How to move to Mauritius with your pet
Non-resident pet owners need to seek approval for Residence Permit before bringing their pet to Mauritius. Once the permit is obtained, the following procedures need to be followed for pet relocation.
Procedures for bringing your pets to Mauritius
As a first step, pet owners need to seek approval from the Mauritius Veterinary Committee, which is usually granted within 15 days. The application for an import permit must be submitted 3 to 6 months before entry. Remember to specify the reason for your visit.
Nevertheless, this approval is not the same as the actual approved permit for pet relocation. The veterinarian will perform a blood test on your pet to check for antibodies/rabies levels within 30 days of the vaccination, and a sterilization certificate will also be issued.
Your pet will undergo another blood test to detect the presence of ehrlichiosis and brucellosis 45 days before arriving in Mauritius. A certificate of good health will be issued 3-4 days before the departure day. This document must be validated by departmental veterinary services. Make sure to bring all the papers for your pet when leaving for Mauritius.
Rabies vaccination
All pets must be vaccinated against rabies, with the first vaccination administered between 60 days and 1 year before entry and boosters between 30 days and 1 year before entry. Additional vaccinations are required for dogs (canine distemper, leptospirosis, and canine parvovirosis) and cats (feline herpes disease, feline rhinotracheitis, and feline calicivirus).
Rabies test
Pets must undergo a rabies test by an approved veterinarian at least 30 days and no more than 6 months before entry. A letter from your veterinarian confirming compliance with regulations is necessary.
Important:
Ensure your pet is implanted with an ISO-standard 15-digit microchip.
You are also required to treat pets for external parasites and have them examined for internal and external parasites before traveling to Mauritius.
Obtaining an import permit for your pets in Mauritius
Once the veterinary results are obtained, you can proceed to apply for the import permit with the Mauritian Veterinary Services in Reduit. The approval process usually takes 2 working days, and the processing fee is Rs. 1,000.
You will need to provide all the details about your pet's arrival (date, time, flight number) to the veterinary authorities in Reduit at least 2-3 days before arrival. Upon arrival, your pet will be taken in at the airport in your presence. Please note that you'll need to present all the official/original documents at this point. If you are not able to present these documents, your pet will either be sent back to your country of origin or be euthanized.
Good to know:
Specific regulations exist for certain dog breeds, including registration requirements and restrictions on breeds like Alaskan Malamute, Bull Mastiff, Cane Corso, Dobermann, Kangal, Mastino Napoletano, Presco Canario, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Rottweiler. Some breeds, such as the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and others, are not allowed in Mauritius.
Pet quarantine in Mauritius
Pets must enter Mauritius through this airport, arriving in the cabin, hold, or as air freight. Also, pets must arrive via a direct flight. Pre-notification of arrival is required, and a broker's declaration is mandatory for dogs and cats arriving as airfreight.
Inform the Mauritius Veterinary Officer of your pet's arrival time and port of entry at least 3 days before arrival. Once approved, dogs undergo quarantine for 5 to 30 days.
Good to know:
Pets from Europe are quarantined for 5 days, during which you are allowed to visit them twice a day.
At the end of the quarantine, you must register your pet with the MSAW in Rose Hill (Rs. 500). A proof of payment also needs to be submitted to Reduit. You can then proceed with the payment for the quarantine period for your pet (Rs. 15 per day). Once the payment is completed and the registration is finalized with the MSAW, you will be able to pick up your pet and take it home.
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