Entering and staying in Mayotte
Date of update
As a citizen of a State outside the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, do you want to reside and work in Mayotte?
In the French Overseas Departments and Regions (DROM), the entry and residence of foreign talent as well as the exercise of a professional activity is possible under the same conditions as in metropolitan France.
However, there may be some particularities in these overseas territories due to their characteristics. The specificities existing in Mayotte are explained in this fact sheet.
Applying for a visa
Short-stay visa
For stays of less than 3 months, foreign talents must apply for a short stay visa.
See our “Fact sheet: short-stay visas”
While the procedure for applying for a visa is similar to that for mainland France, certain special features apply to Mayotte as do other overseas departments (French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion Island and Guadeloupe).
As Mayotte is not part of the European territory of France, the Schengen agreements do not apply in this overseas territory:
- Foreign nationals holding a short-stay Schengen visa may not enter Mayotte using that visa;
- Foreign nationals issued a special short-stay visa for Mayotte may not enter the Schengen Area using that visa.
Refer to our fact sheet Requesting a short-stay visa
Long-stay visa
For stays of more than 3 months, foreign talents must apply for a long-stay visa.
See our “Fact sheet: long-stay visas”
Do you wish to travel from Mayotte to another French department?
Foreigners staying in Mayotte must be issued a special authorisation to enter another French department, as most of the residence permits issued in Mayotte are valid only in this territory.
Holders of residence permits entitling them to travel to another French department without further formalities
This applies to holders of the following residence permits:
- Talent Passport, with the statement “European Blue Card” or “researcher”;
- resident card;
- residence permit for a family member of a European citizen;
- residence permit for “private and family reasons”, issued to beneficiaries of subsidiary international protection; and
- residence permit issued in France to a bearer of “long-term EU resident” status in another EU State.
Holders of residence permits requiring special authorisation to travel to another French department
Holders of residence permits other than those listed must receive special authorisation unless their nationality allows them to be exempt from it.
View our “Fact sheet: short-stay visas”
The authorisation will only be issued for a maximum period of 3 months, except under exceptional circumstances. It is issued by the representative of the State in Mayotte, following approval by the Prefect of the department the foreign is staying.
In order to request this special authorisation applicants must show:
- a travel document of which they are owner and which authorises them to stay in Mayotte;
- The documents accepted to establish the conditions of the stay in the destination department;
- Sufficient means of subsistence;
- Guarantees of return to Mayotte.
Do you hold a work permit and wish to travel to another French department?
Whatever the planned duration of their stay as professionals, foreign talents are required in principle to secure a work permit for the exercise of a salaried activity in the territory.
A work permit issued in a overseas department or region such as Mayotte is valid only there.
Foreign talents holding such an authorisation and wishing to travel to mainland France to exercise a salaried activity must secure a new work permit for the activity planned in another French department.
See our “Fact sheet: work permits“.
Will your under-aged child be with you?
Foreign minors residing in France are not subject to the requirement to hold a residence permit.
Minors whose parents hold a temporary, multi-year residence permit (such as the Talent Passport) or resident permit may benefit from a Underage child travel document (Document de circulation pour étranger mineur – DCEM).
In Mayotte, this document is issued to children:
- born in France; or
- born abroad and having legally entered Mayotte before age thirteen.
To travel from Mayotte to another French department, the holder of a DCEM issued in Mayotte must also secure a short-stay visa application from the Mayotte Prefecture.
In contrast, for the return to Mayotte, the minor child is exempt from a visa.
If the child does not hold a DCEM or is not eligible for one, a visa application will be necessary to be able to return to Mayotte’s territory after leaving it.