Mauritius, Seychelles citizens get 90-day visa-free access to Schengen Europe

Citizens of Mauritius and Seychelles can enter Europe's Schengen Area without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180 days. The waiver covers tourism, visiting family and friends, and other permitted short-term activities.

The 90-day limit applies across the entire Schengen Area, not separately to individual countries. A traveller who spends time in France, Germany and Spain, for example, remains subject to the same 90-day allowance.

Schengen visa-free list and its limits

Mauritian passport holders can enter Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 days. Seychellois citizens have the same arrangement. The Schengen Area comprises 29 European countries where internal border controls have largely been removed: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Four countries in the Schengen Area are not members of the European Union but participate in the system: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Travellers must still meet border checks

Visa-free status does not give travellers an automatic right to enter a country. Border officials may ask for a valid passport, proof of accommodation, a return or onward travel ticket, evidence of sufficient funds, information about the purpose of the visit, and any other documents required under entry rules.

The waiver applies only to qualifying short stays. Travellers intending to work, study for longer periods or remain beyond 90 days generally need to meet separate immigration requirements.

Europe leads Africa air capacity

Europe remained the largest international destination region for airlines operating in Africa in August 2026, with 10.8 million scheduled seats, according to OAG data. The capacity accounted for 50.35% of the 21.5 million international seats scheduled across the continent during the month.

Total scheduled airline capacity across Africa reached 27.3 million seats in August 2026, up 8.4% from a year earlier. International services made up 21.5 million seats, or 79% of total capacity, while domestic routes accounted for about 5.8 million seats, representing an 11% year-on-year increase.

Canada changes C20 work permit rule

Separately, Canada has changed the rules for a key work permit exemption, blocking foreign workers from qualifying if they had not yet started their job with an overseas employer before relocating. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada published updated guidance on July 29, 2026, revising eligibility for the C20 reciprocal employment exemption, which allows certain foreign nationals to work in Canada without first undergoing a Labour Market Impact Assessment.