United States visa for Mauritian passport holders

Yes. Mauritius is not a designated Visa Waiver Programme country, so Mauritian citizens cannot use an ESTA and need a B1/B2 visitor visa before travelling to the United States. It costs 185 US dollars, is applied for online with the DS-160, and requires an in-person interview. Since 2 April 2026 Mauritius has also been a visa bond country, so the consular officer can make the visa conditional on a refundable deposit of up to 15,000 US dollars, paid only after the interview and only on the officer’s instruction.

Quick facts

Visa required

Visa required: Yes, a B1/B2 visitor visa
ESTA eligible: No, Mauritius is not in the Visa Waiver Programme
Cost: USD 185, unchanged since May 2023
Visa bond: Possible since 2 April 2026, up to USD 15,000, set by the officer
Interview: Required, in person
Passport validity: Your intended stay only, Mauritius is exempt from the 6-month rule

Entry requirements

A Mauritian passport valid for your intended period of stay. Mauritius is on the US exemption list for the six-month validity rule, so unlike most nationalities you do not need six months beyond the trip.
An approved B1/B2 visa. There is no visa on arrival in the United States and no ESTA route for Mauritian passport holders.
A completed DS-160 confirmation page and the 185 dollar fee receipt, both of which are checked at the interview.
Evidence of ties to Mauritius that will bring you home, such as employment, study or family, since the officer starts from the presumption that you intend to immigrate.
A return or onward ticket and evidence you can fund the visit.

How to apply for a B1/B2 visa

Complete the DS-160 online and pay the 185 dollar fee before booking anything. The fee is charged up front and is not returned if the visa is refused, which is the single most important thing to understand before you start.

Book the interview at the US Embassy in Port Louis, which handles nonimmigrant visa interviews for Mauritian applicants. In practice it is the appointment calendar rather than the decision that sets your timeline, so apply months ahead of a fixed travel date, not weeks.

Bring the DS-160 confirmation, your passport, the fee receipt, a compliant photograph and your evidence of ties. A refusal under section 214(b) is a finding that you did not overcome the presumption of immigrant intent, and reapplying without new evidence usually produces the same answer.

Good to know

A Mauritian passport is strong almost everywhere except here. It gets you into France, Italy and the rest of Schengen with nothing to arrange, and into Japan on a reciprocal exemption, so travellers reasonably assume the United States is a similar formality. It is not: it is the one major destination on this passport that needs a fee, a form and a face-to-face interview, and it is worth starting months earlier than the rest of your trip planning.
Mauritius joined the visa bond list on 2 April 2026, in the same revision as Mozambique, Seychelles and Lesotho, and the US Embassy in Port Louis states the rule plainly: a Mauritian found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 must post a bond of up to 15,000 US dollars, the visa is not issued until it is paid, and it applies wherever in the world you apply. The officer tells you the amount and how to pay at the interview. Never pay a bond through a third-party site or before being instructed; the embassy says so in as many words, and the deposit is refunded in full if you leave on time and comply with its conditions.
The 185 dollars buys a decision, not a visa. It is consumed whether you are approved or refused, and it does not carry over to a second attempt, so the cost of a weak first application is another 185 dollars rather than a reschedule.

Frequently asked questions

Do Mauritians need a visa for the USA?

Yes. Mauritius is not in the Visa Waiver Programme, so a B1/B2 visitor visa is required. An ESTA is not available on a Mauritian passport.

Can Mauritians travel to the US on an ESTA?

No. The ESTA is only for nationals of designated Visa Waiver Programme countries, and Mauritius is absent from that designation list. Applying for one instead of a visa wastes the fee and the trip.

How much does a US visa cost for Mauritian citizens?

185 US dollars for the B1/B2 application, paid before the interview and not refunded if the visa is refused.

Do Mauritians have to pay a US visa bond?

Possibly. Mauritius was added to the visa bond list with effect from 2 April 2026. The consular officer decides at the interview whether a bond applies and for how much, up to 15,000 US dollars, and the visa cannot be issued until it is paid. It is refunded if you comply and depart on time.

Does a Mauritian passport need six months validity for the United States?

No. Mauritius is on the US exemption list for the six-month rule, so the passport needs to be valid only for your intended period of stay. Most other nationalities do need six months beyond.

Why is a US visa harder than a French one for Mauritians?

Because the two rest on different arrangements. Mauritius has a visa waiver with the European Union, but no equivalent with the United States, which assesses every visitor individually at an interview.

Related pages

Other passports for the United States

Other destinations for Mauritius passport holders

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 23 August 2026.

US Department of Homeland Security — Visa Waiver Program designated countries. Mauritius is absent from the designation list. Read 2026-08-17.
US Customs and Border Protection, Carrier Liaison Program — Exemption of the Six-Month Passport Validity Rule: "Citizens of the countries listed below are exempt from the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay." Mauritius is listed. Read 2026-08-17.
Federal Register, 9 June 2026, Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (2026-11513) — USD 185 MRV fee
Federal Register, 3 August 2026, Visas: Visa Bond Program (2026-15726) — covered countries are published only on travel.state.gov, added on 15 days notice and modified on a rolling basis
US Embassy in Mauritius — Visas (mu.usembassy.gov/visas, notice): "Starting April 2, 2026, nationals of Mauritius who are found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond of up to $15,000"; the officer informs the applicant at the interview and gives payment instructions; never use a third-party site or pay before instructed; the visa cannot be issued until the bond is paid; applies regardless of place of application. The live site refuses automated clients, so read from the Wayback Machine’s 2026 capture. Read 2026-08-23.
Countries Subject to Visa Bonds, 18 March 2026 revision: Mauritius added, effective 2 April 2026, in a group of twelve with Mozambique, Seychelles and Lesotho, bringing the list to 50. travel.state.gov refuses automated clients, so this is taken from two independent immigration-law trackers (Ogletree, Fragomen) cross-checked on 2026-08-23 and corroborated by the embassy notice above. This page said "not listed" from 2026-08-17 to 2026-08-23 on the strength of the 6 January 2026 revision, which was already superseded.

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

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