Mauritius

Mauritius has five accredited schools. Lycée La Bourdonnais, in Curepipe, runs from the final nursery year to the final year of lycée. École du Centre, near Moka, and École du Nord, in Mapou, run from nursery to Year 10, after which pupils usually move on to Lycée des Mascareignes, next to École du Centre, for Years 11 to 13. École Paul et Virginie, in Tamarin, takes nursery and primary pupils. The choice often goes hand in hand with where you live: centre, north or west coast.

Fees are paid in rupees and vary by school, level and often nationality. In 2026-2027, for a French family, expect for example from 156,000 rupees a year in nursery to 226,000 in lycée at Lycée La Bourdonnais, and 234,410 at Lycée des Mascareignes, plus a first registration fee of 40,000 to 100,000 rupees. School-by-school details are on our page: /en/cities/mauritius/school-fees/.

The five French schools share a common calendar, following the northern-hemisphere rhythm. In 2026-2027, school starts on Friday 28 August 2026 and ends on Friday 2 July 2027, with breaks in October, at Christmas, from late February to early March and from late April to early May.

Without a visa, you can stay up to three months. To settle, the working parent usually gets an Occupation Permit, applied for online by the employer through the Economic Development Board before arrival; the spouse and children receive a residence permit of the same length. Do not come on a mere tourist visa: schools require the child to appear on a parent's residence permit.

Yes, it is strongly recommended for a stay of more than six months. Registration on the register of French nationals abroad is done online on service-public.fr; it is free, valid for five years and makes paperwork easier (passports, school grants, civil status). Since August 2026, the embassy has been based in Telfair, Moka.

Expat families mostly use private clinics, in the centre, north and west, whose emergency departments are open day and night; the SAMU ambulance service answers on 114. The embassy publishes a list of French-speaking doctors by region, including paediatricians. Mauritius has no social security agreement with France: plan for the CFE or international health insurance with repatriation cover.

There is no malaria in Mauritius and yellow fever vaccination is only required if you come from an endemic area. Bring the whole family up to date with the French schedule; the embassy also advises hepatitis A and B. The real concern is mosquitoes, which carry dengue and chikungunya.

Mauritius drives on the left. A French licence is accepted for a tourist stay; once resident, you must exchange it for a Mauritian licence at the police Traffic Branch in Port-Louis. There is zero tolerance for drink-driving.

Everything is done by car, so choose by school first. The centre (Moka, Curepipe) is close to offices and to three of the five French schools. The west coast, from Flic en Flac to Tamarin and Rivière Noire, draws families for the sea, with École Paul et Virginie. The north, around Grand Baie and Pereybère, is the main expat hub, near École du Nord.

There is no FIAFE Accueil in Mauritius. The embassy lists two local welcome associations, Maurice Accueil and Tamarin Accueil, as well as UFE and Français du monde - ADFE; their up-to-date contact details are on its French associations page. Feel free to contact them before you leave.

Cyclone season runs from November to April. Follow the Mauritius Meteorological Services bulletins, keep a stock of water, food and torches, and check that your home can withstand strong gusts. During warnings and heavy rain, the government can close schools: your school passes on its decisions.