Visa requirements to enter Mauritius

In Mauritius, visa applications should be made prior to travel by those who intend to come to the island for purposes other than tourism, business and visit. Also exempted from visa requirement are citizens of Mauritius, the spouse of a Mauritian citizen, Mauritian immigrants, children of Mauritian citizens/at least one Mauritian parent, crew of vessels on transit or duty, passengers staying for only a brief period of time on vessels, holders of laissez passer issued by international organisations (SADC, UN) and holders of diplomatic passports (except from Afghanistan, Algeria, Congo, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sudan and Yemen).

A visa (Latin definition: paper seen) is a document that allows the bearer to enter an alien country. It is usually in the form of a stamp on the passport of the bearer. But it does not mean that the bearer will definitely be able to enter the country; the final decision of entry depends on the immigration officer after going through the papers of the applicant and then granting permission to enter the country. Various conditions are attached to the visa such as the status of the applicant, date of arrival and exit, length of stay, validity of journey etc.

Travelling to Mauritius without a visa can lead to you being repatriated to your home country at the vessel’s cost and so it is advised of students to hold a visa before moving to Mauritius for studies. Also, it is an offence to stay on the island for longer than the stated visa period and persons doing so may be subject to legal processes; it is also against the law to work or study whilst on a tourist/visit visa. Non citizens are not allowed to get into business activities unless they have a proper occupation permit. Those coming to the island to celebrate weddings or anniversary should comply with the regulations of the Civil Status.

People from the following countries are granted a 60 days visa on arrival given that they have a valid passport, return ticket, funds to stay on the island and are eligible to return to their original countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, People’s Republic of China, Denmark, Dominica, Estonia, Fiji Islands, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Qatar, Russian Federation, Samoa (western), San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Those who hold a passport from the Republic of Albania, Republic of Madagascar and Union of Comores may be issued a tourist visa for two weeks on arrival provided that they have a valid passport, return ticket, funds to stay on the island, are eligible to return to their original countries and have booking confirmation for accommodation while those from the Republic of Korea may be issued a tourist visa of 16 days on arrival for the same requirements. Those coming from Argentina, Brazil, Chile or Paraguay may be granted a tourist visa of 3 months upon arrival for the same requirements. All other countries not mentioned above require visas prior to travelling.

Visa application should be made at the appropriate Mauritian embassy/consulate of the country and processing may take up to 2 weeks. All documents should be given regarding the purpose of the stay, funding, sponsorship etc. Unless all documents have been verified and deduced to be correct, visas will not be granted. Transit visas may be obtained if the passenger is leaving by the first required flight, has a valid ticket with confirmed departure, has the funds to stay on transit and can enter the desired destination. It is also necessary to make sure that transit visas are obtained by those staying on transit on the island for more than 24 hours.

Visa application for Mauritians to travel abroad
Since most countries require visas to allow entry into their territories, the documents needed for application, fees and other formalities depend on the respective countries. Which visa you are applying for (tourist v/s business) also is important and will determine the documents that you need to provide and in these cases the best thing is to visit the specific embassy/consulate of the country in Mauritius.