Mauritius Country Codes at a Glance

The Mauritius country code for international phone calls is +230. The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code is MU, the alpha-3 code is MUS, the numeric code is 480, and the country's internet top-level domain is .mu. These four identifiers appear on forms, databases, shipping labels, SIM cards, and airline booking systems, so knowing which one is needed in which context saves a surprising amount of time.

The International Dialling Code: +230

What +230 Means and How to Use It

When you dial a Mauritius number from abroad, you replace the international access prefix of your own country (00 in most of Europe and Africa, 011 in North America) with the plus sign, then add 230, then the local number.

All landline and mobile numbers in Mauritius are eight digits long. There are no area codes to drop or add. The number simply sits directly after +230.

Example: A Port Louis office number listed locally as 2xx xxxx becomes +230 2xx xxxx when dialled internationally.

Example: A mobile number starting with 5 listed as 5xxx xxxx becomes +230 5xxx xxxx.

If you are using a messaging app such as WhatsApp, enter the number in full international format including the + sign. The app will not recognise a Mauritius contact stored without the country code prefix.

Calling from Mauritius to Another Country

To call out of Mauritius, dial 00 (the international access code used in Mauritius), then the destination country code, then the number. For example, to reach a UK number: 00 44 followed by the UK number without its leading zero.

Mobile Networks and the +230 Code

Mauritius has three main mobile operators: Emtel, My.t (Mauritius Telecom), and Chilli (MTML). All numbers on all three networks fall under the +230 code. There is no separate code for mobile versus landline; the first digit of the eight-digit local number indicates the type of line (5 is typically mobile, 2 or 4 is typically landline or business), but the country code is always 230.

Roaming Into Mauritius

If you arrive in Mauritius with a foreign SIM, your phone will connect to a local network automatically. Callers reaching you from abroad still dial your home country code and your original number; your operator routes the call to wherever you are roaming. If you buy a local SIM in Mauritius, your new number will carry the +230 prefix.

ISO 3166-1 Country Codes for Mauritius

ISO 3166-1 is the international standard that assigns short codes to every country and territory. Mauritius has three formats under this standard.

Alpha-2: MU

The two-letter code MU is the most widely used ISO code for Mauritius. You will see it in:

  • Passport machine-readable zones (the MRZ strip at the bottom of the photo page)
  • Internet domain registrations (.mu is derived from this)
  • Currency and banking systems (the Mauritius rupee is coded MUR in ISO 4217, built on the same MU root)
  • Airline booking systems and IATA data
  • E-commerce checkout forms where you select your country from a dropdown
  • Government API integrations and customs declarations

Alpha-3: MUS

The three-letter code MUS appears in contexts where three characters are required for uniqueness or legacy reasons:

  • United Nations statistical databases
  • International sports competitions (the Mauritius Olympic team competes under MUS)
  • Some financial messaging standards and trade documentation
  • World Bank and IMF data sets

Numeric: 480

The numeric code 480 is assigned to Mauritius under ISO 3166-1. It is used in some customs and logistics systems, particularly where alphabetic characters cannot be stored reliably, and in certain UN trade data formats. Most travellers and businesses will rarely need this code, but it is worth knowing if you work with customs declarations or international freight.

The Internet Country Code: .mu

The Mauritius top-level domain is .mu, administered by the Internet Direct Ltd (IDL) on behalf of the Mauritius government. Registrations under .mu are open to both local and international entities, though some second-level domains carry restrictions.

Common .mu Second-Level Domains

Domain Typical use
.com.mu Commercial businesses
.org.mu Non-profit organisations
.net.mu Network providers
.ac.mu Academic institutions
.gov.mu Government bodies
.co.mu General commercial use

Government websites in Mauritius use the .gov.mu suffix. When you are looking up official information from bodies such as the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) or the Economic Development Board (EDB), a .gov.mu or .govmu address is a reliable signal that the source is official.

Where Each Code Appears in Practice

Understanding which code to use in which situation prevents form errors and failed calls. Here is a practical breakdown.

