Can a Brit Drive in Mauritius? — Yes, Same Side, and a Lower Alcohol Limit

Mauritius is one of the more comfortable places a British driver can hire a car abroad, because so much of it works like home. The island drives on the left, the paperwork is light, and the real differences are in the rules for alcohol and accidents.

The licence verdict

GOV.UK says you can drive in Mauritius on a UK photocard licence, and you must carry it whenever you drive. If you still hold the old paper licence, you may need to update it first. Hire companies often set stricter terms of their own, such as a year of driving experience, a higher minimum age or an International Driving Permit, so check your booking; an IDP can only be bought in the UK, at a Post Office, before you fly.

Same side as home

Mauritius drives on the left, exactly as the UK does. You sit on the familiar side of the car and look the familiar way at junctions. The hazards are local ones: GOV.UK notes that accidents are common, some roads are narrow with no pavements, pedestrians and cyclists use main roads and even motorways day and night, and motorbikes often ride without headlights after dark.

Alcohol: far below the UK line

This is the rule that matters most. GOV.UK warns that drink-driving penalties, including fines or imprisonment, can apply even at very low levels, a quarter of England’s legal limit. There is no social-drink margin here; drive dry.

Chalk in the glovebox

Drivers are expected to carry yellow chalk or a similar yellow indelible marker. After an accident or breakdown, use it to mark your car’s position and registration number on the road surface before moving the car out of the way, where you can. During a tropical cyclone, usually between November and May, you may not leave your accommodation and car insurance often stops being valid.

For an ambulance, call 999 or 114. Keep your passport, licence and rental papers together and download offline maps before you set out. For the full island rules see our Mauritius driving guide, and confirm what you should carry with the Driving Permit Checker.

Sources

• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Mauritius, safety and security (UK photocard licence; hire company terms; yellow chalk; drink-driving at a quarter of England’s limit; road conditions; cyclones and insurance): gov.uk
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Mauritius, health (ambulance 999 or 114): gov.uk
• GOV.UK, international driving permits (bought at Post Offices in Great Britain): gov.uk