Preparing your trip to the Comoros and Mayotte: the complete checklist

Practical guidePublished 25 October 2026 5 min read

Two to three months before: your papers

This is the first thing to check, because the archipelago brings together two different administrative realities: the Union of the Comoros (Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan) and Mayotte, a French department.

• Passport: for the Union of the Comoros, it must be valid for at least six months after your return date. A visa is issued on arrival for most nationalities; its price and length are set by the Comorian authorities. A return ticket and an accommodation address may be requested.
• Mayotte: European Union citizens enter with a valid identity card or passport. Mayotte is not part of the Schengen area: travellers who need a visa must obtain one that is specifically valid for Mayotte.
• Between the islands: going from Mayotte to Anjouan or Grande Comore means crossing a border. Always keep your passport with you.

Rules can change: check them with the embassy and in your country's travel advice before booking. All the details are on our Formalities page.

Four to six weeks before: health

Make an appointment with your doctor or an international vaccination centre four to six weeks before departure, to leave time for vaccines and to prepare treatments.

• Vaccines: bring your routine vaccinations up to date; depending on your itinerary, others may be advised (hepatitis, typhoid…). A yellow fever certificate may be required if you arrive from a country where it is present.
• Malaria: it is present in the Union of the Comoros, and cases are once again being caught locally in Mayotte. Ask for advice on preventive treatment for both destinations.
• Mosquitoes: dengue and chikungunya also circulate. Pack repellent, long clothes for the evening and, if needed, a mosquito net.
• Insurance: take out travel insurance that covers medical costs and repatriation.

If you have a fever during your stay or in the weeks after you get back, see a doctor without delay and mention your trip. Our Health and safety page gathers all the advice.

Money: bring cash

In the Union of the Comoros, the currency is the Comorian franc (KMF), pegged to the euro at a fixed rate: about 492 KMF to 1 €. Euros are easily exchanged at banks and bureaux de change. In Mayotte, you pay in euros.

The key point: cash machines are rare outside the towns. They are found mainly in Moroni and Mutsamudu, hardly at all on Mohéli, and bank cards are only accepted in a few hotels. So bring a reserve of cash in euros, split between several pockets. In Mayotte, cards and cash machines are common.

To estimate your budget (meals, rooms, boat trips, flights between the islands), see our Money and budget page.

One to two months before: flights, boats and accommodation

The two main gateways are Prince Saïd Ibrahim airport (Hahaya), north of Moroni, and Dzaoudzi-Pamandzi airport, on Petite-Terre in Mayotte. Allow 11 to 16 hours of travel from France depending on connections. See Getting there.

• Between the islands: regional flights link the four islands in 30 to 45 minutes, and boats offer cheaper crossings that depend on the weather. Timetables often change: keep a one-day margin in your itinerary. How it works is explained on our Getting around page.
• Accommodation: the supply is limited and fills up quickly in July and August, the season of grand marriages and of the diaspora's return. Book early and check access to water and electricity, which is sometimes intermittent. Our ideas island by island: Where to stay.
• Season: from May to October, the cool dry season is ideal for hiking and diving; from November to April it is hotter and there is a risk of cyclones, especially from January to March. See When to go.

Phone, electricity and time difference

• Sockets: 220-230 V, European plugs (types C and E). No adapter is needed from France or Belgium.
• Time: UTC+3 all year round, one or two hours ahead of Paris depending on the season.
• Dialling codes: +269 for the Union of the Comoros, +262 for Mayotte.
• Phone: ask your operator about rates abroad, which differ for the Union of the Comoros and for Mayotte. Once there, a local SIM card is often the simplest solution for a long stay.

Your luggage: the essentials not to forget

• Clothes: light and covering: away from the beaches, shoulders and knees covered, especially in the villages. A light sweater for the highlands and dry-season evenings.
• Shoes: good walking shoes if you are aiming for Karthala or the peaks of Anjouan, and water shoes against coral and venomous fish.
• Sun and mosquitoes: hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, repellent.
• First-aid kit: your usual medication in sufficient quantity, the prescribed antimalarial, something to disinfect and treat minor ailments, a filter bottle or water purification tablets.
• Practical: a head torch (power cuts), a power bank, cash in euros, and paper and digital copies of your documents.

The etiquette that opens doors

The welcome is warm, and a few simple gestures make all the difference:

• Photos: always ask permission before photographing someone, especially women and children.
• Pace of life: Islam shapes daily life and Friday midday is devoted to prayer. During Ramadan, whose dates change every year, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during the day. See our events calendar.
• A few words: marahaba (thank you), karibu (welcome), kwaheri (goodbye). An effort to greet people is always met with a smile.
• Invitations: accepting a tea or a meal is a mark of respect.

To find out more: Languages and customs.

The last week: final checks

• Reread your foreign ministry's travel advice and, for French nationals, register on Fil d'Ariane to receive alerts.
• Reconfirm your flights, especially flights and boats between the islands, and your arrival time with your accommodation.
• From November to April, keep an eye on Météo-France La Réunion's cyclone bulletins.
• Note down useful numbers: in Mayotte, 112, 15 (emergency medical service), 17 (police) and 18 (fire brigade); in the Union of the Comoros, the numbers given by your host and your embassy.

All set? All that's left is to choose your programme: our itineraries are waiting for you.