Living in Mauritius: Different types of existing permits for non-citizens

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Mauritius is known primarily as a dream destination not only for tourists but also there are many who want to settle here for short term or long term stay, to work or just enjoy their retirement. Overview of different permits to stay in Mauritius without tourist visa:

Residence Permit for Retired non-citizens
Despite the economic crisis prevailing in Europe, Mauritius is a popular destination for retired non-citizens, especially for French retired citizens. This mainly is due to the pleasant tropical climate, with high purchasing power (due to the rate of exchange of rupee), and political and economic stability of the island.

What are the conditions for obtaining the Permit for Retired non-citizens?
This permit is issued for three years. To be eligible, the person must be at least 50 years of age, have a bank account in Mauritius, and demonstrate a minimum annual transfer of 40,000 USD, or about € 31,000 or 1.2 million rupees in the account.

Good to know: After this period of 3 years, the person is entitled to make an application for a Permanent Residence Permit for a period of 10 years, also made valid for the spouse / dependent of the pensioner.

Occupation Permit
This permit allows a foreigner to reside and work in Mauritius. It is governed by the Ministry of Labour, this is the only body authorized to issue work permits and residence permits to foreigners. The application for a work permit and a residence permit is done simultaneously.

Who is eligible for the Occupation Permit?

  • An Investor: The business must generate an annual turnover of more than 4 million rupees for an initial investment of U.S. $ 100,000 (or currency equivalent). This condition is applicable to each applicant (if two applicants apply for the same company, the revenue generated should be Rs 8000000, etc..).
  • Professional: base salary should be Rs 45,000 per month minimum. Only a Mauritian company or a foreign company legally incorporated in Mauritius is authorized to apply for a work permit and a residence permit for a foreigner. The work permit is not transferable.
  • Self-employed: business activity should generate an annual turnover over Rs 600,000 per year, with an initial investment of USD 35,000.

Good to know: the dependents of the holder of a work permit may also apply for a residence permit.

The Permanent Residence Permit
The Permanent Residence permit allows you to reside, travel, work and buy property in Mauritius. It is renewable and is issued for a period of 10 years. It should be noted that this permit does not entitle its holder to vote or obtain citizenship.

Who is eligible for Permanent Residence Permit?

  • Investors having held an Occupation Permit for 3 years immediately preceding the date of application for Permanent Residence Permit, which the company generates a turnover of less than 15 million rupees;
  • Self Employed having held an Occupation Permit for 3 years immediately preceding the date of application of Permanent Residence Permit, and annual revenues over 3 million rupees during those three years;
  • Professionals having held an Occupation Permit for 3 years immediately preceding to the application for Permanent Residence Permit, and whose basic monthly salary was more than Rs 150,000 over the three years;
  • Retirees having held a residence permit for 3 years and who has transferred a minimum of 40,000 USD annually to Mauritius.

Good to know: when buying a property under special schemes known as the IRS (Integrated Resort Scheme) the person automatically get an access to Permanent Resident status and also for their spouses and dependents. The permit granted under the IRS will remain in force as long as the investor will own the same property in Mauritius. Read more about IRS.
Comparatively, acquiring a property under the RES (Real Estate Scheme) does not confer permanent residency. Acquirers of a residence under the RES may wish to apply for residency under any of the 4 existing conditions. Read more about RES.

The Residence Permit for Foreign Students
Service Institutions and Mauritian universities work closely with the Bureau of Immigration for the visa and residence permits for foreign students. Foreign students must apply for a visa to Mauritius, present a photocopy of the first five pages of their passport, with the banking support documents proving the availability of sufficient funds in their bank accounts to cover the costs of study in Mauritius and sign an agreement prohibiting them from working in Mauritius during their studies.

Applying for internship in Mauritius
Several Institutions, Corporations and NGOs allow foreign students to do internships on the island. These courses are either part of their program of study or are done voluntarily. In most cases, students do not receive a salary during their internships. The visa does not give students the right to work. In the case of an internship for a period of less than three months, the trainee receives a tourist visa. If this is for a period of more than three months, he will have a temporary work permit for the duration of the internship.

More legal information on Board of Investment of Mauritius website : http://www.investmauritius.com/

  1. Mauritius, the perfect setting for retirees
  2. Becoming a retired resident in Mauritius
  3. Living in Mauritius: Different types of existing permits for non-citizens
  4. The different types of entry visa for Mauritius
  5. Living in Mauritius: Occupation Permit – 2 New Occupation Permits dedicated to foreign investors
  6. List of Mauritian Diplomatic Representations abroad

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