Mauritius · Business / Startup

Mauritius Self-employed Occupation Permit

Investment needed: $50k+

Occupation Permit — Self-Employed (USD 50,000)

Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026Rule changed 1 Dec 2025 Change log

Key facts

Self-employed Occupation Permit is a business / startup route for Mauritius. Applicants need an investment of $50k+. You can stay 10 yrs, renewable. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.

Money needed: $50k+
Government fees: $50 · $1,000
First stay: 10 yrs

Cost, time and long term

To apply: government fees $1,050 in total (2 fees); investment $50k+. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government fees$50 · $1,000

$50Non-refundable application fee, charged when the application is filed; in force from 1 December 2025.
$1,000Permit fee for the 10-year permit, paid after approval in principle.

Invested and held$50k+

$50,000Transferred from abroad into your Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the occupation permit; a certified bank statement from the country of origin or residence shows the funds.

RenewalRenewable

The permit is issued for up to 10 years and can be renewed if the business income is at least MUR 3 million (≈ $63,100) a year from the fifth year of registration.

Economic Development Board, Mauritius Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius

Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence

After 5 years as a self-employed permit holder you can apply for a 20-year permanent residence permit if business income was at least MUR 3 million (≈ $63,100) in each of those 5 years, or MUR 15 million (≈ $316,000) in total. Apply within 6 months of meeting the test.

Economic Development Board, Mauritius Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius

CitizenshipTime here counts

Naturalisation needs 12 months of continuous residence plus at least 5 years in the 7 years before that; Commonwealth citizens can register after 5 years of continuous residence. Citizenship is granted at the Minister's discretion.

Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius

Where to applyAbroad or in-country

You can start the online application from abroad. After approval in principle you travel to Mauritius for the medical exam and identity check, and the permit is issued there.

Economic Development Board, Mauritius

What you'll need

Who can apply1

The applicant works in the services sector only, registered with the Registrar of Businesses or operating as a one-person company.

What you must show3

The minimum investment is USD 50,000, transferred from abroad into your Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the permit.
Business income of at least MUR 2 million (≈ $42,100) is required from the third year of registration.
A non-refundable application fee of USD 50 has applied since 1 December 2025; the permit fee of USD 1,000 is paid only after approval in principle.

Documents1

Three letters of intent are required, including two from potential local clients.

After you arrive1

Renewal requires business income of at least MUR 3 million (≈ $63,100) a year from the fifth year of registration.

When you become tax resident

How Mauritius decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route

10 years at first, renewable

Tax residence

At least 183 days in a income year (1 July to 30 June)Present in Mauritius for an aggregate of 183 days or more in the income year makes an individual resident.
At least 270 days in aggregate over the two preceding income yearsPresent for an aggregate of 270 days or more in the two preceding income years (together with presence in the current year) also gives residence.
At least 270 days in the current income year and the 2 preceding income years (aggregate)Alternative residence test (s73(1)(a)(iii)).

Foreign-source income

Received-in-Mauritius basis

The 15% Fair Share Contribution applied only to the 2025/26 income year; foreign-source income of an individual is taxed when received or dealt with in Mauritius.

All tax rules for Mauritius Tax records checked 12 Oct 2026

Official site

Full official text

Ten-year occupation permit for a self-employed person in the services sector who invests USD 50,000 in a professional activity and has letters of intent from clients. ^{1 2 3}

What you must show and pay

An investment of at least $50,000 · Transferred from abroad into your Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the occupation permit; a certified bank statement from the country of origin or residence shows the funds. ^{1 2}
A fee of $50 · Non-refundable application fee, charged when the application is filed; in force from 1 December 2025. ²
A fee of $1,000 · Permit fee for the 10-year permit, paid after approval in principle. ^{1 2}

Requirements

The applicant works in the services sector only, registered with the Registrar of Businesses or operating as a one-person company. ²
The minimum investment is USD 50,000, transferred from abroad into your Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the permit. ^{1 2}
Business income of at least MUR 2 million (≈ $42,100) is required from the third year of registration. ^{1 2}
A non-refundable application fee of USD 50 has applied since 1 December 2025; the permit fee of USD 1,000 is paid only after approval in principle. ²
Three letters of intent are required, including two from potential local clients. ^{1 2}
Renewal requires business income of at least MUR 3 million (≈ $63,100) a year from the fifth year of registration. ^{1 2}

Stay

Ten years, renewable.
Initial permitted stay: 120 months.
Visa validity: 120 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Work

Provide professional services to local and international clients.

