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Mauritius will be welcoming international travellers from 15 July 2021 – but not all travellers, and there are still a few hoops to jump through.
Mauritius prioritises tourism – but there are still restrictions
Mauritius got off very lightly with Covid, thanks to stringent control measures, and the government has prioritised vaccination of frontline tourism workers so that the island can once again welcome tourists.
Phase 1
The first phase, from 15 July to 30 September 2021, will enable fully vaccinated travellers to enjoy a resort holiday on the island. Holidaymakers will be able to enjoy facilities within their chosen resort premises, including the swimming pool and beach and, if applicable, golf. Spas will not be open. After 14 days at the resort, and two negative PCR tests, guests may leave the resort and explore. Or – if they’ve bought a property on the island, and have residency – they may move in. Unvaccinated visitors may travel to Mauritius, but they will be subject to a 14-day in-room quarantine with PCR tests, and no beach, no pool and no golf. A list of pre-approved COVID-19 safe resorts will be available from 20 June 2021 at www.mauritiusnow.com.
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Phase 2
For Phase 2, from 1 October 2021, vaccinated travellers will be allowed entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. Unvaccinated travellers will be subject to a 14-day in-room quarantine for both Phases 1 and 2 until further notice.
But not South Africans
Unfortunately, South Africans are excluded. Well, not entirely – just people who have been in South Africa any time during the 14 days prior to flying to Mauritius. So, if you really do want to go to Mauritius to move into that lovely villa you bought, it will take you a month to get to your front door. Find a place on Mauritius’s green list that will let you in, spend two weeks there, and then fly to Mauritius, and spend two weeks at a resort and then – ta-daaa – you can move in. As long as you are vaccinated. And if you’re not, you can still do it, but the first two weeks in Mauritius will be in in-room quarantine. Not much fun.
I chatted to one person who has bought it Mauritius. He and his wife both have residency, but it’s not that easy, so they’ve been exploring a number of options: ‘We thought of spending some time in Namibia, and then flying with Ethiopian Airlines through Dubai, but they keep moving the goal posts. We were originally going to fly out through Kenya, but then Kenya got blacklisted as well.’ The latest option they’re considering is spending two weeks on a live-aboard in the Maldives diving. Not exactly a hardship.
To complicate matters, he is just over 60, so he’s been vaccinated, but his younger wife has not. So, even if they do manage to find a bridging destination, she will have to do 14 days in-room quarantine, while he plays golf and lounges on the beach. It will take a lot of chocolate and flowers to make up for that.
