Traveling to Mauritius

Short stays in Mauritius

A short stay is defined as any stay of up to 6 months within a 12-month period. Mauritius offers several categories of short-stay visas:

Tourist visa

A tourist visa of up to 6 months within a calendar year can be granted on a case-by-case basis, subject to immigration requirements. Holders of a tourist visa may also take advantage of their stay in Mauritius to apply for a Premium Visa or an Occupation Permit.

Good to know:

Since October 1, 2025, a tourist fee applies to overnight stays in certain types of tourist accommodation across Mauritius. The fee amounts to €3 per person, per night for travelers aged 12 and above. It concerns a wide range of establishments, including hotels, tourist residences, guesthouses, and tourist estates. Children aged 12 or under are exempt from the charge.

Business visa

A business visa may be granted for up to 120 days within a calendar year. However, visa holders can stay for a maximum of 90 days per trip. They are not permitted to receive any remuneration in Mauritius, as this visa is solely intended for establishing or conducting business or investment activities in the country.

Social visa

This visa is granted for 45 days to non-citizens who have been sponsored by a religious organization (often called “sociocultural organizations” in Mauritius) to engage in cultural and religious activities.

Multiple entry visa

It is granted only to foreign business people with business interests in Mauritius who require a visa before travel. It allows a maximum stay of 120 days per calendar year, and each trip must not exceed 90 days.

Transit visa

This visa is granted to passengers on stopover in Mauritius for a maximum of 24 hours on their way to a third country. It is a visa on arrival that is issued at the port of entry in Mauritius itself.

Medical visa

Issued to non-citizens who are coming to Mauritius for medical treatment in a private (not public) healthcare institution approved by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life. Granted on arrival in Mauritius, it covers the duration of the treatment but cannot exceed 6 months.

Important:

These short-stay visas do not authorize their holders to carry out any commercial activity and generate income during their stay in Mauritius.

Visa-free travel in Mauritius (up to 90 days)

One of the benefits of Mauritius' strong diplomatic ties with various nations is that citizens from many countries can visit Mauritius without a visa for 3 months, or 90 days to be exact. However, it is important to remember that these travelers cannot conduct business, work part-time, or pursue studies during that stay, unless they apply for a work, business or student visa.

Countries with visa-free access

Citizens of the following countries enjoy short-stay visa-free travel to Mauritius:

Visa on arrival

Citizens of the following countries can obtain a visa on arrival when they land at the airport or disembark from a ship in Mauritius. For the majority of these countries, the visa lasts 60 days, but it lasts only for two weeks for Algerian, Malagasy, Comorian, Nigerian and Iranian nationals as per the latest information of the Passport and Immigration Office.

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia (Republic of), Micronesia, Moldova (Republic of), Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Niger, Palau, Panama, Peru, Russia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan.

General entry requirements for Mauritius

Citizens of countries not mentioned in the two lists above must apply for a visa at least a few months before flying or sailing to Mauritius. Both short-stay travelers who need a visa and those who don't must fulfill the following conditions:

• Have a valid passport for the entire duration of their stay
• Have a return ticket
• Have proof of accommodation in Mauritius
• Have proof of funds of USD 100 per day

Good to know:

The Mauritian government recently announced two new tools—a digital recognition system and an electronic travel authorization platform—to make travel procedures easier for visitors.

Students and interns traveling to Mauritius

Student visa

First, the international student needs to submit all of the required documents to their host university in Mauritius as well as pay their tuition fee deposit (and any other fees required before the start of the semester). Then, their host institution will forward their supporting documents to the Passport and Immigration Office (PIO) in Port-Louis, which will process the student visa and issue it by email.

Visa for interns

Non-citizens can obtain an internship visa under the condition that they:

• Have a degree
• Have an internship agreement of a maximum of 6 months with a host company or institution in Mauritius
• Will not receive a salary in Mauritius, although they can receive a stipend from their host organization for basic expenses like transport

Health requirements for traveling to Mauritius

All travelers, whether citizens or non-citizens, must complete an identification and health form upon arrival in Mauritius. To avoid long queues at the airport, these forms can also be filled out online in advance, immediately after receiving your boarding pass at your port of departure.

Application for extension of stay in Mauritius

Non-citizens holding visas, residence permits, or occupation permits are required to adhere to the conditions for extending their stay. The specific requirements for an extension are outlined below:

For tourist visas:

• Proof of a return ticket
• Bank statement of the last 3 months as proof of funds
• A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date
• Exact contact details of the accommodation provider, whether it be a hotel, an Airbnb, or the house of a private individual

For the residence permit:

The Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) is issued for 20 years and can be renewed for an equivalent period. Obtaining it generally requires 5 years of residence under an appropriate permit, depending on the category, and specific financial thresholds must be met. In the case of property acquisition through an approved scheme (IRS, RES, PDS, Smart City, etc.), residency depends on ownership of that property.

For the Occupation Permit:

The initial validity period of an Occupation Permit (OP) depends on the category (investor, salaried professional, self-employed). In principle, it can be renewed or converted after a certain number of years, provided that performance thresholds (turnover, income, investment) are met.

For example, for a self-employed person, an initial investment of USD 50,000 is required, with a minimum income of around Rs 750,000 in the first year and a cumulative amount of around Rs 6 million over 5 years. For investors, there is an obligation to demonstrate increasing turnover, then a minimum of around Rs 5 million per year from the 6th year onward. The exact rules vary depending on the year the permit was issued.

Useful addresses and links:

Passport & Immigration Office

Sterling House, 9-11, Lislet Geoffroy Street, Port-Louis

Phone: (230) 260 2073

Email: piomain@govmu.org

Website: PIO

Airport Passport & Immigration Office

SSR International Airport, Plaisance, Plaine Magnien

Phone: (230) 637 3720 / (230) 637 4108

Email: piossr@govmu.org

Safety of foreign residents in Mauritius

As elsewhere in the world, petty crimes and burglaries occur in Mauritius, especially in busy areas such as Port-Louis, Grand Bay and Flic en Flac.

Nevertheless, the majority of crimes reported to the authorities in Mauritius are nonviolent, apart from a few rare cases, serious enough to make the news headlines from time to time.

Safety tips for visitors and residents

• Be careful with your bags and valuables in popular areas

• Keep separate copies of important documents, such as passports

• Check and upgrade the security of your accommodation, including your hotel room, if you notice any deficiencies

• Avoid walking alone at night on beaches or in poorly lit areas, especially in the back alleys of Port-Louis' business district

• Always be careful when withdrawing money from ATMs

• Always have your local police station contact numbers handy