Driving in Mauritius for UK & South African drivers

What feels exactly like home

• Keep left, overtake on the right, right-hand-drive cars: Mauritius drives on the left, a legacy of British rule.
• Road signs and directions are in English, with familiar shapes and colours.
• Roundabouts are taken clockwise, giving way to traffic already on the roundabout, coming from your right.
• The main airport-to-north route is a dual-carriageway motorway, the M1 and M2, much like a British A-road or a South African N-road.

What is different

• Kilometres, not miles (for UK drivers): limits are in km/h, so 110 on the motorway is about 68 mph, 80 is 50 mph, 60 is 37 mph and 40 is 25 mph.
• Many roads carry their own posted limits of 60 or 70 km/h, and lower limits apply in villages and around schools: the sign always takes precedence. Speed cameras are common.
• Roads are narrow off the motorway, with pedestrians, buses and the occasional dog at the roadside. A realistic average is about 40 km/h once you leave the motorway.
• Many villages have few street lights: plan long drives in daylight, sunset is early in the tropics.
• Fuel is sold at one national price at every station, and most stations are attended: an attendant fills the tank for you.

Your UK or South African licence

The partner agencies on RentCar.mu accept a full UK photocard licence or a South African card licence for a tourist stay, without an International Driving Permit (IDP): both are printed in English. Bring the original card, not a photo or a copy on your phone. Some agencies ask for a licence held for at least 1 or 2 years and set minimum and maximum driver ages: these conditions are shown on each car's page.

An IDP is not needed by these agencies, but it can make a roadside police check quicker if you already have one. It has to be obtained in your home country before you travel. Our guide to driving licences in Mauritius covers age and experience conditions in detail.

What it costs, in pounds and rand

Cars currently start from Rs 1,300 per day, from licensed local agencies, with delivery to the airport included. Prices are set in Mauritian rupees (Rs, MUR); the site shows an approximate equivalent in pounds or rand next to each price, using the day's exchange rate. Use the currency selector at the top of the page to switch.

Booking online is free and needs no card: you pay the agency at pick-up, and a card in the main driver's name is usually needed for the deposit hold. Unleaded is Rs 77.70 per litre since 29 September 2026. Our price barometer shows what a fair daily rate looks like for your dates.

Collecting the car at the airport

International flights land at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport in the south-east. Most licensed agencies meet you at arrivals with a name sign, do the inspection in the car park and hand over the keys there. Give your flight number when booking so the agency can follow any delay. Mauritius is on UTC+4 all year: 4 hours ahead of the UK in winter (3 in summer) and 2 hours ahead of South Africa. See car hire at Mauritius airport and our airport pick-up guide.

Why book with a local licensed agency

RentCar.mu lists only agencies licensed in Mauritius (yellow PSV plates), with the real car and the real price on each page. You deal directly with the agency that owns the car, with no broker in between, and a local team that answers if anything happens during your stay.