Become a permanent resident in Mauritius

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Updated byAnne-Lise Mtyon 28 June 2024

Foreigners wishing to stay in Mauritius for an extended period can apply for a resident permit. Below are the conditions to be met to be eligible for a Residence permit in Mauritius.

When are you eligible for a resident permit in Mauritius?

If the stay does not have an end date, the traveler must apply for a residence permit:

If he/she simply wishes to live annually in Mauritius.
If he/she wishes to start a business and work in Mauritius.

Permanent residence permits in Mauritius are available for non-residents who wish to work and live in the country for an extended period. These permits are valid for 20 years and can be renewed for an additional 20 years. This option is open to investors, retirees, professionals, self-employed individuals, and their families.

How to qualify for a permanent residence in Mauritius

To qualify for a 20-year residence permit, individuals must fulfil the following criteria:

Hold a Residence Permit for at least 3 years.
Have transferred a minimum of USD 54,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency for 3 years.
Investing or having invested at least USD 375,000 in an eligible business activity entitles the holder to apply for a 20-year residence permit.

For applicants under salaried status:

Hold an Occupation Permit (OP) for a minimum of 3 years.
Maintain a basic monthly salary of at least Rs 150,000 for 3 consecutive years.

For applicants under entrepreneur status:

Have held an OP for at least 3 years.
Generate a minimum annual income of Rs 3 million for 3 consecutive years.

For applicants under investor status:

Have held an OP for at least 3 years.
Achieve either a minimum annual sales of Rs 15 million or cumulative sales of Rs 45 million over 3 years.

For applicants under real estate investor status:

A foreign national who has invested at least USD 375,000 in a property in Mauritius under the RES, IRS, or PDS programs may apply for and enjoy residency as long as they remain the owner of the property in question.

Good to know:

Spouses and children, including stepchildren and legally adopted children, may also apply for a residence permit.

We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.

About Anne-Lise Mty

Anne-Lise studied Psychology for 4 years in the UK before finding her way back to Mauritius and being a journalist for 3 years and heading Expat.com's editorial department for 5. She loves politics, books, tea, running, swimming, hiking...

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Comments

Ceresietlast year
Questions on buying Mauritian property to obtain Occupation Permit:

the Facts:

1. One of the methods to obtain a Mauritian Occupation Permit / Residence permit for the main applicant as well as spouse, dependant parents and dependant children is to buy a property for at least USD 375 000 (MUR 17 437 500 at today's exchange rate)

2. Over the last 2 years since Mauritius re-opened after COVID, available stock of properties in the MUR 17 to 20 Million range has reduced significantly:
sufficient stock 1, 2, and 3-bedroom appartements in this price range is still available, but 2-3 bedroom duplexes are becoming scarce, and 4-5 bedroom free-standing villas have become very hard to find.
Several properties that are valued at lower than MUR 17 Million have been advertised and sold at higher prices falling within this lucrative price bracket because of the residency benefit that this affords buyers.
In contrast, at HALF the above price (the MUR 8 to 10 Million bracket), there are some good examples of 2-3 bedroom duplexes and even 4-5 bedroom free-standing villas still available.

references:

https://www.propertymap.mu/buy-property?price-min=15000000&price-max=20000000

https://www.lexpressproperty.com/en/buy-mauritius/all/?price_min=17437500&price_max=20000000¤cy=MUR&filters%5Binterior_unit%5D%5Beq%5D=m2&filters%5Bland_unit%5D%5Beq%5D=m2

https://www.propertycloud.mu/property-for-sale?minprice=17437500&maxprice=20000000

3. As part of the Mauritian 2023/2024 budget, it was proposed that Etrangers (foreigners / expats) be allowed to purchase ANY Mauritian property on the open market and not only those in G+2 / Smart City / PDS / RES / IRS schemes.

references:

https://tbimauritius.com/buying-house-for-sale/#:~:text=the%20current%20schemes%3F-,For%20a%20foreigner%20to%20buy%20a%20house%20for%20sale%20in,Office%20to%20buy%20the%20property.

https://pams.edbmauritius.org/Default.aspx

the Questions:

4. How many Etrangers (foreigners / expats) have qualified for 30% home loans in the price bracket that qualifies them for an Occupation Permit / Residency, whereby they pay 30% (USD 112 500) up front and borrow the remaining 70% (USD 262 500) from a Mauritian Bank at prime lending rate (currently 9.5% p.a.) ?

5. Can anyone confirm whether the changes in point 3. above have now been written into law and is in effect, because estate agents continue to steer buyers in the direction of expat scheme properties (perhaps because of vested interests) ?

6. If an expat agrees to a home loan from a Mauritian bank according to the terms in point 3. above, would it be allowed for instance (in the light of stock availability in point 2. above) to take a loan for the full USD 375 000, but to buy a home for example in the MUR 8 Million bracket and to utilise the additional funds for renovations and alterations to the property ?
Would this then still qualify them for an Occupation Permit / Residency ?

Tookayslast year
Currently, for retired non-citizens, the financial amount needed per year has been reduced to USD 18000 for 3 years. After 3 years, if they wish to live longer in Mauritius, they can apply for extension up to 20 years. I hope this does not change -- USD 18k is affordable for many.

Expat_IN_KL4 years ago(Modified)
It is important to mention the basics. 1. After obtaining the PR or that 10 year visa after how long can you apply for a citizenship? 2. What is the status in the event of marriage?

richdaddy14 years ago(Modified)
It's important to note that any foreign professional has to reside in Mauritius for at least 3 years before on top of earning at least rs 150k/month. Prior the 3 years foreign nationals can only obtain residence permit. The "permanent" residence permit is a bit misleading since it's not permanent and is only good for 10 years.