What is an Occupation Permit?

The Occupation Permit (OP) is a combined work and residence permit, which allows foreign nationals to work and live in Mauritius under 3 specific categories namely:

i. Investor

ii. Professional

iii. Self-Employed

Note: A person cannot hold an OP under 2 different categories at the same time, for example an individual cannot be on an Investor Permit and at the same time hold a Self-Employed Permit.

Foreign nationals, above the age of 50 may choose to retire in Mauritius under a Residence Permit (RP). The Retired Permit only gives the right to live in Mauritius without being professionally active.

An Occupation Permit (Investor and Self-employed) and a Retired Residence Permit shall be issued for a maximum period of 10 years, renewable thereafter as per established criteria.

An Occupation Permit under the Professional category shall be issued for a maximum period of 3 years or as per the duration of the contract of employment, renewable thereafter as per established criteria.

What is an ‘Approval in Principle’?

All applications for an OP (Investor, Professional and Self Employed) and RP (Retired) will only be considered under the ‘Approval in Principle’ route, that is the application is submitted online first and upon obtaining the approval in principle, the applicant has 90 days to travel to Mauritius to carry out the required medical tests and attend the interview with the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Passport and Immigration Office (PIO).

If the authorities are satisfied with the documents provided during the interview, the OP or the RP will be issued to the applicant on the same day.

The Approval in Principle is not a visa to enter Mauritius. Prior to travelling to Mauritius, applicants should ensure that they have the appropriate travel document and visa as explained on the ‘Visa’ section of our home page.

What are the main criteria under each category of the Occupation Permit (OP)?

There are 3 categories of OP’s under which a non-citizen can apply. The non-citizen should apply for an OP under the category which best reflects the nature of activities in the country.

i. Investor

a. An Investor is defined as a shareholder and director in a company incorporated in Mauritius under the Companies Act 2001.

b. The initial application for an Investor Permit is for a period of 10 years.

c. An Investor should make an initial transfer of USD 50,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency from his/her personal bank account in the country of residence at the time of application to the bank account of the company under which the application for the Investor Permit will be made.

d. For purposes of the renewal of the Investor Permit after the initial 10 years, the company should generate a minimum gross income of MUR 4 million per year as from the third year of initially obtaining the Investor Permit. For example, if an individual has obtained an Investor Permit in 2020 and it is expected that the individual will renew their Investor Permit in 2030, then one of the main criteria for renewal is that the Company, under which the Investor Permit has been obtained, is generating a gross revenue of MUR 4 million as from the year 2023.

e. A company may have more than one shareholder. If there are several shareholders in a company who would like to apply for an Investor Permit in Mauritius, then each shareholder should invest a minimum of USD 50,000 to be eligible for the Investor Permit. Thus, each Investor Permit application is for 1 person for a minimum investment of USD 50,000 per person in the company.

f. Foreigners who have already made an investment of a minimum of USD 50,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency, in a company incorporated in Mauritius, are eligible to apply for the Investor Permit in Mauritius as long as the company in which the investment has been made, is reporting a cumulative turnover of MUR 12 million during the past 3 years preceding the application for the Investor Permit.

g. In the event a person inherits of an investment in a company in Mauritius, the beneficiary is eligible to apply for an Investor Permit in Mauritius as long as the company in which the investment has been inherited, is reporting a cumulative turnover of MUR 12 million during the past 3 years preceding the application for the Investor Permit.

h. Applicants for an Investor Permit in Mauritius should request a Business Visa upon arrival in Mauritius, after having obtained the Approval in Principle from the authorities in Mauritius.

i. An individual on an Investor Permit in Mauritius is also allowed to act as director on other companies incorporated in Mauritius.

ii. Professional

Expats who have been offered employment from a local company may apply for this permit. The Professional Occupation Permit is by far the most predominant entry permit for foreign nationals. If you are looking for an offer of employment on the island, get in touch with us and we will put you in touch with reputable recruitment companies to get the process started.

