Mayotte sits at the south-eastern end of the Comoros archipelago, in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and the African coast. Its two main islands are Grande-Terre, home to the capital, Mamoudzou, and the much smaller Petite-Terre, where flights land, and both lie inside a lagoon enclosed by a double coral barrier and dotted with some thirty islets. Mayotte is an overseas department of France and an outermost region of the EU, so it is covered by Roam Like at Home: an EU SIM behaves exactly as it does in its home country, while UK and other non-EU SIMs follow their operator's own roaming terms. The island is still recovering from Cyclone Chido, which struck in 2024.
Key facts for Mayotte
- EU roaming: covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: varies by plan
- Emergency numbers: 112; ambulance 15; police 17; fire 18
- Embassies: none, as Mayotte is part of France; British and Canadian consular help comes from Paris
Water, power and the cyclone season
Most services have been restored since Cyclone Chido, but cuts to drinking water and electricity can still happen, and the hospital, although open, has not recovered all of its services. Two longer-standing problems add to that: years of below-average rainfall have brought regular water shortages, and the island depends on a single electricity provider, so outages follow bad weather. Keep bottled water in your room, carry a charged power bank and ask your host how they cope during a cut. The cyclone season normally runs from December to April; follow Météo-France and the instructions of the local authorities.
Pickpockets, car crime and protests
Canada asks its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution here because crimes of opportunity are so common. Pickpocketing and bag snatching happen frequently, and thieves pick out foreigners in the Kawéni district of Mamoudzou and in crowded places such as markets, the airport and hotel lobbies. Homes rented by foreigners are sometimes burgled, and car theft, break-ins and carjackings occur, with rental cars a favoured target, so lock the doors while driving and leave nothing inside when you park. Gang violence, often involving knives or firearms, is not usually aimed at visitors, but bystanders can be caught up in it. Spontaneous demonstrations over social and economic tensions break out in the main towns, have led to clashes with the security forces and can block roads and disrupt services. Avoid deserted streets at night and take care at cash machines. Women travelling alone may face harassment.
The lagoon: turtles, whales and safe diving
The lagoon is protected by the first marine nature park created in overseas France. At N'Gouja beach you can swim with green turtles grazing the seagrass at high tide, as long as you never touch them. Humpback whales arrive from Antarctica to breed between July and the end of October, and the boat operators who take visitors out to watch them follow an approach charter. Divers head for the S-shaped pass in the eastern barrier, 4 kilometres long with more than a dozen sites. Dive schools may have limited resources and do not always keep to safety and maintenance standards, so check an operator's credentials, look for oxygen on board, ask how a diver would reach a hyperbaric chamber and read your insurance conditions. Sea rescue may not match international standards, and hikers inland should go with an experienced guide rather than alone.
Entry, the ferry and the roads
British visitors can stay up to 90 days without a visa, with a passport that expires at least 3 months after the day they leave. Although Mayotte belongs to France and the EU, it is not part of the Schengen area, so anyone who needs a visa should check that theirs is valid for Mayotte. A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from a country with a risk of transmission, officials may ask for a return ticket and proof of funds, and meat and milk products cannot be brought in. After landing on Petite-Terre, a ferry crosses to Grande-Terre; skip any boat that looks overloaded. There is no public transport, so you may need to rent a car, though many rental firms want drivers aged 25 or over with two years' experience. French driving laws apply, roads are mostly paved but in places potholed and poorly lit, and taxis are best booked through your hotel rather than hailed. The currency is the euro, with cash machines in Mamoudzou and on Petite-Terre.
Mosquitoes and medical care
Chikungunya, dengue and malaria are all present. TravelHealthPro, the UK's official travel health website, rates the malaria risk as low and recommends avoiding bites, yet it reported malaria cases in 2026, some acquired locally around Chirongui, Bandrélé and Dembéni, along with chikungunya, so cover up and use repellent. For medically necessary treatment in the public system, bring a European Health Insurance Card or, from the UK, a GHIC; neither replaces travel insurance, which you need for private clinics or repatriation.
Getting connected
With an EU SIM: nothing changes; your home plan works on Mayotte's networks as it would in your own country.
With a SIM from outside the EU: add a travel eSIM before you fly so it connects as soon as you land on Petite-Terre. A Mayotte plan runs on 4G where available. A Europe Extended plan covers Mayotte together with mainland France, a Mediterranean plan or a World plan include it too, and an Africa plan adds Madagascar and the Comoros, where EU roaming rules stop. Keep your usual SIM for bank verification texts, with data roaming off, and charge your phone whenever the power is on.
Consular protection: who to call in Mayotte
- Dial 112 for any emergency service, or 15 for an ambulance, 17 for the police and 18 for the fire brigade. For trouble at sea, Canada lists 196 for the coastguard.
- Mayotte is part of France, so there are no embassies on the island: British nationals are looked after by the British Embassy in Paris, and Canadians by the Embassy of Canada in Paris, whose consular district includes Mayotte.
- Look up in the Telcomia app which of your country's missions covers Mayotte, and keep its phone number with your travel documents.
- French is the official language.
Questions travellers ask about Mayotte
Will my EU SIM work in Mayotte?
Yes, just as at home: Mayotte is part of the EU and is covered by Roam Like at Home.
Are water and power back after Cyclone Chido?
Mostly, but cuts to drinking water and electricity can still happen, so keep bottled water in reserve and a power bank charged.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in Mayotte?
It depends on the plan; the Mayotte plans run on 4G.
When can I see humpback whales?
Between July and the end of October, when they come to the lagoon to breed. Choose an operator that follows the approach charter.
The short version
Install the eSIM before flying if your SIM is from outside the EU, check that any visa you hold is valid for Mayotte, keep bottled water and a power bank for outages, wear repellent, lock the car and leave nothing in it, avoid demonstrations, check a dive centre's safety kit, and save 112 and 15.
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