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Hi Cheryl,

First time posting here though I have been following a lot of threads and posts in the Mauritius forum.

You pose several questions here but I address specifically the one where you ask,

"What are the most common challenges encountered during your procedures?"

I am in the process of moving back to Mauritius after a two decade absence and what I am finding challenging is a lack of response to emails.  Depending on who one may be dealing with, there is a lot of variation. In the the private sector, response times vary from quite quick to slow (as in taking days to receive a reply) but that is okay because at least I have been getting replies.  Adopting a mental understanding/approach that I need to be patient as Mauritius is Mauritius and things don't move at the same speed as other parts of the world helps enormously.  However, for the public or government sector, I have read comments in the forum where applicants are getting zero responses from the EDB or similar institutions and are frustrated as applications are taking forever to process.

In my case, I am trying to get a response from the Veterinarian Dept. for bringing my pet to Mauritius and so far, 3 emails later over a three week period, has resulted in zero replies from them.  I am still applying my 'zen' but it is challenging

I believe that if Mauritius is going to come to grips with future development plans (post the 'cyber city' phase), a different ethos will be needed to get the top talent interested in coming to such a beautiful country.  Replying to applicants in cases where timing is sensitive, is going to be crucial.

I am going to keep at it but suffice to say, for a country that is show casing itself to the world, speed with written communications has big room for improvement. It need not be so slow.

As we all know, administrative procedures in Mauritius take time, and there is very little communication. If pushed, the usual answer is -- but you must understand that this is Mauritius -- as if this excuses tardiness.

Perhaps the minister for Information tech,  communications and innovation should take on this responsibility to make things better. 

One of the problems with administration procedures is other websites perhaps EXPAT.com as well in that very often what they advise people is either incorrect or out of date. Do these websites actually run regular checks tosee what the popular procedures now entail and update accordingly. I can see the frustration in that people prepare for submission papers that they thought were required only to find that the procedure is different now. You can hardly blame government departments if outsider groups are not chaecking and responsibly updating the information they are giving out. The best advice I would give is to contact or visit the appropriate government department and seek out what is required first hand and work from that. Always ask if they can give you a list of documents you need to produce or where the information is to be found.

There are two Mauritiuses living side by side. Cyber City and Traditional. The government and authorities work in the second sector. Compared to say Kenya, it is surprising  how few govt services are digitized and yes, emails are almost never answered. Also by the way phones. The foot pilgrimage to the bureau is usually the only way.

Partial information, even on govt websites, is pervasive. For example, changing your driving license as a foreigner (not as a Mauriian)  cannot happen if you are over 65 without a full medical exam. Nowhere on the Police website does it mention this, you only find out when you get to the Traffic Dept  and can't change your license. Where do you get this medical exam? Nobody knows.  What type of exam is it? Nobody can say. I  finally located a clinic that does it, turns out to be a full aviation pilot quality exam together with ECGs for heart problems! No Mauritian even aged 90 is subject to this exam. Why is it there? Nobody knows.

Mauritius has so many lovely retro feelings and facts about it. From the safer and more inncoent world of decades ago. However  they seriously need to  think of more digital services and streamline some proceedures.

@peterg123  excellent analysis! I have also found that if the right boxes are ticked, the computer makes a quick decision. However,if you have any queries, or if all the boxes are not ticked, it will take forever to get a reply. I think this is because no-one wants to make a decision, and everything gets pushed upwards till someone somewhere makes the decisions -- which is then pushed down stepwise till it gets to you. Patience is paramount.

Best wishes.

@Malgun9

Contact Hanna at Pet Relocations Mauritius, +230 5797 9027. She is available on WhatsApp too.

@peterg123

All my husband needed was a letter from our Docter confirming that he is physically fit to drive.  They accepted it.

@Ctruter1

Many thanks for the information, much appreciated.