Moving to Botswana from Mauritania

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Mauritania to Botswana — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Mauritania to Botswana, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Tswana. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Mauritania and Botswana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MR
1.0
BW
11.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MR
9.5
BW
16.5

Mauritania performs better than Botswana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

MR
$302
BW
$1,310
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

MR
2.6
BW
3.8

Botswana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mauritania leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

MR
62.0
BW
55.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MR
1.0t
BW
2.7t

Mauritania generally does better on environment, though Botswana leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

MR
0.9
BW
7.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MR
13.2%
BW
2.2%

Botswana performs significantly better than Mauritania across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MR
10.3%
BW
24.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

MR
$2,198
BW
$7,778

Botswana generally does better on employment & economy, though Mauritania leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

MR
68.7 yrs
BW
69.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MR
30.2
BW
32.1

Botswana generally does better on family life, though Mauritania leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015–2021), Ministry of Finance (2016), Botswana Unified Revenue Service (2016). How we calculate this

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mauritania and Botswana. To live, work, or study long-term in Botswana, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Botswana's immigration authority.

Mauritania passport

Mauritania passport holder visiting Botswana

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Mauritania passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Botswana.
Botswana passport

Botswana passport holder visiting Mauritania

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Botswana passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Mauritania.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Botswana?

With 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Botswana can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Mauritania and Botswana.

Is Botswana safe for expats?

Mauritania performs better than Botswana across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Botswana is 11.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Mauritania.

How is healthcare in Botswana compared to Mauritania?

Botswana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mauritania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Botswana, compared to 2.6 in Mauritania. Botswana scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mauritania: 40).

What language do they speak in Botswana?

The official languages in Botswana are English and Tswana. In Mauritania, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

MR BW
Population 5,315,065 2,562,122
Currency Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRO) Botswanan Pula (BWP)
Languages Arabic English, Tswana
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +222 +267
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number — 999