Réunion
Phone Code
+262
Capital
Saint-Denis
Population
860,000
Native Name
La Réunion
Region
Africa
Eastern Africa
Timezone
Réunion Time
UTC+04:00
On This Page
Réunion is the French overseas department in the south-western Indian Ocean — 800 km east of Madagascar, 200 km south-west of Mauritius — built around the active shield volcano Piton de la Fournaise, the roadless mountain wilderness of Cirque de Mafate, the protected coral lagoon of the western coast, and a Creole cuisine and music tradition rooted in three centuries of Indian Ocean trade. It is part of France and part of the European Union, but it sits outside the Schengen Area — and that is the single most consequential entry distinction for visitors. EU citizens enter freely with a national ID card, no time limit. UK and US passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism or business, on a passport valid at least three months past the planned departure date and with proof of an onward or return ticket. A short-stay Schengen visa issued for mainland France does not grant entry to Réunion unless it is specifically endorsed for the DOM, so travellers needing a visa must apply through the French consulate covering their country of residence and request the overseas-department endorsement. Customs are strict on meat, dairy, and animal products, with limited exceptions for infant formula and prescribed medical foods, and yellow-fever vaccination may be required depending on the traveller's recent itinerary.
Réunion entry rules and visa policy
Réunion applies French immigration law as an integral overseas department, but with one decisive difference from mainland France: it is outside the Schengen Area. EU citizens — and citizens of EFTA states under free-movement agreements — enter freely with a national identity card and may stay indefinitely. Most non-EU travellers, including UK and US passport holders, enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business; the qualifying conditions are a passport valid at least three months past the planned departure date, evidence of onward or return travel, sufficient funds, and a yellow-fever vaccination certificate where the traveller's recent itinerary triggers the requirement. The Schengen trap is the single most-missed fact: a short-stay Schengen visa issued for France or any other Schengen state does not authorise entry to Réunion unless it has been specifically endorsed for the French overseas departments. Travellers from countries that need a visa for France must apply through the French consulate competent for their country of residence and explicitly request a DOM-valid visa. Stays exceeding 90 days, work, study, family reunification, and permanent settlement fall under the long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) procedures of mainland France, with documentation requirements (employment contract or admission letter, accommodation proof, health insurance, financial means) submitted at the French consulate of the traveller's country of residence well ahead of the planned arrival.
Common Visa Types
EU/EEA free movement
Citizens of EU and EEA member states — including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and so on — enter Réunion freely with a national identity card or passport, with no time limit on the length of stay. The same applies to Swiss nationals under the EU-Switzerland free-movement agreement. Suitable for tourism, extended stays, retirement, study, work, and permanent relocation; no visa or residence permit is required for the stay itself, though anyone settling for the long term will register with the local préfecture in the usual French way.
Visa-free short stay (up to 90 days)
Tourism and business visits for nationals of countries that hold a visa-waiver agreement with France — including the UK, the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and many others. Requirements: passport valid at least three months past the planned departure date, an onward or return ticket, sufficient funds for the duration of the stay, and a yellow-fever vaccination certificate where the traveller's recent itinerary triggers the requirement. The 90-day allowance covers Indian Ocean island vacations, volcano hiking on Piton de la Fournaise, multi-day trekking through Cirque de Mafate, beach and lagoon stays on the western coast, and short business meetings.
Long-stay French visa (visa de long séjour)
For stays beyond 90 days — work assignments, university or research enrolment, family reunification, retirement settlement, or any other long-term project on Réunion — applicants whose nationality is not visa-exempt apply at the French consulate competent for their country of residence. Supporting documentation typically includes a passport with adequate validity, an employment contract or admission letter from a French institution, proof of accommodation on Réunion, comprehensive health insurance, evidence of sufficient financial means, and a criminal-record certificate where required. Processing times vary by consulate and visa category; apply at least eight weeks before the planned arrival, and explicitly request a visa valid for the French overseas departments rather than mainland France only.
Travel essentials for Réunion
Réunion is one of the most dramatic islands in the Indian Ocean — a French overseas department that delivers European infrastructure alongside one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes. Piton de la Fournaise erupts multiple times a year and the marked trails to the crater rim cross extraordinary lava fields that visitors reach by car along the Route Nationale 2 to the Pas de Bellecombe trailhead. The Cirque de Mafate, a mountain enclosure with no roads — accessible only on foot or by helicopter — is one of the great wilderness hiking circuits in the world; the scattered Creole hamlets inside, like Ilet à Cordes, La Nouvelle, and Marla, are reached only by trail and offer accommodation in family-run gîtes. The western coast is a different island entirely: a protected coral lagoon with calm turquoise shallows, white beaches, and conditions for snorkelling, surfing, and paddleboarding. Réunion's cuisine is one of the most layered in the tropics, drawing from French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Malagasy traditions — carry, rougail saucisse, and rhum arrangé with local tropical fruits are the pillars of a food culture that rewards every market visit. Euro is the currency, French standards of safety and infrastructure the baseline, and direct flights from Paris on Air France and Corsair take around eleven hours — making this one of the most practically accessible remote volcanic islands on earth.
