vaccinations certificate at the disembarkation zone.

Temporary Measure – Ebola

With the outbreak of the Ebola Virus in West African countries, all foreign nationals who have visited one or more of the three countries affected by Ebola Virus Disease namely Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia during the last 21 days as from the date of their travel to Mauritius will temporarily not be allowed entry in Mauritius.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

A visa is an official acknowledgement issued by the Immigration Office/Embassy/Consular of Mauritius, indicating that your application to enter Mauritius has been reviewed by an Immigration Officer and that the officer has determined you are eligible to enter or transit in Mauritius for a specific purpose. A visa allows the bearer to travel to Mauritius up a port of entry and does not implicitly guarantee right of admission into Mauritius. The final decision to admit a non-citizen rests with the Immigration Officer after examination at the point of entry in Mauritius. He decides how long the person can stay for any particular visit.

Categories of persons who are exempted from Visa

The following are exempted from Visa Regulations:-

The child or stepchild or lawfully adopted child of persons referred to at (a) and (b) above;

Citizens of Mauritius;

Persons who are residents of Mauritius under the Immigration Act;

The Spouse of a citizen of Mauritius;

Persons who intend to remain in Mauritius only during the stay of a vessel by which they arrive and depart.

Holders of Laissez-passer issued by the United Nations, South African Development
Community (SADC) or from other internationally recognized organizations, and;

Crew of a vessel travelling on duty or in transit to join another vessel;

Holders of Diplomatic Passports other than those issued by the Government of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen;

Who Needs a Visa?

All persons coming from countries which are not exempted from visa requirements -Please refer to Visa Requirement Country-wise (See below).

All persons coming to Mauritius for purposes other than Tourism, Visit or Business need to apply for a visa/permit before undertaking any travel.

