Sub Saharan Africa

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• On 11 February 2012, a level 2 tropical cyclone alert was issued by the local authorities with the possibility that it could increase to level 3 during the morning of 12 February. You should follow advice issued by the authorities. During a cyclone, you are not allowed to leave your accommodation and car insurance policies often cease to be valid. You should monitor local and international weather updates from the World Meterological Organisation  ( WMO )  and the National Hurricane Center . The cyclone season in Mauritius normally runs from November to May. See Natural Disasters - Tropical cyclones.
  
• Drug trafficking carries severe penalties. See Local Laws and Customs section.
  
  
  
  
• Around 100,000 British tourists visit Mauritius every year (source: Government of Mauritius). See General - Consular Assistance.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. For more general information see Terrorism Abroad.

Safety and Security - Crime
Petty crime is common. You should take precautions against theft. Take care of bags and valuables when visiting popular tourist areas including Port Louis, Grand Baie and Flic en Flac. Deposit your valuables and cash in hotel safes, where practical. Keep copies of important documents, including passports, separately.

Ensure self-catering accommodation and hotel rooms are secure. Avoid renting accommodation from unregistered proprietors. All accommodation should be registered with the Ministry of Tourism.

Most crime is non-violent, although the use of weapons is evident in some burglaries. Although uncommon, there have been some instances of sexual assault/rape. Avoid walking alone at night on deserted/public beaches or in poorly lit areas especially in the back streets of the business district of Port Louis.

On 10 January 2011, an Irish tourist was murdered in her hotel room at a resort in the north of the Island. Mauritius is a country with low levels of violent crime, and incidents such as this are very uncommon, but as when travelling anywhere you should remain vigilant and exercise caution.

It is advisable to do business only with enterprises with permanent premises, rather than street or beach vendors. Ensure that water-sport operators hold a valid permit issued by the Ministry of Tourism.

Report any incidents to the Police du Tourisme on the hotline number 213 2818 (available from anywhere on the island).

See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel  
Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
You can drive on your UK driving licence, but you must have it with you at all times. The standard of driving varies and there are frequent minor accidents. Be particularly careful when driving after dark as pedestrians and unlit motorcyclists are serious hazards. See our Driving Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Air Travel
The EU has published a list of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban or restrictions within the community. You should check the following link to see whether this will affect your travel - European Commission Transport - Air.

For more general information see Airline Security.

Safety and Security – Local Travel – Sea Travel
While there have been no attacks around the waters of Mauritius, piracy is a significant threat in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, and has occurred as far as 1000 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia. Sailing vessels are particularly vulnerable. We therefore advise against all but essential travel by yacht and pleasure craft on the high seas (more than 12 nautical miles from shore) in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and part of the Indian Ocean. See our Piracy in the Indian Ocean page

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Mauritius Country Profile

Drug smuggling is a serious offence. Punishments can be severe. Trafficking carries life sentences (up to 45 years) and the importation of 15 grams of cannabis could attract a one-year custodial sentence and a fine of 100,000 Mauritian rupees. Prosecutions take a year or more to come to court, with detention the norm until the trial. Bail is not usually granted for drug-related crimes, regardless of the type of drug. It is also illegal to possess or import cigarette papers.

You may carry common medicinal drugs for your own personal use but you must carry copies of valid medical prescriptions and the drugs must have been obtained legally from a pharmacy. Scheduled drugs, such as psychotropic preparations (e.g. tranquillisers, hypnotics), narcotics (e.g. morphine) and other strong pain killers require, by law, authorisation before import. Failure to obtain prior authorisation may result in arrest.  

If in any doubt, you should seek advice from the Mauritius High Commission in London. Requests for special authorisation and import permits are usually processed in 24-48 hours if all supportive documents are submitted with the application. The basic information required is the name and address of the applicant, photocopy of the personal details page of the applicant’s passport, flight details, address in Mauritius, length of stay, description and quantities of drugs to be carried.

Requests to carry medicines used for drug rehabilitation treatment (e.g. methadone) should be submitted well in advance as they may require security clearance. In all cases the quantities of drugs carried must be compatible with the duration of stay.

The police sometimes ask foreigners to show identification. You should carry photocopies of the relevant pages of your passport and driving licence and leave the original in a safe place.

While the law does not criminalise homosexuality in itself, the act of sodomy is illegal regardless of sexual orientation.

See our Travel Advice Relevant to You.

Entry Requirements - Visas
British nationals do not need to obtain visas before arrival. A visa, normally valid for three months, will be issued on arrival to holders of valid British passports in possession of return tickets. If you intend to work in Mauritius, you must arrange a work permit in advance.
 
Entry Requirements - Passport validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Mauritius. Your passport must be valid for a minimum period of six months from the date of entry into Mauritius. You may be refused entry to Mauritius if your passport has less than six months validity remaining or if you do not have a return ticket.

If you intend to travel to South Africa from Mauritius, you should be aware that although the South African authorities officially state that only one blank passport page is required for entry, recently several visitors have been refused entry and sent back to Mauritius as some officials are insisting on two blank pages. We advise that you have two blank pages in your passport on arrival in South Africa.
 
Entry Requirements - Yellow fever certificate
All passengers arriving from an area where yellow fever exists will need a yellow fever certificate. Further information can be obtained from the Mauritian High Commission in London.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration, please contact the Mauritian High Commission in London.

Good private healthcare in Mauritius is available, although this can be costly if you are not insured. More complex cases could require evacuation to Reunion or South Africa.

Chikungunya periodically occurs in Mauritius, particularly in the warmer months (October-May).

Although there are no malarial mosquitos in Mauritius, on arrival at the airport an officer from the Ministry of Health may ask you for a blood sample (or contact you later for such a sample at some point during your stay) if you have travelled from a country where malaria is common.

Stonefish stings are uncommon but can in some cases be fatal. You should obtain urgent medical attention if stung. Many hotels stock anti-venom serum.

Stray and sometimes vicious dogs are common in Mauritius. However, rabies is not a risk.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 8, 700 adults aged 15 or over in Mauritius were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 1.0% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. See our HIV and AIDS page.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Mauritius and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) or NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our Travel Health page.

On 11 February 2012, a level 2 tropical cyclone alert was issued by the local authorities with the possibility that it could increase to level 3 during the morning of 12 February. 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. You should monitor local and international weather updates from the World Meteorological Organisation ( WMO ) and the National Hurricane Center .

The cyclone season in Mauritius normally runs from November to May. Cyclones can cause extensive damage to property. The authorities have a well-structured system of phased warnings. 

For more general information see Tropical cyclones. 

General - Insurance
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See Travel Insurance.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see How We Can Help. 

General - Registration
Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency. More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

General - Money
ATM's are widely available in most towns in the island and at large shopping centres. Visa cards are accepted by most hotels, restaurants and large retailers.

_{General - Consular Assistance Statistics}
Although crime levels are low, you should be aware that incidents of theft, assault and rape do occur. Seventeen British nationals required consular assistance in Mauritius in the period 1 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident: four deaths; two hospitalisations and five arrests.