The main things you need to know before moving to Mauritius :
1. The visa, the key to settling in Mauritius
All these French, Belgian, Russian and South African expats settling in Mauritius, doesn’t it look simple to come?
If you’re on holiday, you’ll have no problem coming to Mauritius for up to 90 days for European nationals (no need to apply for a pre-trip visa).
If you want to settle in Mauritius, however, you will need a visa. The simplest is the premium visa if your income comes from abroad (France or a country other than Mauritius). And it’s free!
For other visas, it will take longer and be more tedious, but it can be done!
2. Tropical climate with a cyclone season
It’s true that the weather in Mauritius is generally fine all year round!
However, the weather can be less clement between December and March, during the cyclone season.
There is often heavy rain at this time of year, and sometimes cyclones.
You could be faced with school closures, power cuts and water shortages.
So be prepared!
3. Stock-outs are fairly common
Let’s not forget that we’re on an island and a lot of things are imported.
It’s not uncommon to run out of food, car parts, medicines (yes, you read that right) and so on.
For medicines, find out before you leave, as you may not be able to buy them locally. There may be an equivalent, but there’s no guarantee! One example: the contraceptive pill.
The latest one :
Oral B electric toothbrushes! It’s impossible to get your hands on them anywhere on the island!
4. Rather limited means of transport
First of all, you should know that we drive on the left-hand side of the road here, a legacy of the British occupation.
In my opinion, a driving licence is essential if you have a lot of travelling to do (or not, for that matter).
→ The 10 commandments for surviving driving in Mauritius
I wouldn’t recommend the bus network, which isn’t always reliable, in addition to the sometimes rock-n-roll driving, not to mention the lack of air conditioning.
On the other hand, the tram or “metro express” is great!
There are few, if any, pedestrian areas where you can ‘walk around’, with the exception of the beaches and shopping centres.
5. The schools: a good standard, a beautiful setting
I’m mainly talking about private schools!
There are some very good schools here, but only if you pay the right price.
There are several education systems on the island:
- French schools (affiliated to AEFE)
- international (British system) and
- local (private or state).
Note that there is a fee for the 1st enrolment, followed by the standard school fees (paid monthly or annually).
To give you an idea, the first enrolment fee for the Centre school (French school) for the year 2024-2025 is 720€ per student (non-refundable).
Then you’ll have the standard school fees, which will be between €300 and €400 per month (over 11 months).
In addition to this, there are also :
- the parents’ association: 160€,
- school equipment: €45
- annual insurance: €4
- school supplies: €50
Source : https://ecoleducentre.org/scolarite/
6. It gets dark early all year round
It’s dark between 5.30pm and 7pm… all year round.
What a change from Europe! Note that it will also be light earlier: between 5.15am and 7am all year round too.
Many Mauritians live by the rhythm of the day, which is why shops often close early (shopping centres are not affected).
This is a big advantage when you have babies or small children, who easily get into the habit of going to bed as soon as it gets dark.
7. Other Facts
As a bonus, here are some other things I’ll share with you that surprised me when I came to live here:
- The size of the insects here can literally put you off coming (hello spider when you’re on the throne). Be prepared for GI-GAN-TIC flying cockroaches!
- Not many pigeons, but plenty of bats (yes, yes, look closely).
- Mosquito repellent will be your best friend (as well as sun cream).
- Many many stray dogs all over the island and this is heartbreaking
- Not much ecology yet on the island, awareness not very developed around the population.
- Leather products are expensive (shoes or handbags), as are all imported products in general.
I hope my site helps you with your project.
If you want to take the plunge yourself, why not get some help?
