Retire to Mauritius at 50+: the 10-year permit, in plain numbers
Bring in $2,000 a month from your pension, Social Security or savings, and Mauritius gives you a renewable 10-year residence permit you apply for online.
Checked against the Economic Development Board's own pages in September 2026. The 2026-2027 budget left this permit's rules unchanged.
Who it's for
Made for money that's earned somewhere else
This permit is for people 50 and over living on Social Security, a pension, investments or savings. You can't take a job, but you can invest in a business, and local advisors report there's no minimum stay.
If your income is a paycheck, the Premium Visa further down fits better.
The permit in six numbers
50+
Minimum age
main applicant
$2,000
Transferred in each month
or $24,000 a year
10 years
Permit length
renewable for 10 more
$1,050
Fees for one person
$1,000 permit + $50 application
$400
Permit fee per dependent
per local advisors
$200,000
Total transfers for permanent residence
over 5 years
The official snapshot
Residence Permit for Retired Non-Citizens
A 10-year renewable residence permit for people aged 50 and over who transfer foreign income into a Mauritian bank account. Spouses, parents and unmarried children can get matching permits. Holders may invest in businesses but cannot be employed, and after 5 years can apply for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit.
- Government cost
- $1,050
- Timeline
- 10 years, renewable; 20-year Permanent Residence Permit possible after 5 years
- Difficulty
- Easy
About that data card
Our listing says the yearly $24,000 transfer is "checked at renewal." The EDB actually asks for a bank statement or bank letter proving your transfers at the end of every year. Plan on sending proof annually, not once a decade.
Step by step
From online form to residence permit in about three months
- Gather documents. Passport, birth certificate, a police clearance covering the last 10 years, and proof of $24,000 in funds or $2,000 a month in income. The police clearance must be under six months old, so order it last.
- Apply online. File on the EDB's National E-Licensing System (NELS) and pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee, charged since December 2025.
- Wait for approval in principle. Local advisors report three to six weeks.
- Arrive and set up. Open a Mauritian bank account with your approval letter and a lease, and get a medical with blood tests and a chest X-ray (about MUR 7,000, roughly $150, per adult).
- Collect the permit. Bring your originals to Immigration for biometrics and pay the permit fee.
- Start the transfers. Local advisors say the first $2,000 has to land within 60 days of the permit being issued.
What the permit covers, and what it doesn't
Family can join
Your spouse or partner, your parents, and unmarried children who don't work can get their own permits.
Investing, not working
You can put money into a business but can't work in it or draw a salary.
Come and go
Local advisors report no minimum stay. Spend 183 days in a year and you become a tax resident.
Permanent residence
After 5 years and $200,000 in total transfers, apply for a 20-year renewable permit.
Citizenship
Mauritius makes you renounce other citizenships to naturalize, so for Americans the 20-year permit is the realistic finish line.
Bring your own coverage
Insurance isn't on the checklist, but Medicare usually doesn't pay abroad and the State Department says even public care costs money.
The money
What $2,000 a month means on the island
The transfer rule and the cost of living overlap. Expatsi's estimate for a comfortable couple is about $1,800 a month, so the money you must bring in is mostly money you'd spend anyway.
Taxes
Mauritius taxes residents' foreign income only when it's brought into the country, so what you transfer may be taxable. Since July 2025, the first MUR 500,000 a year (about $10,500) is taxed at 0%, the next MUR 500,000 at 10%, and the rest at 20%. You'll still file U.S. returns, too, so get advice before setting up your transfers.
The permanent residence gap
The minimum adds up to $120,000 over five years. Permanent residence needs $200,000, so aim for about $40,000 a year if that's your goal.
Under 50, or want a trial run first?
The Premium Visa is free, lasts up to a year and can be renewed. It asks for $1,500 a month per adult and $500 per child in income from outside Mauritius. The other way in is buying a home in an approved development for at least $375,000.
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Quick answers
Mauritius retiree permit questions
How much money do I need to retire in Mauritius?
You need to be 50 or older and show either $24,000 in funds or a guaranteed income of at least $2,000 a month. Once you hold the permit, you transfer $2,000 a month or $24,000 a year into a Mauritian bank account and send the Economic Development Board proof each year. Mauritius sets these amounts in U.S. dollars, and the 2026-2027 budget left them unchanged.
Will Mauritius tax my Social Security or pension?
Only if you're a Mauritian tax resident and the money is brought into the country. You're resident after 183 days in an income year, or 270 days across that year and the two before it. Since July 2025, residents pay 0% on the first MUR 500,000 a year (about $10,500), 10% on the next MUR 500,000 and 20% above that. Talk to a tax professional before setting up your transfers.
How long does it take to get the Mauritius retirement permit?
Local advisors report three to six weeks to approval in principle, and about 90 days from application to permit in hand once you add opening a bank account, a medical exam and biometrics at Immigration.
Does Medicare cover me in Mauritius?
Usually not. Medicare generally doesn't pay for care outside the U.S. The State Department says medical care in Mauritius isn't free, even at public facilities, and most hospitals and doctors want cash. Budget for private international health coverage.
Can I work in Mauritius on a retirement permit?
No. You can invest in a business, but you can't be employed in it or draw a salary or employment benefits. If you need to earn money locally, an occupation permit is the route to look at.
How long does the Mauritius retirement permit last?
Ten years, and it can be renewed for another 10. File the renewal at least one month before the permit expires.
Can a retiree get permanent residence or citizenship in Mauritius?
Permanent residence, yes. After at least five years on the retiree permit, with $200,000 in total transfers over those five years, you can apply for a 20-year renewable permit. Citizenship is harder for Americans, because Mauritius requires you to renounce any other citizenship before you naturalize.
Can my spouse come with me on the Mauritius retiree permit?
Yes. Spouses and common-law partners, parents, and unmarried children who don't work can get residence permits as your dependents. Local advisors put the permit fee at $400 per dependent.
Other ways to live in Mauritius
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.
Mauritius Occupation Permit (Professional): the work permit for Americans with a job offer on the island
A Mauritian employer, a basic salary of at least MUR 50,000 a month (about $1,050), and you get one permit to live and work for up to 10 years. Here's what it costs, how long it takes, and where it gets hard.
The Mauritius Premium Visa: a free year on the island for people paid from abroad
Show $1,500 a month from outside Mauritius, apply online from home, and stay up to a year at a time, renewable. The one hard rule: no local job.
Buy a home in Mauritius and live there for as long as you own it
Spend at least $375,000 in an approved development and you, your spouse and your children under 24 can live and work on the island. Here's what it costs and where buyers get caught.
Run your own service business from Mauritius on a 10-year permit
Bring in $50,000, land two Mauritian clients, then grow to MUR 2 million (about $42,000) a year by year three.
Mauritius could be your next 10 years
Not sure it's the one? The Expatsi Test weighs it against your other options on the things you care about.
Why not you?