Practical Information for Those Travelling to Mauritius - Part 1

The Republic of Mauritius is a small island situated in the Indian Ocean. The country has several other islands belonging to Mauritius, these are generally primitive and well worth a visit. Mauritius has a stable democratic government and a diverse economy. Its per capita is among the best for a developing country and is the second highest in Africa. Facilities for tourism in Mauritius are fairly well developed and the high level of literacy has greatly helped Mauritius in its endeavour to become a high profile tourist destination. Furthermore, authorities have set a high target for increasing the tourist population travelling to Mauritius with sweeping changes and reforms to the tourism sector in order to achieve the objectives.

Most of the population is well educated and this is definitely an asset for Mauritius. In fact most people can not only speak Creole, the native language, but will also manage quite well in both spoken and written English and French. This is indeed a remarkable achievement. Mauritius has a strange language mix. Although English is the official language, most people are more comfortable reading and speaking French and the most spoken language is the Creole which is not widely written. Although their mother tongue is Creole, all children in Mauritius have to learn English and French right from their first day at school until they leave. In fact, English and French are compulsory subjects at every stage of the school curriculum. Whilst there has been a lot of debates on the question and on whether children are being generally held back because of the multitude of languages they have to learn from an early stage, the fact that every Mauritian speaks at least 2 foreign languages is a definite benefit for Mauritius. So, unlike most tourist destinations around the world, you will very rarely be stranded on the island without anybody knowing what you are saying.

If you are travelling to Mauritius you will need a valid passport, onward/return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds is required. Travellers must also provide a local address where they will be staying in Mauritius. Visas are issued at the point of entry and this is very handy indeed. There are few developing countries in the world where you can just go there and get a visa stamped on your passport within less than 15 minutes and this makes for a pleasant arrival at the airport. A tourist entry fee and the airport departure tax are included in the price of a plane ticket so you need not worry about carrying cash during your trip. More and more airlines are now travelling to Mauritius. In an effort to increase the number of tourists to Mauritius at least four fold in the next 7 years the authorities are keen to encourage competition in the aviation sector thus cutting the prices of air tickets and allowing more travellers to afford a trip to Mauritius. So do shop around and compare the prices.

If, like many who travel to Mauritius, you fall in love with the place and decide to stay, there are a number of schemes in place that will allow foreigners to obtain a residence permit. There are a number of Integrated Resort Schemes that enable foreigners to purchase properties in Mauritius with a residence permit. There are also arrangements to allow local companies to recruit and apply for working permits in Mauritius relatively easily. For more information it is best to contact the Immigration authorities in the Mauritius.

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