Covid-19: Mauritius opens borders for international travellers starting today

Port Louis, Mauritius - Holidaymakers will be able to enjoy facilities within their chosen hotel including the swimming pool and beach.

By Staff Report

Published: Thu 15 Jul 2021, 10:44 AM

Mauritius has opened its borders to international travellers, both vaccinated and non-vaccinated, from today, July 15, 2021.

Phase 1 of the reopening of the borders for the Indian Ocean island, which runs from today until September 30, 2021, allows vaccinated guests to stay in one of 14 chosen “resort bubbles”.

Travellers to Mauritius must undergo a PCR test between five and seven days before departure and a negative result is required to enter the island. Vaccinated travellers must also have a PCR test on arrival at the airport in Mauritius and on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday, as applicable.

Holidaymakers will be able to enjoy facilities within their chosen hotel including the swimming pool and beach. If guests stay for 14 days and have negative PCR tests during their stay in the resort, they will then be able to leave the hotel and travel around the island freely for the rest of their stay, exploring the island’s many attractions. However, for shorter stays, they may leave the resort earlier and travel back home.

The approved Covid-19 safe resorts are available on www.mauritiusnow.com.

The decision to reopen Mauritius' borders, announced in June, came following the successful acceleration of the country’s vaccination programme. International tourism represents a large amount of the island nation’s GDP and the Mauritian government took the decision in January to include tourism workers and hotel staff as frontline workers to ensure visitors will be welcomed into a safe and secure environment in Mauritius.

Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius and Minister of Tourism, said: “Mauritius is delighted to be welcoming international visitors into our safe and secure environment on the island. We are in a unique position to be able to allow international visitors, both vaccinated and non-vaccinated, to our resort bubbles and quarantine hotels before allowing guests to experience the island’s attractions.

“The safety and security of Mauritian citizens, residents, and those visiting the island is paramount and we are grateful to those who have cooperated throughout the pandemic to make this possible. The acceleration of our vaccination programme has enabled us to partially reopen our borders and we look forward to fully opening our borders in October.”

Air Mauritius and other global airlines will add additional flight capacity from July 15 which will increase in the lead up to the full reopening of October 1, 2021.

Phase 2 of the reopening of the borders, which takes place on October 1, 2021, will allow vaccinated travellers to enter Mauritius without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure.