This passport thing, it’s a real head-scratcher. You wanna go somewhere, see the world, gotta have this little book. And this Mayotte place, sounds fancy, don’t it? Like a seahorse, they say. Sandy beaches and all that. I reckon it’s real pretty. But gettin’ there, that’s the trick. You gotta have that passport, or they won’t let you in, no sir.
Now, I heard some folks, they don’t need a visa for Mayotte. Lucky ducks. If you are from certain places like, um, Belgium, Germany, Italy… you can just waltz right in. For 90 days, anyways. Like Anguilla, Aruba, Austria, whatever those are. Sounds made up to me. And that’s if you wanna stay less than 90 days. But if you’re gonna stay longer in Mayotte, like to work or study, then you need that visa thing. More paperwork, more fuss. Ain’t nothin’ simple these days, I tell ya.
So, you need a Mayotte passport, and it’s gotta be good for at least three months. That’s what they told me. Three whole months! And these departments, they call ’em, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion Island, and this Mayotte. They ain’t part of that European place. They got their own rules, it seems. That Schengen thing, it don’t apply there. Complicated, ain’t it? Just to get somewhere you need all these rules.

If you ain’t from Europe, or some place called the European Economic Area, or Switzerland, wherever that is, you gotta figure this whole mess out yourself. That’s what I heard, anyways. They say you gotta make sure you follow all them foreign entry requirements, or you are gonna end up in a fix. Don’t want that, do we?
And the cost of this Mayotte passport, that ain’t cheap either. They say it’s 86 of them fiscal stamps if you’re a grown-up. 42 if you’re between 15 and 17. And 17 if you’re 14 and under. And if they take your picture at the counter, it’s 89! Highway robbery, I say. And what in the sam hill is a “fiscal stamp”, anyways? Sounds fishy.
Now some folks say everyone in Mayotte can get a French passport. Guess that’s handy. And they say there are these account manager fellas that can help ya through it all. No need to call those centers, they got friendly folks to help. That’s good, I reckon. Those call centers, they just put you on hold forever.
There’s this thing called a passport or travel visa service, some folks use them. They help you with the whole thing. But you have to pay them extra money, you know. Always some catch. So to get to Mayotte you gotta have the right papers. No way around it. If your passport ain’t valid for long enough, they ain’t gonna let you in.
- You need that passport to go most places, not just Mayotte.
- Mayotte ain’t part of that Schengen Agreement, so you gotta be careful.
- You can stay in Mayotte for 90 days without a visa if you’re from certain places.
- That Mayotte passport costs a pretty penny, with them fiscal stamps.
- If you are from somewhere else, you might need both a passport and a visa for Mayotte.
- It’s best to check with someone who knows about these things before you go.
You gotta learn how to apply for one of these passports. I heard you can do it in person. Then you gotta check your application status, whatever that means. And then if everything is good, maybe, just maybe, you will get your passport and you can go to Mayotte.
And don’t forget, you gotta have that passport for at least three months after you plan to leave. They’re real strict about that, I hear. They want to make sure you are really leaving when you are supposed to. And you gotta make sure you don’t lose that passport either. That would be a whole other mess. Best to keep it safe, somewhere you won’t forget it.
They say Mayotte is an “offbeat destination”, whatever that means. So maybe it is more trouble to get to. You really need to check if you need a passport, or a visa, or both. Maybe you need neither! Who knows. But you gotta make sure you do your research before you go.
So, if you’re thinkin’ about goin’ to this Mayotte place, make sure you got your ducks in a row. Get that passport sorted, figure out that visa business, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be sittin’ on one of them sandy beaches someday. Just don’t forget your sunscreen! And watch out for them seahorses. Or maybe they meant the shape of the island. Who knows? It’s all a bit much for this old gal, I tell ya.