Tag: Mauritius

Is Mauritius Good for Digital Nomads? 10 Things to Consider

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In September 2022, I spent one month working in Mauritius as a digital nomad with my family. We stayed in the north of the island in Grand Gaube, which is a quiet, coastal spot with sea breeze and delicious food.

Mauritius has recently developed a reputation as one of Africa’s hottest digital nomad destinations. The visa is easy to obtain, the Internet is fast, and the people are super friendly.

As a result, I’ve seen lots of generic blog posts explaining why you should consider Mauritius as your next digital nomad destination.

Therefore, I’ve decided to write this article to give insight into what it’s actually like to spend time working in Mauritius, so you can decide for yourself – is Mauritius good for digital nomads?

Here are 10 things to consider.

Hiring a car is pretty much essential

When you look at Mauritius on a map, one of the first things you might think is just how small it looks, particularly when compared to other African islands like Madagascar.

But to get around Mauritius as a digital nomad, you really need to hire a car. The island is served by buses and there is even a metro in Port Louis (the capital city), but given that many of the island’s “must sees” are in different regions, a car is the best way to get around.

We hired a car for around $25 per day for our trip and we used it every day. The Airbnb that we rented was stunning, but it wasn’t close to any amenities or points of interest, so we would have been stuck without it.

The reason I mention this here is that if you’re spending a long time in Mauritius as a digital nomad, the cost of hiring a car is something that you should incorporate into your budget.

But traffic can be a problem

You would be forgiven for thinking that paradise islands like Mauritius don’t need to worry about traffic. But you would be wrong.

If you travel through the Quatre Bornes area or in and around Port Louis at rush hour, expect to be stuck in gridlocked traffic for a fair amount of time.

Granted, traffic isn’t much of an issue in the coastal areas, but you do need to plan your movements accordingly, particularly if you’re spending time in Port Louis or Ebene, as I introduce below.

Ebene is the business hub on the island

Ebene is the main business hub in Mauritius and is located in the west of the island. If co-working is important to you as a digital nomad, Ebene is perhaps the best spot on the island.

Regus has a co-working space in Ebene with affordable rates, and it’s a good office space to set up in with great internet and the opportunity to meet other digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.

There are lots of short and mid term rentals available in and around Ebene, too, so it’s potentially a great spot to choose if you’re thinking about spending some time as a digital nomad in Mauritius.

Though Airbnb is a good option if you’re looking for short-term rentals, check out Lexpress for longer term rentals in Ebene and the surrounding areas.

But it’s not by the coast!

We stayed in the north of the island in Grand Gaube – the beaches were stunning, particularly at sunset!

Though Ebene is the business hub of the island, it’s not by the coast. Given that many digital nomads are attracted to life in Mauritius because of its stunning beaches, this can be an issue.

The closest tourist spot to Ebene is the coastal town of Flic en Flac, but the beaches are a good 30-60 minute drive away, depending on traffic.

Of course, every digital nomad is different, but if you want to benefit from living and working from Ebene, you need to sacrifice your dream of renting a beach-side apartment for the duration of your stay on the island.

Mauritius isn’t cheap

I’ve seen several writers online suggest that Mauritius is a good option for digital nomads because it’s cheap. I don’t think this is necessarily true.

Cost is relative, and while Mauritius has a cheaper cost of living than many countries in Western Europe and the US, it’s expensive compared to popular digital nomad spots in Eastern Europe (Georgia) and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, etc.).

I found the cost of groceries to be comparable to those in the UK, though eating out was slightly cheaper than enjoying a meal out at a restaurant back home.

Refer to this handy Mauritius cost of living guide to plan your budget accordingly before travelling.

But it’s not overly expensive, either

As mentioned, cost is relative and what is cheap to someone is expensive to someone else. I’m certainly not saying that Mauritius is expensive, particularly for digital nomads from Western Europe.

But I think it’s important to look past lazy suggestions that imply that Mauritius is this super cheap island paradise that is the perfect spot for digital nomads.

Nuance is required and you need to do your own sums, based on how you plan to live and where you plan to stay when you visit Mauritius as a digital nomad.

There are good international schools for nomad families

We enjoyed our month in Mauritius so much that we’re seriously considering returning for a longer spell (perhaps up to a year), in the near future.

Given that we’re a family of four (with another on the way!), the quality of international schools in Mauritius is something that we have done a fair amount of research into.

If you’re a digital nomad family, you can opt to send your kids to international schools in different parts of the country, depending on where you’re planning to live.

After doing lots of research online and contacting various schools directly, my wife and I settled on the following three schools that we could potentially send our kids to, should we return to Mauritius as a nomad family:

If you’re a digital nomad family, you can use these three schools as the starting point for your research, but be mindful that there are lots of other good schools available in Mauritius!

The food is great

Enjoying freshly caught fish at one of our favourite restaurants during our time as a digital nomad family in Mauritius.

One of my favourite things about spending time in Mauritius as a digital nomad was the food. Mauritian food is best described as a Creole infusion, with delicious spices, flavours, and textures.

Seafood is a big part of the local culinary scene, and one of the best meals I had was a Creole fish curry that was one of the most delicious plates of food I’ve ever tasted!

The malls in Mauritius also offer chain restaurants (McDonalds, Spur, etc.) that are great if you’re looking for cheap eats for the kids.

You will also find Chinese cuisine, Indian restaurants, and a host of other brilliant restaurants dotted around the island that you can eat out at with your family and friends.

Depending on where and what you eat, you can expect to pay $10-$20 for a meal in a standard restaurant in most parts of Mauritius, which I think is good value given the quality of the food on offer.

The digital nomad visa is easy to apply for

In my opinion, the biggest stumbling block to life as a digital nomad is bureaucracy, particularly visas.

Mauritius’ Premium Visa, however, makes entering the country as a digital nomad extremely straightforward. It’s free to apply for and you can stay in Mauritius for up to one year. You don’t even have to prove how much you earn to apply.

One thing you should be aware of is that you need to prove to the immigration official where you are staying, by signing some form of rental agreement.

Still, the Mauritius digital nomad visa is extremely easy to apply for and makes the whole process so much easier. You can find out more or apply for the Premium Visa here.

Mauritians are extremely friendly

My wife enjoying a stroll through the botanical gardens in Mauritius, one of our favourite spots for weekend relaxation.

Last but certainly not least, I found the people of Mauritius to be extremely friendly and welcoming. Our Airbnb host Michael couldn’t do enough for us and helped us in practically every way imaginable.

Any time we ate out as a family we found restaurant owners and staff to be chatty and accommodating and it certainly added to the experience.

Though we weren’t in the country long enough to make any friends, one of the reasons that we hope to return to Mauritius is because we found the people to be so awesome.

This is undoubtedly one of the best things about the island and you will find Mauritians to be open and welcoming of visitors.

My verdict: Is Mauritius good for digital nomads?

So, is Mauritius good for digital nomads? I would say yes, it absolutely is.

As a family, we loved the month that we spent in the country, so much so that we’re seriously considering returning to the island for a year in the near future.

I hope that this guide has revealed some helpful insights into what it’s actually like to spend some time in Mauritius as a digital nomad.

But if you have any more questions about life as a digital nomad in Mauritius, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I will get back to you!

If you’re keen to explore other digital nomad options in East Africa, refer to my short articles that explain whether Uganda and Kenya have special digital nomad visas.

Does Kenya Have a Digital Nomad Visa?

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So many freelancers and remote workers in different parts of the world are opting to travel while working, as part of a global community known as digital nomads.  

But does Kenya have a digital nomad visa? How do you enter Kenya legally to work as a remote worker? Read on to find out everything you need to know about whether Kenya has a digital nomad visa in 2023.  

So, does Kenya have a digital nomad visa?

No, Kenya does not have a digital nomad visa. If you wish to enter Kenya for work, you are legally required to apply for the relevant work permit. For short-term stays of up to ninety days, you can apply for a tourist visa. Read on to learn more about how to legally enter Kenya if you’re planning to live and work in the country as a digital nomad. 

How can you legally enter Kenya for remote work?

As is the case with many countries around the world, if you want to legally work in Kenya, you must obtain the relevant work permit. Currently, Kenya offers Class A – Class K work permits, ranging from prospecting & mining to approved religious or charitable activities. You can find a detailed breakdown of all of the available work permits, as well as details of how to apply for them, here, via the Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services. 

Basically, to legally work in Kenya, you need to be sponsored by a Kenyan-registered company, as one of the main requirements is to provide an invitation letter. As most digital nomads are freelancers or self-employed business owners, this rules out the work permit option for the vast majority of remote workers looking to settle in Kenya. 

