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.
For consultants, developers, designers and coaches who want to live in Mauritius and sell their services there. Rules checked against Economic Development Board (EDB) sources as of September 2026.
Is this your permit?
Made for service businesses with local clients, not remote jobs
This permit fits if you sell your own services and want Mauritian clients. If all your income comes from abroad, the free Premium Visa is simpler. Retirees on the Retired Non-Citizen permit can't run a business at all.
- Services sector only: consulting, IT, design, marketing, coaching and training are the usual fits
- Retail, food service, construction and spa work don't qualify
- Regulated fields like health, engineering and tourism need approvals first
- Trade in your own name or as a one-person company
Occupation Permit (Self-Employed)
A 10-year work and residence permit for freelancers and independent professionals who set up their own activity in Mauritius. You must bring in US$50,000 and show local client interest, then hit income targets from year 3. Family members can get matching residence permits.
- Government cost
- $1,050
- Timeline
- 10 years, renewable; 20-year Permanent Residence Permit possible after 5 years
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Key requirements
- Transfer US$50,000 to a local bank account within 60 days of permit issuance
- Three letters of intent, including two from potential local clients
- Business plan, CV and academic qualifications
- Annual business income of at least MUR 2 million from year 3 and MUR 3 million from year 5
- Birth certificate, passport and medical certificate
- Apply online through the EDB National Electronic Licensing System (NELS)
The fine print, in numbers (September 2026)
$400
Permit fee per family member
spouse, kids up to 24, parents
2 of 3
Client letters that must be Mauritian
before you apply
1
Local hire allowed
an administrative employee
~2 months
Start to finish
adviser estimate
60 days
Visa-free visits for Americans
per the State Department
20 years
Permanent residence permit
once you qualify
How to apply
From client letters to your permit, step by step
- Get three letters of intent from potential clients, at least two of them in Mauritius. A scouting trip helps here.
- Register with the Registrar of Businesses, or set up a one-person company.
- Gather your business plan, CV, qualifications, birth certificate, passport, a medical certificate under six months old, and a bank statement showing the $50,000.
- Apply online through the EDB's NELS portal and pay the $50 fee.
- Once approved, pay $1,000 and move the $50,000 into a Mauritian account within 60 days.
Advisers report an approval in principle in about 15 to 20 working days.
Here's the catch
You need Mauritian clients on paper before you live there, and the income bar jumps to MUR 2 million (about $42,000) a year by year three and MUR 3 million (about $63,000) from year five. Your spouse can live with you but can't work without a permit of their own.
Taxes and the long game
What you'll owe, and where this permit leads
Mauritian tax
Spend 183 days in a July-to-June tax year and you're resident. Since July 2025, rates are 0% on the first MUR 500,000 (about $10,500), 10% on the next MUR 500,000 and 20% above that. Work you do on the island counts as Mauritian income, even when a U.S. client pays you.
U.S. tax
You still file with the IRS, and there's no U.S.-Mauritius tax treaty. The foreign earned income exclusion can lower income tax but not the U.S. self-employment tax you keep owing.
After five years
Hold the permit five years at MUR 3 million a year, or MUR 15 million (about $316,000) in total, and you can apply for permanent residence. Naturalizing would mean giving up U.S. citizenship.
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.
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.
Planning to hire a team?
The self-employed permit allows one local admin hire. For a bigger operation, look at the Investor permit: $100,000 up front and turnover of MUR 5 million (about $105,000) a year from year three.
Partners who can help
Bianca Lynch
Career Coach: Self-employment
A career coach who works with people moving into self-employment.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
A tax service that prepares U.S. returns for Americans living abroad.
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
Currency exchange and international payments, for moving your deposit and later transfers.
Plan-B Outbound Migration
Multi-Country Visa Support
Visa support across several countries, for comparing residence routes.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who helps you plan how you'll get care abroad.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Global health insurance for people living outside the U.S.
Mauritius self-employed permit: questions Americans ask
Can I get the Mauritius self-employed permit if all my clients are in the U.S.?
No. You need at least three letters of intent, and at least two must come from potential clients in Mauritius. If all your income comes from abroad, look at the Premium Visa instead: it asks for at least $1,500 a month from outside Mauritius, has no application fee, and lasts up to a year, renewable.
Will I pay tax in both Mauritius and the U.S. as a self-employed resident?
Possibly. You become a Mauritian tax resident after 183 days in a July-to-June tax year, and work done on the island is taxed there at 0%, 10% or 20% by band. You also keep filing U.S. returns. There's no U.S.-Mauritius tax treaty, and the foreign earned income exclusion doesn't reduce U.S. self-employment tax.
What kinds of businesses qualify for the Mauritius self-employed permit?
Only service businesses. Advisers list consulting, IT, marketing, design, coaching and training as typical fits, while retail, food service and construction don't qualify. Regulated fields like health, engineering and tourism need approvals first, and you can employ one local administrative worker.
Can my spouse work in Mauritius on my self-employed permit?
No. Spouses, children up to 24 and parents can get residence permits that match yours, but dependents can't do paid work. A spouse who wants a job needs their own Work Permit or Occupation Permit.
How much money do I need for the Mauritius Self-Employed Occupation Permit?
As of September 2026, you transfer $50,000 into a Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the permit being issued. Government fees are $50 to apply and $1,000 on approval, plus $400 for each family member. Some advisers charge several thousand more for full support.
How long does the Mauritius self-employed permit take?
You apply online through the EDB's NELS portal. Advisers report an approval in principle in about 15 to 20 working days, and one estimates about two months from start to finish. Missing documents add time.
What income do I need to keep a Mauritius self-employed permit?
Under the EDB's July 2026 update, your business needs at least MUR 2 million (about $42,000) a year from the third year. To renew from the fifth year on, the floor rises to MUR 3 million (about $63,000) a year.
Does the Mauritius self-employed permit lead to permanent residence?
Yes. After at least five years on the permit with business income of MUR 3 million a year, or MUR 15 million (about $316,000) over five years, you can apply for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit. Mauritian citizenship is a different story: naturalized citizens can't keep another nationality.
Find the Mauritius permit that matches your income
Book a free call and we'll weigh this permit against the Premium Visa and the other options for how you earn.
Not sure yet?