TOP 10 TIPS TO RELOCATE TO MAURITIUS WITH YOUR PETS

We appreciate the process to relocate pets can be burdensome and viewed as a roadblock when deciding to relocate to another country. Pets are part of the family and considering a move without your pet, can be unthinkable for many thus creating an additional stressor to the relocation process and all-important step in the initial stages of weighing up a move.

Here are 10 tips to ease your mind on the process of emigrating your pets to Mauritius –

1. Pets must be microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 compliant chip; this must be a 15 digit and non-encrypted microchip. After it has been implanted, same must be scanned by your veterinarian immediately thereafter.

2. Dogs or cats must be vaccinated prior to relocating to Mauritius. Vaccinations for rabies are essential and must be take between 60 days and 1 year of entry for initial vaccinations or between 30 days and 1 year for any booster vaccinations thereafter. Other vaccinations for dogs include – Canine Distemper, Leptospirosis, Infectious canine hepatitis, and Canine Parvovirus. For cats specifically, on the other hand, include – Feline Enteritis, Feline Rhinotracheitis, and Feline Calicivirus.

3. All dogs and cats emigrating to Mauritius must have a rabies titer test no sooner than 30 days and no more than 6 months in advance of the date of entry. The test must be done by a licensed veterinarian and a letter provided to confirm it was compliant with regulations.

4. An Import Permit is required. The recommended lead time to secure an import permit for your pet is 3 – 6 months. Take note that the following breeds of dogs are not allowed into Mauritius:

– American Pit Bull Terrier Japanese Tosa
– American Staffordshire Terrier Dogo Argentino
– Staffordshire Terrier Fila Brasileiro
– Blue Nose Pit Bull Boerboel
– Red Nose Pit Bull

5. The pets have to also obtain a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian certifying compliance with the requirements and countersigned by a Government authority such as having been treated by a long lasting insecticide (name must be indicated) against ectoparasites and they are free from external parasites at the time of export. The health certificate has to be issued within 48 hours of departure.

6. Your pet shall only be allowed entry with the approval of the Veterinary Officer of Mauritius. The Veterinary Officer must be notified of time of arrival and port of entry at least 3 days prior to arrival time. Once cleared, your dog will be subject to a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of 30 days of quarantine unless entering Mauritius from New Zealand or Australia in which case it will be 5 days.

7. Pets can enter Mauritius if it comes from a country that is deemed rabies-controlled or rabies-free by the OIE. Pets from high-rabies countriesor from areas where rabies has occurred within the past 12 months will not be allowed entry.

8. Birds, invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits are not subject to requirements of rabies vaccination, but other requirements may be needed and should have a health certificate to allow their entry into Mauritius.

9. Pets have to be continuously residing in South Africa for 6 months prior to export to Mauritius and must be sterilized before export and entry into Mauritius.

10. Location of the quarantine site is in Beau-Bassin Rose-Hill, a town in Mauritius, located in the Plaines Wilhems District.

While pet relocation can be a complex process, with the correct information well in advance and the assistance of a specialist, it can be an effortless process without impacting your desire to relocate to the island-style life. Should you require more information, or are interested in relocating to Mauritius, please contact us.