Family

Dependents (spouse or opposite-sex common-law partner, parents, and unmarried children not in gainful activity) may apply for a residence permit for the same duration; applications go to the Passport and Immigration Office.

Fine print

The route page and the Occupation Permit guidelines state a minimum investment of USD 50,000; the Economic Development Board's invest overview page still says USD 35,000. For renewal the page's key features and the guidelines state MUR 3 million (≈ $63,100) a year from the fifth year, while one answer on the same page gives MUR 750,000 (≈ $15,800) from year one growing to a cumulative MUR 6 million (≈ $126,000) by year five.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

Residency for Self Employed Entrepreneurs · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Occupation Permit and Residence Permit Guidelines (criteria, checklists and Annex 1 fees; carries the 1 December 2025 application fee) · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Invest: residency by investment, innovation and self-employed · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Economic Development Board Act 2017 (consolidated), First Schedule · Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius · checked 2026-10-11
Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Mauritius Citizenship Act 1968 (consolidated) · Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius · checked 2026-10-11

Self-employed Occupation Permit and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Self-employed Occupation Permit	Needs an investment of $50k+	10 yr, renewable	–
Innovator Occupation Permit	–	10 yr, renewable	–
Investor Occupation Permit	Needs an investment of $100k+	10 yr, renewable	–
Self-employed card Morocco	–	10 yr, renewable	Limited
PR · Business South Africa	Needs an investment of ZAR 5M+ ≈ $302k	–	Yes

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Self-employed Occupation Permit?

An investment of at least $50,000. Transferred from abroad into your Mauritian bank account within 60 days of the occupation permit; a certified bank statement from the country of origin or residence shows the funds. A fee of $50. Non-refundable application fee, charged when the application is filed; in force from 1 December 2025. A fee of $1,000. Permit fee for the 10-year permit, paid after approval in principle.

How long can I stay on the Self-employed Occupation Permit?

Ten years, renewable.

Can I work on the Self-employed Occupation Permit?

Provide professional services to local and international clients.

Can I bring my family on the Self-employed Occupation Permit?

Does the Self-employed Occupation Permit lead to permanent residence in Mauritius?

Time on the Self-employed Occupation Permit counts toward permanent residence in Mauritius, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Self-employed Occupation Permit counts toward citizenship.

How are Self-employed Occupation Permit holders taxed in Mauritius?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Self-employed Occupation Permit. The standard rules apply: Resident individuals pay tax on income derived in Mauritius and on foreign-source income received in Mauritius. For the income year starting 1 July 2026 the Finance Act 2026 sets 0 percent on the first MUR 500,000 (≈ $10,500) of chargeable income, 10 percent on the next MUR 500,000, (≈ $10,500) 20 percent on the next MUR 11 million (≈ $232,000) and 35 percent above MUR 12 million (≈ $253,000).

More in Mauritius

Premium Visa PDS · $375k G+2 apartment · $375k IRS · $375k IHS · $375k RES · $375k Smart City · $375k Retired non-citizen permit

Business / startup visas elsewhere

🇨🇻 Freelancer residence 🇰🇪 Class G · Business 🇷🇼 Entrepreneur A2 · Mining 🇿🇲 Investor's Permit 🇪🇬 Investor residence

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-12 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Residency for Self Employed Entrepreneurs · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Occupation Permit and Residence Permit Guidelines (criteria, checklists and Annex 1 fees; carries the 1 December 2025 application fee) · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Invest: residency by investment, innovation and self-employed · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Economic Development Board Act 2017 (consolidated), First Schedule · Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius · checked 2026-10-11
Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) · Economic Development Board, Mauritius · checked 2026-10-12
Mauritius Citizenship Act 1968 (consolidated) · Government of Mauritius, Laws of Mauritius · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.