Banks

Banks are open from Mondays to Fridays. Most operate from 9am to 3pm, and a few, such as the Mauritius Commercial Bank open up to 5pm on Fridays.

At the airport, on arrival, you will find banking facilities just before the exit of the Tour Operators' Hall.

At departure, banks and money changers operate in the check-in hall. However, there are no banking facilities after immigration and passport control.

In both the departure and the arrival halls, services are offered by the following: Barclays, State Bank, The Mauritius Commercial Bank , Shibani Finance and Thomas Cook. Furthermore, Barclays, Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, State Bank, and The Mauritius Commercial Bank provide ATM services outside the arrival hall.

Climate

Credit Cards

Mauritius has also a good network of ATMs(Automated Teller Machine) that will accept all the major credit and debit cards. Visa Cards, Maestro Cards, MasterCards, American Express and Diners Club are all accepted by banks and restaurants so that you will always have a way to carry your money. In addition to this ,all major restaurants and shopping centers accept payments by credit cards. Travellers cheques are also accepted by banks and hotels and can be exchanged on the island. Western Union and Moneygram transfers are also available on the island to receive and send money.

Currency

The monetary unit is the Mauritian Rupee (Rs.) which is divided into 100 cents (cs). At the latest exchange rate, one Euro is worth around Rs. 40 and one US Dollar Rs. 30.

Customs

Passengers over 18 years of age may import the following duty-free items: 250 grams of tobacco (including cigars and cigarettes), 1 litre of spirit, 2 litres of wine, ale or beer, one quarter litre of Eau de Toilette and perfume not exceeding 100 ml.
A plant import permit must be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, prior to the introduction of plants and plant material including cuttings, flowers, bulbs, fresh fruits, vegetables and seeds.
It is prohibited to introduce sugarcane and parts thereof, soil micro-organisms and invertebrate animals.
All imported animals including animal products need an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and a health certificate from the country of origin.
Drug trafficking is illegal and carries very heavy penalties. Firearms and ammunition need import permits and must be declared on arrival.

Driving

Driving is on the left-hand side of the road and priority is given to the right.
Foreigners with a driving licence issued by a competent authority in their country of residence are allowed to drive during their stay in Mauritius, for a limited period of 6 months, upon fulfilling formalities at the police headquarters .

The driving licence held by the person, issued by competent authorities, needs to be presented. In case the person is above 60, a Medical Certificate as to his fitness is also required.

Electricity:

The electicity voltage is 220 volts.

Emergency

Geography

Mauritius is an island of 1865 square kilometers with 330 kms of coastline almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. The land gently rises to a central plateau which is about 600 meters above sea level.

It is situated in the South West Indian Ocean (20 degrees south, 57.5 degrees east) to the east of Madagascar. The highest mountains are Piton de la Rivière Noire (828 metres), Pieter Both (823 metres) and Le Pouce (812 metres).

The island has a surface area of 2,040 square kilometers.

Public Health

No vaccinations are required. However a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers over 1 year of age who arrive from areas where yellow fever cases are reported.

Language

Most people in Mauritius are bilingual and are equally fluent in English and French. The official language is English, but Creole and French are the main languages in the everyday environment. Several oriental languages are spoken.

Medical services

Free (except for foreigners) public medical facilities are widely available. Private clinics charge for medical services.

Nudism

Nudism and topless sunbathing are frowned upon on our public beaches. No hotel allows nude sunbathing on beaches. Topless sunbathing is tolerated.

Population literacy rate

With a population of 1.2 million, the literacy rate hovers around 90%.

Shopping

Shopping hours in the main cities range from 9.30 am to 7.30 pm (Monday-Saturday). Some shops are open till noon on Sundays and public holidays. Many duty free shops and modern shopping centres (Caudan, Curepipe, Floréal Square, Phoenix Les Halles, Trianon Shopping Centre, Phoenix Commercial Centre, Le Ruisseau Créol, Orchard Centre) offer a wide choice of products.
It is to be noted that there are no shops open in Rose-Hill, Curepipe and Quatre-Bornes on Thursday afternoon.

VAT

A value added tax of 15% is payable on goods and services including hotel and restaurant bills.

Duty and VAT Refund

Aat the SSR international airport a counter operates for refund of duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) paid on purchases made by tourists holding a foreign passport.  The refund can be effected in the following currencies: Euro (EUR), US dollar (USD), South African Rand(ZAR) and British Pounds(GBP). However, only purchases from shops authorised by the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) are entitled for the refund.  In addition the tourist has to carry the purchased goods as hand luggage, unless they are oversized or required to be checked-in by the airline. The MCCI Tax Tourist Refund counter also offers a service whereby goods meant for hand luggage can be delivered duty free and VAT free prior to the departure of the tourist from Mauritius.

For further details please contact:

The refund counter supervisor at the SSR International airport on +230 6377401 or the Operations Manager on +230 4548950.

Please visit their website for the tax tourist refund for further details

Visa & entry

 A visitor must be in possession of a valid passport and a return or onward ticket. A visitor’s visa is normally granted for a period of two weeks to one month upon arrival, to almost all holders of a valid passport, with one or two exceptions. Visitors are strongly recommended to contact the Passport and Immigration Office in Mauritius or the nearest Mauritian Embassy or Consulate. The visa can be extended upon request at the Passport and Immigration Office:

Address: Sterling House, 11-19 Lislet Geoffroy Street, Port-Louis

Tel : (230) 210-9312 to 210-9317

Fax : (230)210-9322.

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