Driving in Mauritius

    Driver’s license

Foreigners with a valid driving license issued by a competent authority in their home country can drive in Mauritius during their stay. Before arriving, check if your country has an agreement with Mauritius regarding driving licenses.

Additionally, confirm with your country's Ministry of Transportation whether your national driving license is sufficient or if you also need to present an International Driving Permit.

Note: Drivers must be at least 21 years old with a valid driving license for a minimum of one year.

    Rush Hours & Heavy Traffic

You are most likely to encounter heavy traffic during peak hours: 07:30 - 09:30 and 15:00 - 18:00. During these times, there is heavy traffic mainly in Port Louis area and at the entrances/exits of the main cities including Quatres Bornes, Curepipe, Ebene, among others.

   Know Your Speed Limits

The speed limit in Mauritius is 30-60 km/h in residential areas, 70-80 km/h on open roads, and 110 km/h on highways/motorways. Speed cameras are easily noticeable, painted bright yellow.

Tip: Keep an eye out for police with handheld speed guns!

    Keep Left for Safe Driving

Cars drive on the left hand side whilst priority is for vehicles coming from the right.

    Mauritius Highway

Mauritius has only one highway. The highway starts from the airport situated in the South East of the Island and ends in the North of the Island at Grand Baie.

    Road Signs

All roads sign posts are of International standards.

    Alcohol limitation

Make Sure NOT to Drink & Drive!

When driving in Mauritius you are not allowed to have more than:

• 20 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood
• 27 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of urine
• 9 mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath

    No Mobile Phones While Driving

It is strictly illegal to use a hand held mobile phone when driving.

    Road Tolls

There are no road tolls in Mauritius.

    Fasten Your Seatbelts

Wearing seat belts is mandatory at any given time for all car passengers.

    Fuel Up

Unleaded fuel and diesel are available at all petrol stations across Mauritius, with some stations operating 24/7.
There is no need to get out of the car; simply park by a pump and an attendant will approach your car to ask the amount to be filled. Most stations accept major credit cards, though it's advisable to confirm with attendants before payment.

   Parking

Free parking is widely available throughout Mauritius, excluding major city centres like Port-Louis, Curepipe, Quatre Bornes and Rose-Hill. Paid parking in these areas typically costs 20 to 30 Rupees per 30 minutes, with clear signs indicating the requirement for a paid parking ticket, as well as the zone type (Parking Zone 1 / Zone 2).

Parking tickets are sold at petrol stations and selected vendors, while private car parks may charge about 50 Rupees per hour.

Mauritius: A Small Island - Remember that the island of Mauritius is relatively a small island, just over 60km in length and under 50km across. This is why it is perfectly possible to reach all four corners of the island in a day. With that, when planning your driving course in Mauritius, you should take into account factors such as the speed limitations, small roads and the heavy traffic during rush hours.

Highway Vs. Small roads - Although a great time saver, driving on the highway is not as fun as driving through sugar-cane fringed tracks, squeezing past vehicles on narrow roads or stopping in the quaint villages. Driving in the smaller roads will reveal a more intimate Mauritius on its many hidden villages, with that, driving in small roads is more time consuming.

Road Map – A Big Help - Navigating Mauritius on main roads is pretty easy with frequent direction signs. However, a road map becomes essential for exploring lesser-known areas effectively.

Friendly people happy to assist and show the way - Mauritians are friendly and eager to assist if you're lost or unsure of directions. Many times you will find that you don't even have to ask for instructions, as the locals will be happy to advise even before you ask.