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Whether you need a Mauritius visa depends on your passport. European Union passports are exempt, and the Passport and Immigration Office keeps a country-wise list for everyone else. We check your passport against it, then prepare and send the file if a visa is needed. Mauritius issues visas free of charge and aims for twelve working days.
The rule in the immigration office's words
The Passport and Immigration Office, under the Prime Minister's Office, says a visa "simply allows the bearer to travel to Mauritius up a port of entry and does not implicitly guarantee right of admission". The officer at the border decides whether to admit you and how long you may stay on that visit.
The exempt list on its visa page names citizens and residents of Mauritius, their spouses and children, diplomatic passport holders with a list of exceptions, crew, UN and similar laissez-passer holders, and holders of passports issued by European Union countries. Everyone else is on the country-wise list, which the page links as a separate file. We could not open that file, so we do not tell you from here that an Indian, Filipino, Egyptian, Nigerian or other passport is visa-free or visa-needed. We read the current list for your passport when you send it.
Your UAE residence does not exempt you. It only tells the officer where you live and where you will return.
Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Mauritius visa | Free of charge |
| Extension of stay | Free of charge |
Source: Passport and Immigration Office, visa requirements page, checked . Our own preparation fee is a separate total that we confirm on WhatsApp before you pay.
Visa types and stay
- Tourist visa: a maximum of six months may be granted in a calendar year, case by case, subject to immigration requirements.
- Business visa: up to 120 days in a calendar year, no more than 90 days per trip, and no pay in Mauritius.
- Transit visa: for passengers going to a third country within 24 hours.
- Medical visa: granted on arrival for the length of treatment in a registered private health institution, up to six months.
Documents for the visa file
From the application page:
- Completed visa application form.
- Two passport-size photographs.
- Passport photocopy.
- Copy of your UAE residence permit, if applicable.
- Flight reservation.
- A recent bank statement.
- Hotel reservation, with sponsor details if someone hosts you.
- Letters for business, events or religious institutions where relevant.
- Parental consent for minors.
Where you file and how long it takes
The office says to apply through a Mauritius diplomatic or consular representative. If there is none in reach, you may apply at Air Mauritius offices or by email to the visa unit of the Passport and Immigration Office. The page describes no online system. A visa is issued as far as practicable within twelve working days when your file is complete, and you should apply at least one month before you travel.
Twelve working days from Dubai usually means more than two calendar weeks once weekends and Eid breaks are counted. A trip booked in ten days is a risk.
What the border officer will ask
The travel requirements page lists what every visitor must have:
- A passport valid beyond the planned stay.
- A valid return ticket to your country of origin or residence, and the right to re-enter that country.
- Adequate funds for the stay.
- A confirmed hotel booking or sponsorship for accommodation.
Keep these in your hand luggage together with the Emirates ID. Travelling without a visa you need can mean being sent back to your country of origin or residence at the carrier's cost.
What you cannot do
You may not work without a residence permit, and a visitor visa is not extended for study. Staying after the visa expires is an offence. People who want to work, study, retire or invest need the matching permit, and the residence permit route has its own conditions. Plan that with the permit office, not at the airport.
Common reasons for refusal or delay
- Hotel or sponsor details that do not match the dates on the flight.
- Bank statement that is old or too thin for the days you plan.
- Passport that expires soon after the trip.
- A file sent less than a month before travel.
- Business activity on a tourist visa.
How it works with us
Send your passport copy and dates on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. An adviser reads the country-wise list for your passport and tells you whether you need a visa at all. If you do, you get one total price before paying. The team prepares the form and attachments, sends them through the route the office lists, and follows up until the visa comes back. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The Mauritius authorities decide every visa and every entry.
Mauritius does not charge for the visa, so there is no government fee to lose. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, comes back if the visa is refused.
Official sources
- Passport and Immigration Office, visa requirements: exempt groups, visa types, free visas.
- Passport and Immigration Office, application for visa: documents, twelve working days, where to apply.
- Passport and Immigration Office, travel requirements: what every visitor must hold at entry.
Other trips from the UAE are in visas from Dubai. To see which places need no visa, read visa-free countries for UAE residents. For an African leg on the same holiday, see the Kenya visa for UAE residents and Ethiopia visa for UAE residents pages.
