Sub Saharan Africa

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

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• Réunion is a French Overseas Territory. There is no formal British diplomatic or consular representation on the island. All requests for consular assistance must therefore be referred to the British Embassy in Paris. See General.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate attacks which could be in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Most visits to Réunion are trouble-free. Although the risk from crime is low, it does exist and you should take precautions.
  
  
• The cyclone season in Réunion normally runs from December to April. See Natural Disasters - Tropical cyclones.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  See General - Insurance and Travel Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
The threat from terrorism is low. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

See our Terrorism Abroad page.

Drugs, alcohol-related and traffic incidents are dealt with similarly to mainland France (see FCO Travel Advice for France).

For more general information for different types of travellers see our Your Trip page.

Entry Requirements - Visas
Réunion is an Overseas Department of France (départements d’outre-mer).  If your passport describes you as a British Citizen you will not need a visa to enter Réunion. Other British passport holders should check the current entry requirements here and if necessary confirm with the nearest French Diplomatic mission.  

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Réunion. Your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children
For information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the French Embassy in London.

General health care facilities in Réunion, including emergency services in health service general hospitals, and the availability of doctors (GPs) are good.  Some specialist treatment is also available.

British nationals making short term visits to Réunion should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as French nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature. For more general information see our EHIC page.

The EHIC provides emergency health cover for treatment in Réunion by the French State health service for which you will have to pay but for which you will be able to claim back up to 70% of the costs on your return to the UK.

British nationals planning to move to Réunion, especially those who have not yet reached retirement age, are advised consult the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for advice on their longer-term entitlement as residents to health care provision under the French national system. Please call DWP Overseas Medical Benefits help-line on 00 44 191 218 1999 which is open on Mondays to Fridays from 08.00 to 20.00 daily. More information can be obtained direct from the English language service of the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (French social security service) on 00 33 8 20 90 42 12 or CLEISS (the Help desk in France for international mobility and social security) on 00 33 1 45 26 33 4. Information is also available on the website of the British Embassy in France at:  http://www.ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk.

Réunion may experience outbreaks of Chikungunya during the rainy season (December-February).   

You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS.  See our HIV and AIDS page.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Reunion 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 Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and NHS Scotland’s Fit for Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our Travel Health page.

The cyclone season in Réunion normally runs from December to April. You should monitor local and international weather updates from French Weather Service (in French) for more detailed information in Réunion and follow any advice issued by the local authorities. You can also access the International Cyclone Centre for updates.  Please also see our Tropical cyclones page for more detailed information and advice should you be involved in a cyclonic situation.

Volcanic activity is common on Reunion and there are strict regulations on access to the Piton de la Fournaise volcano.  For further information, please consult the official Prefecture site on http://reunion.pref.gouv.fr.

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

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

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.