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If you are going to be in Mauritius for a while, get yourself a 'Mauritian' Sim, and you should be able to do that once you get your visa but even then you will need to contact your bank and change your number. The other option is to activate your foreign number (Sim) on your phone every time you are expecting an OTP -- use a different phone or a dual SIm phone.  If you continue with a Tourist Sim, you will need to get your OTPs via email, or WhatsApp. You could contact your bank  directly and change the way you receive OTPs. The tourist Sim has lots of data but very little talk time and lasts only 30 days as you know, so your number will keep changing, but emails and WA will work anyway.

Hope that helps.

@Tookays

Thanks for your reply. I have been told by all staff at the Emtel stores (including at the main office in Port Louis, but also Grand Bay) as well as by staff at Chili mobile that Mauritian SIM's are not available to anyone who doesn't have a residence permit, and the Premium visa is considered by the visa office to be a 'tourist extension', so Premium visa holders cannot qualify for the normal numbers starting with '5'.

The tourist-pack SIM does not expire if one does not leave the country, I've been told, for example if you stay on, on a Premium Visa you just have to continue using the tourist-pack as your status does not change in terms of qualifying for a normal number.

This is quite strange situation i.m.o because the whole idea of the Premium Visa is to allow remote workers to come and work here, but remote workers use international online platforms and apps (such as Microsoft Teams, Pay-Pal, Gmail, Office 365, etc) that regularly require verification codes. So if a digital nomad who spends 2 or 3 years here on Premium Visa extensions, it's not clear how they are supposed to function normally with a number that's restricted to receiving Mauritius sms' only.

The issue I'm having is that the roaming on my foreign number has expired (and I cannot extend it, plus the foreign sim has just expired a week ago ...), so I urgently need a fully functioning local mobile number, but I'm blocked from obtaining one due to my status as a tourist/Premium visa holder.

Whenever I relocate, which I've done for many years, I always just get a local number and change it on all my apps and platforms and accounts I use (which is a requirement anyway in many cases) and continue normally. Unfortunately receiving OTP's via e-mail or Whatsupp is not an option with my bank in Europe for security reasons, it must be an OTP to the number the phone app is registered to.

That is strange.

Try the My.t stores. You will need your passport, NCID and proof of address in Mauritius. I assume you have an NCID number. If you do not have the NCID, ask the PIO in Port Louis to issue you one as soon as possible -- you will have to go to the office and request one.

Good luck.

Thanks again, but it's the same 'story' everywhere. These are (brand) new regulations. I've  just got confirmation again from Emtel. The bottom line is:

• Tourist SIMS (numbers starting with '7') are restricted to the island - they cannot receive external sms' from abroad. 
• Premium visa holders do not qualify for regular sims and will be limited to using the tourist numbers for their entire stay.
• If you are a digital nomad you would have to be on permanent roaming on your sim from your country of origin, otherwise you might experience difficulties doing international business from here (which makes Mauritius less than ideal for remote work i.m.h.o).

Hi Digi

I have a German sim and a South African sim - both my numbers are blocked for roaming, but I still receive messages from Germany and SA.

But, yes, generally the telecom set-up in Mauritius is not very forward-thinking.

Hi Shawn, thanks for the comment. My MTN S.A. sim stopped working a week back, probably because I've been here for more than a month -  no signal anymore. I've had to reinstall my banking app, so now it wants to pair with the phone's local number [tourist pack] and send me an sms for the OTP, which I can't recieve on this sim. Anyway, no point in repeating myself.

I was here last year on a Premium visa (and left for 6 months) and had no problem to get a normal sim and do business normally by simply updating my number to the Mauritian number (starting with '5'). If I knew in advance I would experience these restrictions this time around I would have come better prepared for long-term roaming or to keep my foreign sim active. Nevertheless, I think these restrictions are not well thought-through, but I'll leave it there. All the best.

@Digi-Nom@d Please write to the EDB regarding this problem ; I don't think things have been thought through properly by the authorities. This will make life difficult for those on Premium visa.

@Digi-Nom@d

Hi I had the same problem and  changed the OTP to be sent to my email.  It is working now.

Thanks for this tip, I am about to travel to Mauritius to sort out bank accounts, visa etc

You can use a virtual number from Fongo. Just do a Google search. It should work. It is a Canadian service but they have an International Edition for people outside Canada. It works like WhatsApp but can receive 2FA and OTP codes.

@Digi-Nom@d this is really ridiculous, we are experiencing the same issues and it's impacting

Banking, along side being able to funciton and do every day activities and task using online platforms like paying for

Car insurance renewals etc as we are unable to use the mobile apps to make payments etc. without a fully functioning '5' sim.

I dont think anyone in Premium Visa department has considered this in detail, it is a real hinderance to life here. And paying for and using services.

@LaughingDoDo  sorry to hear of this problem -- it is a difficult problem indeed.  When you get your premium visa, do you get the NCID card?