What about a Kenyan tourist visa?

A Kenyan tourist visa is extremely easy to apply for and you can do so online, via the government’s electronic visa portal. When I visited Diani Beach for a family holiday last year, I obtained my e-visa in less than two days, and it was an extremely easy and effortless process.  

Now, can you enter Kenya as a digital nomad on a tourist visa? Legally, no, you can’t, as the tourist visa clearly stipulates that any type of work is prohibited during your stay in the country. I’m a member of several online communities and I know of people who enter various countries around the world as digital nomads on tourist visas. However, it’s not legally permitted in Kenya, and I wouldn’t advise you to do so. 

If you’re planning to visit multiple East African countries on an upcoming trip, starting in Kenya, check out my complete guide to obtaining the East African Tourist Visa. 

Alternatives to Kenya for digital nomads?

Unfortunately, Kenya doesn’t currently offer a visa for digital nomads. This is also the case with most East African countries, as I explained in my guide to Uganda for digital nomads.  

Right now, the best country in East Africa for digital nomads is undoubtedly Mauritius – a stunning island off the East coast of the continent that has one of the easiest digital nomad visas to apply for.  

You can apply for a Mauritius digital nomad visa if you earn more than $1,500 per month and meet some other pretty basic requirements. Find out more about becoming a digital nomad in Mauritius here, if you have your heart set on working remotely in Africa. 

The verdict: Does Kenya have a digital nomad visa?

Right now, Kenya does not have a specific visa for digital nomads. If you wish to legally enter Kenya for work, you must apply for the relevant work permit, depending on the industry that you’re employed in. As more and more countries open their doors to digital nomads, I will update this article if Kenya decides to launch a digital nomad visa in the near future. 

Does Uganda Have a Digital Nomad Visa?

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Africa, as a continent, is late to the digital nomad party. While there are some brilliant programs up-and-running on the continent – Mauritius, Cape Verde, and Namibia – for instance, there certainly isn’t as much choice here as there is in Asia and Europe for anyone looking to work remotely as a digital nomad.

I live in Uganda with my family and a reader recently asked me – does Uganda have a digital nomad visa?

So, in this article, I layout everything you need to know about whether you can currently be a digital nomad in the Pearl of Africa and what the immediate future looks like for remote workers in this part of East Africa.

So, does Uganda have a digital nomad visa?

No, Uganda does not have a digital nomad visa. At the time of writing, the government has not announced any plans to launch one, either.

How can you legally enter Uganda for remote work?

As is the case with many countries in Africa, Uganda does not currently have a dedicated remote work or digital nomad visa.

Rather, the country operates a conventional work permit system, where you’re required to apply for a work permit based on the work that you’re planning to do in the country.

Unfortunately for remote workers, there currently isn’t a category that covers digital nomads generically. Essentially, if you want to work in Uganda legally, you must be invited by a Ugandan company.

You can find out more about Ugandan work permits and how to apply here.

What about a Ugandan tourist visa?

Residents of most countries can apply for an online tourist visa to enter Uganda. The visa is valid for a maximum of three months.

However, it clearly states on the tourist visa that any form of work is prohibited while in Uganda on this visa, whether that’s remote work or work undertaken with a Ugandan company.

I’m part of several online communities where I know of digital nomads who enter countries on tourist visas to work remotely. But I certainly wouldn’t recommend this in Uganda.

Though it’s disappointing, the fact that Uganda doesn’t have a digital nomad visa means that the government hasn’t yet decided to open the country to remote workers. I will update this article if this changes in the near future.

Alternatives to Uganda for digital nomads?

I fully understand why digital nomads might be attracted to Uganda. There are so many stunning natural places to explore and Kampala is a vibrant city (if not a bit chaotic!).

If you have your heart set on continuing your digital nomad adventure in East Africa, I highly recommend Mauritius as the number one destination.

Mauritius has a dedicated digital nomad visa that is available to remote workers who earn over $1,500 per month. What’s more, it’s completely free to apply for and it has a relatively quick turnaround time.

You can find out more about how to apply for the Mauritius digital nomad visa via Citizens Remote.

The verdict: Does Uganda have a digital nomad visa?

Unfortunately for would-be remote workers, Uganda does not currently offer a digital nomad visa. Unless you’re invited to work in Uganda, it’s difficult to obtain a work permit. As such, most international visitors who come to Uganda do so with a tourist visa, which can be obtained online.