Discover Réunion
Ways to Experience This Destination
One of the world's most active volcanoes, erupting multiple times per year. The marked trail from Pas de Bellecombe descends into the Enclos Fouqué caldera and crosses lava fields to the crater rim — a viscerally dramatic hike through an alien landscape. The RN2 provides road access to the trailhead, making this reachable without a guide.
The only cirque in Réunion with no road access whatsoever — entry is on foot via steep mountain passes or by helicopter. The interior is dotted with Creole hamlets (îlets) where families run gîtes for trekkers. Multi-day circuits crossing into the adjoining Cirque de Cilaos or Cirque de Salazie are among the finest trekking routes in the French-speaking world.
Réunion's western coast is protected by a fringing coral reef creating a calm lagoon ideal for snorkelling, paddleboarding, and swimming. Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is the main resort hub; Saint-Leu hosts a world-class surf break. The Hermitage and Boucan Canot beaches are among the finest in the Indian Ocean.
Réunion's food culture blends French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Malagasy influences into a distinct Creole cuisine. The Saturday morning markets — particularly the marchés forains of Saint-Paul and Saint-Pierre — are the best entry point: carry (curry) stalls, rougail saucisse, bouchons, samossas, and dozens of bottles of rhum arrangé infused with local vanilla, passion fruit, and lychee.
Two further glacially carved mountain cirques, each dramatically different in character. Cilaos is drier and produces Réunion's only wine and a distinctive lentil; Salazie is lush and misty, home to the Grand Ilet valley and the cascade du Voile de la Mariée. Both are reachable by spectacular mountain roads and serve as bases for long-distance hiking trails.
Money & Currency
Euro (EUR)
Currency code: EUR
Practical Money Tips
Euro (EUR) — Réunion is a French Overseas Department (DOM) and full eurozone member since 1999; no currency exchange needed from France, Belgium, or other eurozone countries; GBP, USD, and CHF exchangeable at banks and bureaux de change in Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre; full French banking system: BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Caisse d'Épargne, Crédit Agricole, LCL, Banque de La Réunion; SEPA transfers from EU banks at no extra cost
Réunion is a French Overseas Department (Département d'Outre-Mer) and full eurozone member since 1999. Travelers from France, Belgium, and other eurozone countries need no currency exchange — the Euro is the official currency. GBP, USD, and CHF are exchangeable at major banks (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Banque de La Réunion, Crédit Agricole, LCL) and bureaux de change in Saint-Denis (the capital) and Saint-Pierre. SEPA bank transfers from EU banks incur no extra international fees. Réunion operates under the full French banking and regulatory framework, including FDIC-equivalent deposit guarantees.
ATMs widely available throughout Réunion — BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, Caisse d'Épargne, La Banque Postale, Banque de La Réunion in Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains; always withdraw in EUR; Wise and Revolut work well; remote areas (Cirque de Mafate, high mountain trails) are cash-only — carry sufficient EUR before hiking
ATMs are widely available in Réunion's main towns and tourist areas. BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, Caisse d'Épargne, La Banque Postale, and Banque de La Réunion have branches and ATMs in Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul, and Saint-Gilles-les-Bains. Always withdraw in EUR. Wise and Revolut work well at all bank ATMs. Important: the Cirque de Mafate (inaccessible by road — hiking/helicopter only) and high mountain trails are completely cash-only. Carry sufficient EUR before any multi-day trek. Remote gîtes (mountain lodges) often accept cash only.
French-standard card infrastructure — Visa and Mastercard accepted widely in tourist areas, hotels, supermarkets, and restaurants; Apple Pay and Google Pay work very well (full French banking compatibility); no tipping — service compris under French hospitality law; contactless payments widely used; remote areas and mountain gîtes are cash-only; American Express less accepted outside major hotels
Réunion has French-standard card payment infrastructure. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in tourist areas (Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre), hotels, supermarkets (Carrefour, Leclerc, Jumbo Score), and most restaurants. Apple Pay and Google Pay work very well — full compatibility with French banking apps (BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale). No tipping required — service is included (service compris) under French law. Contactless payments are widely used. Remote gîtes in the Cirques (Mafate, Cilaos, Salazie) and small local snack bars may be cash-only.
More expensive than mainland France due to island isolation premium: budget guesthouse Saint-Gilles EUR 60–100/night; mid-range hotel EUR 120–250/night; restaurant meal EUR 14–30; rougail saucisse or carry at a local snack EUR 8–12; Piton de la Fournaise hiking free; mountain gîte dinner and bed EUR 40–60/person (essential in Mafate — cash only); no tipping (service compris)
Réunion is more expensive than mainland France due to island supply chain costs and import taxes. Budget guesthouse in Saint-Gilles-les-Bains or Saint-Leu: EUR 60–100/night. Mid-range hotel: EUR 120–250/night. Restaurant meal: EUR 14–30. Local snack bar (rougail saucisse, carry poulet, samossas): EUR 8–12 — outstanding value for local cuisine. Piton de la Fournaise volcano hike: free entry. Mountain gîte in Mafate or Cilaos (dinner, bed, breakfast): EUR 40–60/person — book well in advance and bring cash as most gîtes are cash-only. No tipping — service is legally included in all bills.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
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