Mauritius Retirement Visa: A Comprehensive Guide
What is retirement visa?
Retirement visas are a type of passive income visa that has been popular worldwide since the 1980s. Typically, they are issued to retirees who have sufficient retirement funds or stable income.
In general, global retirement visas have the following characteristics:
1. Applicant Qualifications: Typically, retirement visas require applicants to be retirees, reach a certain age, or have retirement funds.
2. Restrictions on Employment: Visa holders are usually not allowed to work locally.
3. Path to Permanent Residency: After residing in the destination country for a certain period, retirement visa holders can often apply for permanent residency or even citizenship.
If you’re interested in retirement visas or passive income visas, you might want to read our informative article: ‘Global Passive Income Visa | An Incomplete Guide‘.
Mauritius Retirement Visa: An Overview
The Mauritius Retirement Visa is, officially, a Residence Permit (RP) for Retired Non-Citizens. It is an immigration program specifically designed to welcome individuals who wish to retire in Mauritius and who can demonstrate sufficient foreign-sourced income to support themselves.
To qualify for the permit, an applicant must:
1. Be 50 Years Old or Above: The main applicant must have reached the age of 50 years at the time of application.
2. Demonstrate Financial Self-Sufficiency: Applicants must prove they have sufficient foreign funds to live comfortably on the island.
The cornerstone of the Mauritius Residence Permit for Retired Non-Citizens is the applicant’s ability to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency through the regular transfer of foreign-sourced funds. To qualify, the main applicant must commit to remitting a minimum of USD $1,500 per month, or an equivalent in a freely convertible foreign currency, into their personal local bank account in Mauritius. This translates to a required aggregate annual transfer of at least USD $18,000.
This financial commitment is monitored annually. Upon the issuance of the permit, the retiree should make an initial transfer (or demonstrate the transfer) of at least the equivalent of one month’s income. Throughout the 10-year validity of the permit, the holder is required to submit evidence to the Economic Development Board (EDB) at the end of each year to confirm that the minimum aggregate annual amount of USD $18,000 has been successfully remitted from external sources. Maintaining this remittance level is essential for the renewal of the permit for subsequent 10-year periods.
Furthermore, the retirement scheme offers a direct pathway to the highly coveted 20-year Permanent Residence Permit (PRP). To be eligible to apply for the PRP after just three years of holding the retirement permit, the applicant must demonstrate they have transferred a total aggregate amount of at least USD $54,000 (or its equivalent) during the three years immediately preceding the Permanent Residence application. This provides a secure and accelerated route to long-term residency status in Mauritius.
Benefits:
The Mauritius Retirement Visa offers significant benefits that make Mauritius an ideal retirement haven:
Favorable Tax Regime: Mauritius boasts a simple and attractive tax system:
- No capital gains tax.
- No inheritance tax.
- Income tax is levied at a flat rate of 15%.
- Crucially, pension income and other foreign-sourced income transferred to Mauritius are often subject to highly favorable tax treatment, depending on individual Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements.
Right to Invest (No Employment): The permit holder can invest in any business in Mauritius but is strictly prohibited from being employed in that business, managing it, or receiving a salary from it. This ensures the retiree remains financially active without competing in the local labour market.
Remote Work Flexibility: Retirees are permitted to work remotely from Mauritius, provided the income source remains foreign.
Quality of Life: The island offers a safe, politically stable, and modern environment with high-quality private healthcare, international schooling options for dependents, a multicultural society, and excellent connectivity.
Application Process:
The application for the Residence Permit for Retired Non-Citizens is handled through the Economic Development Board (EDB) via its online portal, the National Electronic Licensing System (NELS).
1. Application Steps
1. Preparation: Gather all required documents and ensure they are translated into English or French, if necessary.
2. Online Submission: Submit the application through the EDB’s NELS portal. The process can be started entirely online without traveling to Mauritius.
3. Approval in Principle: Upon successful submission, the EDB processes the application (typically 3–6 weeks) and issues an Approval in Principle letter.
4. Travel to Mauritius: The applicant must travel to Mauritius within a specified period (usually 90 days) of receiving the initial approval to complete the process.
5. Local Requirements: Upon arrival, the applicant must open a local bank account, undergo a mandatory medical check-up (including HIV and Hepatitis B tests), and obtain a clean police clearance from the local authorities.
6. Final Issuance: The final Residence Permit card is issued after all verifications are complete and the initial transfer of funds has been made.
2. Key Documents for Submission
The list of documents is comprehensive and must be provided in full for the application to be accepted:
Application Form (duly filled).
Certified copies of the passport bio-data page.
Recent color passport-size photographs.
Original Birth Certificate (in English or French).
Original Marriage Certificate (if applicable, in English or French).
Certificate of Character / Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from the country of origin/residence, covering the last ten years, and issued less than six months old.
Medical Certificate and reports from a local medical practitioner (submitted after arriving in Mauritius).
Evidence of Funds: Certified bank statement from the country of origin or residence, demonstrating the initial minimum fund requirement.
Signed undertaking (Declaration by the applicant).
Payment of the statutory processing fee (USD $1,000 for the main applicant, as of the latest fee structure).
Dependents:
The Mauritius Retirement Permit allows the main applicant to include their spouse/common-law partner, and financially dependent children (under the age of 24) on the same residence permit, promoting family reunification.
Visa Validity:
The Mauritius Retirement Permit provides an exceptional pathway to long-term residency:
Initial Validity: The Residence Permit is granted for a period of 10 years, a significant term that eliminates the need for frequent renewals.
Renewal: The permit is renewable for subsequent 10-year periods, provided the financial criteria continue to be met.
Path to Permanent Residency: After holding the 10-year Retirement Permit for at least three consecutive years, retirees are eligible to apply for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit (PRP), further solidifying their long-term stay in Mauritius.
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