S/No Country Requirement
1 Afghanistan Visa required prior to travel.
2 Albania Visa for sixty days on arrival
3 Algeria Visa for two weeks on arrival
4 Andorra Visa for sixty days on arrival
5 Angola No visa required
6 Antigua and Barbuda No visa required
7 Argentina No visa required
8 Armenia Visa for sixty days
9 Australia No visa required
10 Austria No visa required
11 Azerbaijan Visa for sixty on arrival
12 Bahamas No visa required
13 Bahrain No visa required
14 Bangladesh Visa required prior to travel
15 Bardabos No visa required
16 Belarus Visa for sixty days on arrival
17 Belgium No visa required
18 Belize No visa required
19 Benin Visa for sixty days on arrival
20 Bhutan Visa for sixty days on arrival
21 Bolivia Visa for sixty days on arrival
22 Bolivia Visa for sixty days on arrival
23 Bosnia & Herzegovina Visa for sixty days on arrival
24 Brazil No visa required
25 Brunei Darussalam No visa required
26 Bulgaria No visa required
27 Burkina Faso Visa for sixty days in arrival
28 Burundi No visa required
29 Cambodia Visa for sixty days on arrival
30 Cameroon Visa for sixty days on arrival
31 Canada No visa required
32 Cape Verde No visa required
33 Chile No visa required
34 China No visa required
35 Colombia Visa for sixty days on arrival
36 Comoros Visa for two weeks on arrival
37 Congo (Brazzaville) No visa required
38 Central African Rep. Visa for sixty days in arrival
39 Democratic Rep. of Congo No visa required
40 Costa Rica Visa for sixty days on arrival
41 Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Visa for sixty days in arrival
42 Croatia No visa required
43 Cuba Visa for sixty days on arrival
44 Cyprus No visa required
45 Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia) No visa required
46 Denmark No visa required
47 Djibouti Visa for sixty days on arrival
48 Dominica No visa required
49 Dominican Republic Visa for sixty days on arrival
50 Ecuador Visa for sixty days on arrival
51 Egypt No visa required
52 El Salvador Visa for sixty days on arrival
53 Equatorial Guinea Visa for sixty days on arrival
54 Eritrea Visa for sixty days in arrival
55 Estonia Republic No visa required
56 Ethiopia Visa for sixty days on arrival
57 Fiji No visa required
58 Finland No visa required
59 France No visa required
60 Gabon No visa required
61 Gambia No visa required
62 Georgia Visa for sixty days on arrival
63 Germany No visa required
64 Ghana No visa required
65 Greece No visa required
66 Grenada No visa required
67 Guinea Visa for sixty days on arrival
68 Guinea Bissau Visa for sixty days on arrival
69 Guatemala Visa for sixty days on arrival
70 Guyana No visa required
71 Haiti Visa for sixty days on arrival
72 Honduras Visa for sixty days on arrival
73 Hong Kong No visa required
74 Hungary No visa required
75 Iceland No visa required
76 India No visa required
77 Indonesia Visa required prior to travel
78 Iran Visa required prior to travel
79 Iraq Visa required prior to travel
80 Ireland No visa required
81 Israel No visa required
82 Italy No visa required
83 Jamaica No visa required
84 Japan No visa required
85 Jordan Visa for sixty days on arrival
86 Kazakhstan Visa for sixty days on arrival
87 Kenya No visa required
88 Kiribati No visa required
89 Korea (South Republic) No visa required
90 Korea (North) Visa is required prior to travel
91 Kuwait No visa required
92 Kyrgyzstan Rep. Visa for sixty days on arrival
93 Laos Visa required prior to travel
94 Latvia No visa required
95 Lesotho No visa required
96 Lebanon Visa for sixty days on arrival
97 Liberia Visa for sixty days
98 Libya Visa required prior to travel
99 Liechtenstein No visa required
100 Lithuania No visa required
101 Luxemburg No visa required
102 Macau SAR No visa required
103 Macedonia (ex Yugoslav Rep) Visa for sixty days in arrival
104 Madagascar Visa for two weeks on arrival
105 Malawi No visa required
106 Malaysia No visa required
107 Maldives No visa required
108 Mali Visa required prior to travel
109 Malta No visa required
110 Mauritania Visa sixty days on arrival
111 Marshall Island Visa for sixty days on arrival
112 Mexico No visa required
113 Micronesia Visa for sixty days on arrival
114 Moldova Visa for sixty days on arrival
115 Monaco No visa required
116 Mongolia Visa for sixty days on arrival
117 Morocco Visa for sixty days on arrival
118 Mozambique No visa required
119 Myanmar (Burma) Visa for two weeks on arrival
120 Namibia No visa required
121 Nauru No visa required
122 Nepal Visa for sixty days on arrival
123 Netherlands No visa required
124 New Zealand No visa required
125 Nicaragua Visa for sixty days on arrival
126 Niger Visa for sixty days on arrival
127 Nigeria Visa for two weeks on arrival
128 Norway No visa required
129 Oman No visa required
130 Pakistan Visa required prior to travel
131 Palau Visa for sixty days on arrival
132 Palestinian State Visa required prior to travel
133 Panama Visa for sixty days on arrival
134 Papua New Guinea No visa required
135 Paraguay No visa required
136 Peru Visa for sixty days on arrival
137 Philippines* (See note 1) Visa required prior to travel
138 Poland No visa required
139 Portugal No visa required
140 Romania No visa required
141 Rwanda No visa required
142 Russian Federation (Russia) No visa required
143 Saharawi Republic Visa required prior to travel
144 Samoa (Western) No visa required
145 San Marino No visa required
146 Sao Tome & Principe Visa for sixty days on arrival
147 Saudi Arabia No visa required
148 Senegal Visa for sixty days on arrival
149 Seychelles No visa required
150 Sierra Leone No visa required
151 Serbia Visa for sixty days on arrival
152 Singapore No visa required
153 Slovenia No visa required
154 Slovakia No visa required
155 Solomon Islands No visa required
156 Somalia Visa required prior to travel
157 South Africa No visa required
158 Spain No visa required
159 Sri Lanka * (See note 1) Visa required prior to travel
160 St Kitts and Nevis No visa required
161 St Lucia No visa required
162 St Vincent & Grenadines No visa required
163 Suriname No visa required
164 Sudan Visa required prior to travel
165 South Sudan Visa required prior to travel
166 Syria Visa required prior to travel
167 Swaziland No visa required
168 Sweden No visa required
169 Switzerland No visa required
170 Tajikistan Visa for sixty days on arrival
171 Taiwan Visa required prior to travel
172 Tanzania No visa required
173 Tchad No visa required
174 Thailand Visa for sixty days on arrival
175 Timor-Leste Visa for sixty days on arrival
176 Togo Visa for sixty days on arrival
177 Tonga No visa required
178 Trinidad & Tobago No visa required
179 Tunisia No visa required
180 Turkey No visa required
181 Turkmenistan Visa for sixty days on arrival
182 Tuvalu No visa required
183 Uganda No visa required
184 Ukraine Visa for sixty days on arrival
185 United Arab Emirates No visa required
186 United Kingdom No visa required
187 United States of America No visa required
188 Uzbekistan Visa for sixty days on arrival
189 Uruguay Visa for sixty days on arrival
190 Vanuatu No visa required
191 Vatican No visa required
192 Venezuela Visa for sixty days on arrival
193 Vietnam Visa required prior to travel
194 Yemen Visa required prior to travel
195 Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) Visa for sixty days on arrival
196 Zambia No visa required
197 Zimbabwe No visa required