Filling in Online Forms

Most international booking, banking, and government forms present a country selector. When you choose Mauritius, the system internally assigns the ISO alpha-2 code MU. If the form asks you to type a country code manually (rare but it happens), use MU for two-character fields, MUS for three-character fields, and 480 for numeric fields.

International Bank Transfers

When sending money to a Mauritius bank account, the recipient's IBAN or account number is paired with a SWIFT/BIC code that identifies the bank. The country portion of a Mauritius SWIFT code will include MU. The currency code for Mauritius rupees in any transfer instruction is MUR.

Shipping and Courier Labels

International couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) use ISO alpha-2 codes on labels and in their booking systems. Mauritius appears as MU. If you are shipping to Rodrigues Island, which is part of Mauritius, the same MU code applies; Rodrigues is an autonomous island of the Republic of Mauritius and shares its country codes.

Rodrigues and Other Islands

The Republic of Mauritius includes the main island, Rodrigues, and several outer islands (Agalega, Saint Brandon). All fall under the +230 dialling code and the MU/MUS ISO codes. Rodrigues numbers are eight digits like mainland numbers; the first digits typically indicate the Rodrigues exchange.

Travel Documents and Visa Forms

When Mauritius citizens fill in visa applications for other countries, they select MU or MUS as their nationality code and MUR as their currency. The passport issuing country is listed as MUS in machine-readable zones.

Mauritius Country Code vs. Currency Code

A common source of confusion is the difference between the phone country code (+230), the ISO country code (MU/MUS), and the currency code (MUR).

  • +230: used only for telephone dialling
  • MU / MUS / 480: used for identifying the country in databases, documents, and systems
  • MUR: the ISO 4217 code for the Mauritian rupee, used in financial transactions and exchange rate listings

These three sets of codes are related but serve entirely different purposes. A bank transfer form will ask for MUR; a phone dialler needs +230; a shipping label needs MU.

Historical Context: Why 230?

International telephone country codes are assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the E.164 numbering plan. The ITU groups countries by region. Zone 2 covers Africa. Mauritius was assigned 230 within the African zone, alongside other island and southern African nations. The assignment dates to the era of analogue international telephony and has remained stable since.

The .mu domain was delegated in 1995 as part of the early wave of country code top-level domain (ccTLD) assignments that followed the expansion of the internet beyond research networks.

Quick-Reference Summary Table

Code type Code Used for
International dialling +230 Calling Mauritius from abroad
ISO alpha-2 MU Forms, shipping, databases
ISO alpha-3 MUS UN data, sports, some trade docs
ISO numeric 480 Customs, legacy systems
Internet TLD .mu Websites registered in Mauritius
Currency (ISO 4217) MUR Bank transfers, exchange rates
International access (outbound) 00 Dialling out of Mauritius

Practical Tips for Callers and Travellers

Save numbers in full international format. If you store a Mauritius contact as +230 5xxx xxxx rather than just 5xxx xxxx, the number will work from any country without editing.

Check the eight-digit rule. If a Mauritius number you have been given is fewer than eight digits, it is incomplete. All valid Mauritius numbers, landline and mobile, are exactly eight digits after the country code.

Use + not 00 in smartphone contacts. The + symbol is universally recognised by smartphones and will automatically substitute the correct international access code for whichever country you are calling from. Storing 00230 instead of +230 can cause failures when roaming.

Verify official sources online. Look for .gov.mu domains when checking government information. The MRA (mra.mu) handles tax matters; the EDB (edbmauritius.org) handles investment and permit queries.

WhatsApp and messaging apps. When adding a Mauritius contact to WhatsApp or similar apps, always include the country code. The format is +230 followed by the eight-digit number, with no spaces required by the system (though spaces are fine for readability).

SMS from abroad. International SMS to Mauritius follows the same format as voice calls: +230 followed by the eight-digit number.

Frequently Asked Questions

See the FAQ section below for direct answers to the most common questions about Mauritius country codes.