Mauritius Travel Guide

Visa requirements

Citizens of many countries, including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and most other OECD countries do not need a visa in advance. For more information, visit the Passport and Immigration Office website.

The Mauritian rupee (French: roupie mauricienne) is denoted by the symbol "Rs." or "₨" with or without a full stop and placed before or after the amount (ISO international currency: MUR). Banknotes come in denominations of Rs 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, and 2,000. Coins come in denominations of Rs 1, 5, 10 and 20.

The modern Metro Express light rail links Port Louis and Curepipe, stopping at Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes and Vacoas-Phoenix along the way. Trains run every 10 minutes from 6 AM to 7 PM, taking around 40 minutes from end to end (Rs 50).

Although the official language of Mauritius is English, in practice French is by far the most commonly spoken language, and is widely used in professional and formal settings. English language television programmes are usually dubbed into French. Most subjects are taught in and examined in British English in the education system, meaning that you will be able to communicate with locals in English with varying levels of difficulty.

The crime rate has fallen, and Mauritius is a much safer country for visitors than most other destinations. The Tourism Police and Coast Guards patrol regularly in areas frequented by tourists, and most cities, beaches and other major attractions are under camera surveillance. Nevertheless, you should look out for suspicious behavior.

Mauritius is a risk area for infection with dengue fever, also known as "breakbone fever" from the muscular convulsions it causes. No vaccine is available. Dengue re-emerged in 2019 after several dengue-free years, so be sure to take precautions against mosquito bites.

Mauritius has a few telecommunications companies, the main ones being Emtel and My.t. They both sell sim card and E-sim at the airport from 700 MUR per month. Passport is required.