PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: Mauritius

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans don't need a visa for Mauritius.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 90 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    Tourism; business visits (establishing or conducting business or investment, unpaid) up to 90 days per trip and 120 days per calendar year. No gainful activity without a residence/occupation permit.

  • Passport validity

    Valid beyond the intended period of stay (PIO). No 6-month rule published; one blank page advised (FCDO). Children need their own passport.

  • How to apply

    No visa application needed; status granted on arrival at the immigration desk. Fill in the free Mauritius All-in-One Travel Form at safemauritius.govmu.org before travel. A future e-Visa/ETA for all non-citizens was announced in the 2026-27 Budget but is not yet live and has no portal or fee published.

  • Where South Africans apply

    Not applicable for visits. Residence/occupation permits: Passport and Immigration Office / Economic Development Board in Port Louis; High Commission of Mauritius in Pretoria for consular queries.

  • Travel insurance

    Not mandatory per sources checked; Air Mauritius notes authorities may ask for travel insurance.

  • Return or onward ticket

    Required: a valid return passage ticket to country of origin or residence, plus eligibility to re-enter it.

  • Proof of funds

    Required: 'adequate funds to meet the cost of his/her stay'. PIO publishes no figure; widely cited guidance of USD 100 per day is not on the PIO pages checked.

  • Accommodation or invitation

    Required: a confirmed hotel booking or sponsorship for accommodation (host details).

  • Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

    Mauritius requires a yellow fever certificate for travellers aged 1 and over arriving from countries it considers at risk (its own list, differs from WHO). Not required for direct travel from South Africa. Mauritius is not on South Africa's yellow fever risk list, so nothing extra on return to SA, unless you routed via a risk country (e.g. Kenya) with a transit over 12 hours.

  • Arrival forms

    Mauritius All-in-One Travel Form (health, customs and immigration) at safemauritius.govmu.org, free of charge; generates a QR-code PDF. If not completed, foreign nationals fill a paper disembarkation card on arrival. Third parties selling this form are not endorsed by the MTPA.

  • Extending your stay and overstaying

    Extensions are applied for in person at the Passport and Immigration Office (free of charge): form, passport data pages, ticket reservation, 3 months' bank statements, accommodation proof (sponsor letter and ID if hosted). Overstaying is an offence and may lead to legal proceedings (Air Mauritius); PIO penalty amounts not published.

  • Transit

    PIO lists a transit visa (within 24 hours) for nationals who need visas; South Africans are visa-exempt so no transit visa needed.

  • Travelling with children

    Children must have their own passport. No Mauritian consent-letter rule found; South Africa's own departure rules for minors apply.

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

Research sources

  1. 1. Passport and Immigration Office, Republic of Mauritius (country list dated 22 June 2022) (Official, passport.govmu.org) https://passport.govmu.org/passport/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Visa-Requirement-Country-22062022.pdf
  2. 2. Passport and Immigration Office, Republic of Mauritius (Official, passport.govmu.org) https://passport.govmu.org/passport/?page_id=605
  3. 3. Passport and Immigration Office, Republic of Mauritius (Travel Requirements) (Official, passport.govmu.org) https://passport.govmu.org/passport/?page_id=587
  4. 4. Airports of Mauritius Ltd (Official, aml.mru.aero) https://aml.mru.aero/index.php/all-in-one-form
  5. 5. Passport and Immigration Office, Republic of Mauritius (Extension of Visa) (Official, passport.govmu.org) https://passport.govmu.org/passport/?page_id=593
  6. 6. UK FCDO (updated 2026-09-04) (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritius/entry-requirements
  7. 7. NaTHNaC / TravelHealthPro (UK) (Other government, travelhealthpro.org.uk) https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/mauritius
  8. 8. DIRCO, South African High Commission Canberra (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/canberra/yellow-fever/
  9. 9. Wikipedia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Mauritius
  10. 10. Air Mauritius (Commercial, airmauritius.com) https://www.airmauritius.com/en/before-you-fly/travel-information/passport-and-visa
  11. 11. VisasNews (News and guides, visasnews.com) https://visasnews.com/en/mauritius-future-e-visa-eta-system-takes-shape-in-2026-2027-budget/

From doineedavisa.co.za/mauritius. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.