Immigration
A national entry regime shaped by the Mayotte question
Entry and residence are governed by national legislation. The dominant practical issue is movement between the three Union islands and French-administered Mayotte, which Comoros claims, and which makes the maritime route a matter of contested sovereignty rather than ordinary immigration law.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The immigration authorities control entry; nationality questions go to the ordinary courts.
- Deadline — Visa on arrival available for many nationalities
- Deadline — Residence permit: applied for after arrival
Governing law
- Legislation on the entry and residence of foreign nationals
- Instruments concerning the status of Mayotte, claimed by the Union
- Loi on nationality
In practice
Comorian immigration law cannot be described without the Mayotte dispute: the Union regards Mahorais territory as Comorian, so movement that France treats as illegal immigration is treated by Comoros as internal, and this disagreement rather than any domestic statute defines the field.