a. A Professional, as defined under the Immigration Act, an expatriate employed by a company incorporated in Mauritius to deliver professional services.

b. The initial application for a Professional Permit is for a period of 10 years or as per the duration of the contract of employment.

c. Professionals working for a period of less than one year in Mauritius may apply for a Short-term Occupation Permit. Under the Short-term Occupation Permit, Professionals can work and reside in Mauritius for a period not exceeding 9 months. The permit may be extended only once for a period not exceeding 3 months.

d. A Professional should earn a basic monthly salary of at least MUR 30,000.

e. For Professionals in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Food Processing sectors, the basic salary should be at least MUR 30,000.

f. Applicants for a Professional Permit in Mauritius should request a Business Visa upon arrival in Mauritius, after having obtained the Approval in Principle from the authorities in Mauritius.

g. A Professional can only be either a minority shareholder or a director (but not both) on the company employing him/her in Mauritius.

h. A Professional is allowed to hold investments in any other companies/businesses in Mauritius. The Professional is allowed to do so only if:

1. he/she is not involved in the day to day management of the Company/businesses;

2. he/she is appointed as director of the Company, it is in a Non-Executive capacity and he/she does not derive any director’s fees from this appointment.

3. he/she is not deriving any regular fixed salary or employment benefits from any other companies/businesses in which he holds investments apart from the Company under which he/she is employed in Mauritius.

iii. Self Employed

a. A Self-Employed individual is defined as a non-citizen engaged in a professional activity registered with the Registrar of Businesses under the Business Registration Act 2002. A Self-Employed individual operates a one-person business, working exclusively for his/her own account.

b. The initial application for the Self- Employed Permit is for a period of 10 years.

c. A Self-Employed individual should make an initial transfer of USD 35,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency from his/her personal bank account in their country of residence at time of application to his/her personal bank account in Mauritius.

d. For renewal purposes, the business activity should generate a business income of MUR 800,000 per year as from the third year of registration.

e. Applicants for a Self-Employed Permit in Mauritius should request a Business Visa upon arrival in Mauritius, after having obtained the Approval in Principle from the authorities in Mauritius.

Restricted Activities for OP Holders

There are certain activities which would need a clearance from parent ministries in Mauritius prior to issuing the Approval in Principle. These activities are listed below:

1. Tourism sector: Any investor or professional wishing to operate a tourism-related activity should first consult the Tourism Authority on www.tourism.govmu.org to check whether he will be allowed to carry out his intended activity in Mauritius.
2. Trading sector: Trading activities consisting of imports to be sold locally may not be entertained.
3. Medical sector: All medical practitioners’ applications are only entertained under the category of professional or as investor. We strongly advise that the qualifications of the Medical Practitioner intending to apply for an OP in Mauritius to submit their academic and professional qualifications beforehand to the Authorities for review prior to submitting an Investor Permit or Professional Permit application.
4. Allied Health Professionals: Applicants in the field of physiotherapy, nutrition, occupational therapy, etc. should first register with the Council of Allied Professionals of Mauritius to be eligible for an OP and be able to practice in Mauritius. The website address is http://ahpcmauritius.org/welcome-on-ahpc-website. The Council will determine if their area of expertise is in the scarcity category in Mauritius and if they are eligible for registration in Mauritius. It is only following a favourable response from the Council that the individual can submit an application for an OP. For allied health professionals, applications for the OP are only accepted under the Professional and Investor categories.

How are Dependents defined for the purpose of an OP and RP in Mauritius?

Dependents are defined as spouse (including Common Law Partner of the opposite sex) and children, including stepchildren or lawfully adopted children.  The Dependents of an Occupation or Residence Permit holders are eligible to apply for a residence permit.

Dependent parents of Occupation Permit holders (Investor, Professional and Self Employed) are allowed to accompany and stay in Mauritius. The application for the parents as dependents of the Occupation Permit holders can be submitted to the Passport and Immigration office.

The duration of the dependent permit cannot exceed that of the main permit holder.

Source: Visit the official EDB website here for detailed accurate information.