Mauritius Travel Guide

Visa Requirements for Mauritius

You don’t need a visa to enter Mauritius. On arrival, your passport will be stamped allowing entry to the country for 60 days. You’ll need to be able to provide evidence of onward or return travel.

Entry Requirements for Passengers in Response to Covid-19

Health or travel insurance covering COVID-19 related expenses is mandatory to enter Mauritius. Resident permit holders and occupational permit holders are exempt. You will be asked to present proof of your health or travel insurance before boarding and at arrival.

All travellers must fill out mandatory health forms before arriving in Mauritius, which must be given to immigration and health officials at Mauritius airport. Please see https://mauritiusnow.com/mauritius-travel-advice/ for details and a link to an All in One Form that you can print and sign in advance.

Vaccinated Travellers

On 1 October 2021, Mauritius removed restrictions for fully vaccinated tourists. Travellers must, however, present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the last point of embarkation. See the Mauritius Now website for full details.

Unvaccinated Travellers

Unvaccinated tourists are allowed to enter but must quarantine for 14 days on arrival in an official quarantine hotel.

You will need to stay in your hotel room for 14 days and meals will be delivered to your room

You will have a PCR test on your day of arrival, day 7 and day 14

After a negative PCR test on day 14, you can freely explore the island and move to new accommodation or to your home

You can find further details on the Mauritius Now website.

Currency and Tipping

In the case of currency in Mauritius believe it or not, it’s better to leave it until you arrive because, surprisingly, the best exchange rates for the rupee are on the island itself. And the airport, which usually offers the worst rates of all, has good deals.

ATMs are widely available in most towns in the island and at large shopping centres. Major credit and debit cards are accepted by most hotels, restaurants and large retailers.

Gratuity is usually included on your receipt in Mauritius but if you are particularly satisfied with your meal, you should leave your waiter or waitress some change. For good service tip between 10% and 15% – this is usually standard for top end restaurants.

Best time to travel to Mauritius?

The best time to visit Mauritius is toward the end of the year, from October through to December, when temperatures are hottest around 31 degrees. Temperatures rarely fall below 17 °C, or exceed 31 °C, making Mauritius a tempting choice if you enjoy sunshine but don’t want extreme heat.

The Chamarel Mountains in the south can get rain at any time of year, which provides them with a lush green covering, but the rest of the island generally only sees prolonged rain in January and February, when cyclones roll in from the Indian Ocean.

The tropical cyclone season in Mauritius usually runs from November to May. You should follow the Mauritius Meteorological Services updates. Cyclones can cause extensive damage to property. There is a well-structured system of phased warnings. You should follow advice issued by the local authorities. During a cyclone you are not allowed to leave your accommodation and car insurance policies often cease to be valid.

See the FCO Tropical cyclones page for advice about how to prepare effectively and what to do if you’re likely to be affected by a tropical cyclone.

Cuisine

The national dish of Mauritius that locals and travellers alike go wild over is Dholl puri, a yellow split-pea pancake that is griddled on a tawa and filled with cari gros pois (bean curry) and Mauritius' famous rougaille (a spicy sauce of sweet tomatoes, thyme, garlic, and ginger).

Biryani is also a national favourite in Mauritius and is one of the most famous dishes on the island. Though originally from the Indo-Islamic community in Mauritius, this dish has been modified to suit the Mauritian taste buds, with a flavoursome blend of spices.

You should always check the latest travel advice on the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office website when planning to travel. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritius