The Mauritius Investor Permit: put $100,000 into your own company and live there for 10 years
It's a work-and-residence permit for people who'll run the business day to day. The real test comes later, when your company has to hit turnover targets in year three and year five.
Rules as reset by the Finance Act 2026, checked against Economic Development Board (EDB) sources as of September 2026.
Occupation Permit (Investor)
A 10-year work and residence permit for people who invest at least US$100,000 in a Mauritian company they set up and run. The business must reach MUR 5 million in yearly turnover from year 3, and your spouse, children and parents can get matching residence permits. After 5 years you can apply for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit if the company hits higher turnover targets.
- Government cost
- $1,050
- Timeline
- 10 years, renewable; 20-year Permanent Residence Permit possible after 5 years
- Difficulty
- Hard
Key requirements
- Invest at least US$100,000 (or equivalent in freely convertible currency), transferred from abroad into a Mauritian bank account within 60 days of permit issuance
- Certified bank statement from your country of origin or residence showing sufficient funds
- Detailed business plan on the EDB template, plus company incorporation, business registration and shareholder register after approval in principle
- Company turnover of at least MUR 5 million a year from year 3, and at least MUR 8 million a year from year 5 for renewal
- Birth certificate, passport and medical certificate
- Apply online through the EDB National Electronic Licensing System (NELS)
Who it's for
Built for owner-operators, not passive investors
This permit lets you live in Mauritius and work in a company you set up and run. You can't buy a stake and sail off: from year three, the company has to show real sales. If your money comes from a pension or a remote job, another permit fits better.
The numbers that decide it (September 2026)
$100,000
Investment you transfer in
within 60 days of the permit
~$105,000
Yearly turnover from year 3
MUR 5 million
~$168,000
Yearly turnover from year 5
MUR 8 million, to renew
$1,050
Government fees, main applicant
$50 to apply, $1,000 on approval
$400
Per family member
per two 2026 guides
10 years
Permit length
renewable
The process
How the application runs, in order
Everything starts online in the EDB's licensing portal, NELS, so you can file from the U.S. One 2026 guide puts processing at 5 to 10 working days for a complete file, and missing documents cause most delays.
- Show the money with a certified bank statement from your home bank, plus a detailed business plan.
- Pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee and submit.
- Get approval in principle, then incorporate the company and register the business. You have 90 days to meet these conditions.
- Fly to Mauritius for medical tests (HIV, hepatitis B, chest X-ray), hand in originals and pay the $1,000 permit fee.
- Within 60 days of the permit being issued, send the $100,000 from abroad to your Mauritian bank account.
Plan for year five on day one
Turnover is where this permit is won or lost. Renewal hangs on the year-five figure, and one guide warns that reviews can end in revocation when a company falls short. Build your business plan backward from the targets and keep clean books from the first month.
What the permit covers, and where it stops
Family comes too
Your spouse, parents and unmarried children who don't work can get residence permits for the same term. The rules name common-law partners of the opposite sex only.
A job for your spouse
Family members need their own work permit or Occupation Permit to take a job.
Permanent residence
After five years, a 20-year permit if turnover hit MUR 15 million (about $316,000) every year, or MUR 75 million (about $1.6 million) across the five.
Citizenship
Possible after long residence and at the government's discretion, but you must renounce U.S. citizenship first.
Mauritian tax
Residents pay 0% on the first MUR 500,000 (about $10,500) and 35% only above MUR 12 million (about $253,000). No capital gains or inheritance tax.
U.S. tax
There's no U.S. income tax treaty with Mauritius, and owning a foreign company means filing IRS Form 5471 with your return.
Other routes
If you'd rather not run a company
This route only makes sense if you want to build a business on the island. Match the permit to where your money comes from:
- Remote job or foreign clients: the Premium Visa is free, lasts up to a year and renews, but bars local work.
- Retired and 50 or older: transfer $2,000 a month for a 10-year permit. You can invest in a business but not work in it.
- A smaller business: the Self-Employed permit asks $50,000 up front and MUR 2 million (about $42,000) in yearly turnover from year three.
- Bigger money: the new Golden Visa asks for $1 million invested within 12 months, but its guidelines and fees weren't published as of September 2026.
Help with the money, tax and health side
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
A currency exchange and international payments company that can lock in exchange rates and handle large or recurring transfers.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Prepares U.S. tax returns for Americans living abroad, including the more complex filings that come with owning a business.
Plan-B Outbound Migration
Multi-Country Visa Support
A U.S.-based consultancy covering outbound migration, residence programs and citizenship planning across many countries.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who maps your medical needs to the care available where you plan to live.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Expatsi's international health insurance partner. They match you with an international plan that fits your situation.
Mauritius investor permit: common questions
Is the $50,000 investor option still available in Mauritius?
No. The Finance Act 2026, which became law in August 2026, set a single minimum of $100,000 for the Investor Occupation Permit. Guides quoting $50,000 for investors describe the old rules. $50,000 is now the up-front amount for the separate Self-Employed permit.
Do I still owe U.S. taxes if I live in Mauritius?
Yes, you keep filing U.S. returns. Mauritius isn't on the IRS list of income tax treaty countries, and owning a Mauritian company triggers IRS Form 5471, an information return for U.S. officers, directors and shareholders of certain foreign corporations. On the Mauritian side, residents' foreign income is taxed only when it's brought into the country.
Can I buy a home in Mauritius on an investor permit?
Yes, within limits. Foreigners can buy apartments in buildings of at least ground plus two floors priced at MUR 6 million (about $126,000) or more, or buy in an EDB-approved scheme, where a purchase of at least $375,000 brings its own residence permit. Non-citizens pay 5% registration duty.
What happens if my company misses its turnover targets?
Renewal depends on meeting them. The investor permit requires annual turnover of MUR 5 million (about $105,000) from year three and MUR 8 million (about $168,000) from year five, and reviews can lead to revocation if the business falls short.
Does the $100,000 have to be new money sent from abroad?
Yes. You sign an undertaking to transfer $100,000 from abroad into a Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the permit being issued, and guides say existing business assets don't count. The application also needs a certified bank statement from your home country showing you have the funds.
Do I need private health insurance in Mauritius?
Plan on it. One expat guide says non-citizens are billed at public hospitals and that most expats use private clinics because of long public waits. The U.S. State Department says private clinics generally provide good basic care, though hospitals often want payment up front.
Can I become a Mauritian citizen through the investor permit?
In theory, but it rarely makes sense for Americans. Naturalization is at the minister's discretion, generally needs at least five years of residence in the seven years before your last 12 months there, and the Citizenship Act requires you to renounce any other citizenship first. Most Americans aim for the 20-year Permanent Residence Permit instead.
Can my spouse work in Mauritius on my investor permit?
Not automatically. Your spouse can get a residence permit as your dependent, but to take a job they need their own work permit or Occupation Permit.
Can I apply for the Mauritius investor permit from the United States?
Yes. You file online through the EDB's National Electronic Licensing System (NELS). You'll travel to Mauritius once you have approval in principle, for medical tests and to hand in original documents. Americans can visit for up to 60 days without a visa, according to the U.S. State Department.
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