General Information

Any person who wishes to seek employment or to engage in any gainful occupation in Mauritius will not be allowed to enter Mauritius unless he is the holder of a valid residence permit and a work permit issued by the Mauritian Authorities.

Non-citizens travelling to Mauritius without a visa (if required) may be repatriated to their country of origin or residence at the transporting carrier’s cost.

A non-citizen coming to get married to a Mauritian should fulfil the requirements under the Civil Status Act.

Non-citizens travelling to Mauritius as tourists/visitors are not allowed to engage in any gainful activities or apply for an extension of visa to follow studies/training courses.

Non-citizens coming to Mauritius for business may apply for an Occupation Permit from the Passport and Immigration Officer through the Board of Investment as Investor, Self- Employed, and Professional.

Any person who stays in Mauritius after the expiry of the period for which he obtained a visa or entry permit, as the case may be, shall commit an offence and shall be liable for prosecution by a Court of Law.

Non-Citizens coming to celebrate their marriage in Mauritius should comply with the requirements of the Civil Status Act.

Prospective students are advised to travel to Mauritius only after their application for study/training in Mauritius has been approved.

Customs procedures at the Airport or the Port

  1. Use the Green Channel if you have neither dutiable nor prohibited or restricted goods in your possession or any goods in excess of the allowance which is liable to duty, excise duty and taxes or any currency or Bearer Negotiable Instrument of an amount of not more than 500,000 rupees or its equivalent in any foreign currency.
  2. Use the Red Channel if you have goods to declare.
  3. No duty is leviable on your necessary and appropriate wearing apparel and personal effects which have been in use.
  4. If you are 18 years or above, you are also allowed free of duty:

a. Tobacco (including cigars and cigarettes) not exceeding 250 grams.

b. Spirits not exceeding 1 litre and

c. Wine, ale or beer not exceeding 2 litres.

The personal effects which tourists are allowed at Customs in Mauritius

necessary and appropriate wearing apparel and personal effects for one’s personal use; and

implements, instruments and tools for the professional use of the passenger

Note: Exemption under this item shall not extend to the following articles; arms and ammunitions, furniture, carpets, bicycles, motor vehicles, and provisions and merchandise for sale.

What are the restricted and prohibited goods? (Non-Exhaustive List)

Drugs and Psychotropic substances (Restricted)

Arms and ammunitions (Restricted)

Publications ,films or video cassettes of obscene character (Prohibited for commercial use)

Underwater fishing guns (Prohibited)

Sugarcane cuttings and plants (Prohibited)

Live or stuffed animals (Restricted)

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