Do Mauritian passport holders need a visa for the United Kingdom?

By Saurabh Pathare · Travel Writer, Tripmojo · Updated August 25, 2026 · Reviewed by Simran Raheja

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No visa, but you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before you travel. Mauritius is not on the UK’s visa national list, so a Mauritian passport holder applies online for an ETA rather than for a visitor visa. It costs 20 pounds, covers multiple visits of up to six months each, and lasts two years or until the passport expires.

Quick facts

Travel authorisation

Visa required: No, but an ETA is mandatory before travel
ETA fee: 20 pounds
Maximum stay: Up to 6 months per visit
ETA validity: 2 years, or until the passport expires
Checked at: Boarding. Airlines verify it before you fly
Apply at least: 3 working days before travel
Different thing entirely: Mauritius’s own planned ETA, for visitors TO Mauritius

Entry requirements

A Mauritian passport valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
An approved ETA, linked electronically to that passport. A renewal means a new ETA.
The application needs a digital photo and, through the official app, a scan of the passport chip.
Evidence of the visit if asked: where you are staying, for how long, and that you can support yourself.

How to apply for a UK ETA from Mauritius

Apply through the official UK ETA app or on gov.uk, for 20 pounds. Sites reselling the same authorisation at a markup advertise heavily and are not the official route.

The app reads the chip in your passport and takes a photograph of your face. If the chip will not scan, the browser route on gov.uk collects the same information without it.

Most decisions arrive within minutes, but the Home Office asks for at least three working days because some applications go for further checks.

Since 25 February 2026 the ETA has been enforced at the departure gate: airlines check it before boarding a visa-exempt passenger. There is nothing to print, and nothing to fix at the airport if it is missing.

Good to know

Searching for "Mauritius ETA" will show you the wrong scheme. Mauritius announced its own electronic travel authorisation in the 2026-2027 budget, for foreign visitors arriving in Mauritius. It is a proposal rather than a live system, with no fee and no start date set, and it has nothing to do with your trip to Britain. The one you need is the UK’s, applied for on gov.uk. The names are identical and the search results are not.
If a grandparent was born in the UK, you may be looking at the wrong route entirely. Mauritius is a Commonwealth country, and a Commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over with a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man can apply for a UK Ancestry visa. That route permits work, runs for five years and leads to settlement after five continuous years. An ETA permits none of that and never will, no matter how many six-month visits you string together. Given how many Mauritian families have a British-born grandparent, this is worth checking before defaulting to the visitor route.
Britain and the United States moved in opposite directions for Mauritians this year, and it is easy to assume one implies the other. The UK asks for a 20 pound ETA and a few minutes online. The United States added Mauritius to its B1/B2 visa bond list on 2 April 2026, where an applicant otherwise found eligible can be required to post up to 15,000 US dollars before the visa is issued. Nothing about the British position tells you anything about the American one.

Frequently asked questions

Do Mauritian citizens need a visa for the UK?

No. Mauritius is not on the UK visa national list, so you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation rather than a visitor visa for stays of up to six months.

How much does the UK ETA cost for Mauritians?

Twenty pounds, applied for on gov.uk or through the official UK ETA app. It covers multiple visits and lasts two years or until your passport expires.

Is the Mauritius ETA the same as the UK one?

No. Mauritius announced its own ETA for visitors arriving in Mauritius in the 2026-2027 budget, and it is not yet in force. It has nothing to do with travelling to the UK.

Can I work in the UK on an ETA?

No. It covers visits only. If a grandparent was born in the UK, a UK Ancestry visa is a separate route that does permit work and can lead to settlement.

When is the ETA checked?

At boarding. Since 25 February 2026 airlines verify it before a visa-exempt passenger flies, so it cannot be sorted out at the airport.

Other passports for the United Kingdom

Other destinations for Mauritius passport holders

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 25 August 2026.

UK Home Office — Electronic Travel Authorisation factsheet, April 2026: 20 pounds, multiple journeys, up to six months per stay, valid two years or until the passport expires, apply at least three working days ahead (homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk)
GOV.UK — UK Ancestry visa: Commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over with a grandparent born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man; permits work, five years, then indefinite leave to remain (gov.uk/ancestry-visa)
VisasNews — Mauritius e-Visa / ETA proposed in the 2026-2027 budget; not in force, no fee or start date set (visasnews.com)
Fragomen — Mauritius added to the US B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot programme effective 2 April 2026 (fragomen.com)

Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.

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