A Comprehensive Guide to Long-term Residency in Mauritius
Country Profile:
Capital: Port Louis
Population: 1,265,475 (as of 2019, 158th)
thEthic Groups: 67% Indian, 28% Creole, 3% Chinese, 2% French
Area: 2,040 km2 (169th)
Offical Language: English & French
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
GDP per Captial: $29,349 (61st)
How To Immigrate To Mauritius:
IWhen it comes to immigration, Mauritius adopts an open-door policy, offering various avenues for individuals to relocate, including investment immigration, self-employment visas, passive income visas, and work visas tailored for graduates.
Residency by Investment:
Mauritius offers three distinct pathways for obtaining a 10-year residence permit, each catering to different types of investors and business owners. Applicants may renew their permits and qualify for extended residence under specific conditions.
1. Local Business Investment:
Initial Requirement: Invest a minimum of USD 50,000 in a local business.
Renewal Conditions: Eligible for an Occupation Permit renewal after 10 years if the business achieves a minimum annual gross income of MUR 4 million from the third year of operation onwards.
Permanent Residence: Eligible for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit after a minimum of 3 years of residency, upon meeting one of the following criteria:
An annual gross income of at least MUR 15 million for three consecutive years prior to the application.
Or, an aggregate turnover of MUR 45 million over any consecutive three-year period prior to the application.
2. Ownership of a Local Company:
Initial Requirement: The company must have a Net Asset Value of at least USD 50,000 and a cumulative turnover of at least MUR 12 million over the three years preceding the application.
Renewal Conditions: After 10 years, renewal of the Occupation Permit is contingent on the company achieving a minimum annual gross income of MUR 4 million from the third year of registration.
Permanent Residence: Eligibility for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit after at least 3 years of residency, provided one of the specified financial thresholds is met:
Achieving an annual gross income of at least MUR 15 million for 3 consecutive years preceding the application for the Permanent Residence Permit application
Or, achieving an aggregate turnover of MUR 45 million for any consecutive period of 3 years preceding the Permanent Residence Permit application.
3. Investment in High-Tech Machinery and Equipment:
Initial Requirement: A minimum investment of USD 25,000, with the total value of the high-tech machinery and equipment reaching at least USD 50,000.
Renewal Conditions: Eligibility for Occupation Permit renewal after 10 years requires the company to achieve a minimum annual gross income of MUR 4 million, beginning from the third year.
Permanent Residence: Qualification for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit after a minimum of 3 years of residency, contingent upon fulfilling one of the financial criteria outlined:
Achieving an annual gross income of at least MUR 15 million for 3 consecutive years preceding the application for the Permanent Residence Permit application
Or, achieving an aggregate turnover of MUR 45 million for any consecutive period of 3 years preceding the Permanent Residence Permit application.
For all pathways, an application fee of 1,000 dollars is required upon approval of the application.
Additionally, for those interested in applying for a 20-year expedited permanent residence permit in Mauritius, a minimum investment of $375,000 is required in either the Mauritian real estate sector or in a business.
There are four real estate options available in Mauritius:
1. Purchase land exceeding 10 hectares under the Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) project.
2. Purchase land below 10 hectares under the Real Estate Scheme (RES).
3. Purchase land under the Property Development Scheme (PDS), which emphasizes environmental protection and ecological balance maintenance.
4. Purchase land under the Smart City Scheme (SCS) plan, where a range of residential, commercial, and social activities on the land must be environmentally friendly.
Mauritius actively promotes various industries for business investments, including agriculture, audiovisual industry, film industry, banking and financial services, construction industry, education sector, environmental and green industries, logging and mining industry, information technology, infrastructure development, insurance industry, leisure industry, manufacturing industry, pharmaceutical industry, and more.
The government fees for the permanent residency program are as follows: $1,735 for the main applicant and $1,160 per person for dependents.
Once obtained, the permanent residency card remains valid for 20 years and can be renewed as long as the investment is maintained.
Self-employed Visa:
Mauritius offers a self-employment visa option with incredibly low requirements: Applicants simply need to deposit $35,000 in a local financial institution and maintain the funds without any movement. They should also have stable income sufficient to sustain their living in Mauritius. By meeting these criteria, applicants can obtain a valid 10-year visa.
The process begins bysubmitting a visa application through Mauritius’ online visa platform: business.edmauritius.org. Along with the application, applicants must provide essential documents such as passport, passport-sized photographs, birth certificate, marriage or divorce certificate, educational certificates, resume, and proof of sufficient passive income to support their life as a self-employed individual in Mauritius.
Once the application is submitted, the Mauritius government conducts the review process within one working day. Upon preliminary approval, applicants receive written notification. They are then required to contact the Mauritius Work Permit Department for an in-person interview, following the instructions provided in the notification.
After a successful interview, applicants need to complete the deposit, pay the processing fees, and in return, they are granted a long-term local residence permit valid for 10 years. Furthermore, if they can demonstrate an annual income of at least 800,000 MUR (approximately $17,500) from the third year onward, they can renew the permit for another 10 years upon expiration.
This self-employment visa does not impose any minimum residency duration requirements. Additionally, the applicant’s parents, spouse, and unmarried dependent children are also eligible to accompany them upon entry into Mauritius.
YPOP:
The Young Professional Occupation Permit in Mauritius offers a graduate work visa with a maximum validity of 3 years for individuals who have completed their studies at local colleges or universities.
Upon finding employment, local graduates can quickly transition to a work visa, enabling them to reside and settle in Mauritius.
Premium Visa:
Mauritius provides a visa application channel called the “Premium Visa” for travelers, digital nomads, and financially independent individuals. The requirements for visa applicants are a monthly income of $1,500 (USD 1500 per month for each adult applicant and
minimum amount of USD 500 per month for each dependent child) or a local bank deposit of $18,000.
The required application materials include the following: application form, passport, copy of flight ticket, proof of medical insurance, local address, proof of passive income, and proof of relationship for dependents.
The application for the premium visa in Mauritius needs to be submitted within the country. The main process includes the following steps:
1. Entry into Mauritius: you must come to the country to apply for this visa;
2. Application submission within Mauritius: Upon arrival, applicants need to have a local address and gather all the necessary documents. They can then proceed to apply for the visa online through the designated local application portal (application link provided at the end of the document).
3. Visa decision: The visa approval or rejection is typically determined within 48 hours.
The premium visa in Mauritius is free of charge and grants a one-year validity, with the option of unlimited renewals.
Retirement Visa:
The retirement visa in Mauritius, along with the premium visa, shares similar requirements and procedures. It is known as the “Residence Permit as Retired Non-citizen” and targets applicants aged 50 and above.
The main requirements for applicants are as follows: being 50 years or older, having a monthly passive income of $1,500 or more, or maintaining a local bank deposit of $18,000 or above.
The retirement permit policy grants the applicant and their dependents a 10-year residence permit. If, at the expiration of the 10-year period, the main applicant has not applied for local permanent residency or citizenship, they can apply for a renewal, obtaining a 20-year retirement visa.
The retirement visa does not have any processing fees. However, upon successful approval, applicants need to pay a visa production fee of $25 per person. The application process for the retirement visa is identical to that of the premium visa.
Taxation:
Mauritius is known as a tax haven in Africa, where there is no taxation on capital gains.
Foreign individuals who spend a total of 183 days or more within a year residing in Mauritius automatically become tax residents of the country.
Mauritius offers remarkably low tax rates, with personal and corporate income taxes as well as value-added tax (VAT) set at 15%. Local offshore income is not subject to taxation, while stamp duty is directly applied to goods with varying rates ranging from 25 to 1,000 Mauritian rupees.
Naturalization:
Foreigners who invest a minimum of $500,000 in Mauritius and reside continuously in the country for a period of 2 years or more can obtain citizenship through an expedited pathway.
After legally residing in Mauritius for at least 3 years, foreign individuals can apply for permanent residency , valid for 20 years.
Unfortunately, Acquisition of Mauritian citizenship is severely limited and actively discouraged. No policy for naturalization is now in effect.
Passport Power:
Dual citizenship is legally recognized in Mauritius. The Mauritian passport is ranked 30th globally, granting holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 147 countries and territories worldwide.
As of April 2019, Brunei, Grenada, Mauritius and Seychelles are the only countries whose citizens may travel without a visa to China, Russia, Schengen Area and the United Kingdom.
Useful Links:
Mauritius Economic Development Board: https://residency.mu/