Why Mauritius is a great place to move in.

End-to-end support for entrepreneurs, professionals, and families relocating to Mauritius.

Since the early 17th century, Mauritius has been a strategic location at the crossroads of international trade… Since that time, the Dutch, the French, and then the British, all sought the advantage of controlling the island as the last stopping point in the Indian Ocean, en route to the spices and silk treasures of the East.

Four centuries later Mauritius continues to be a highly sought after location for entrepreneurs seeking to work and live in Mauritius, or use the Island as a place from which to carry out business activities. The reasons for choosing to set up in Mauritius may have changed somewhat over this period, however, the attractions, in the 21st century, remain just as compelling!

10 reasons why you should expatriate to Mauritius!

#1 Lifestyle – Everyone dreams of living a holiday lifestyle all year round near the sea! Finishing work and going to the beach becomes a real option because of the short distances on this very compact island. No beach is more than 45 minutes away, no matter where you live on the Island.
#2 Climate – The tropical climate with 2 main seasons, a hot humid summer from October to April, is followed by a cooler, drier winter from June to September. This mean an active outdoor lifestyle is possible all year round.
#3 Quality of Life – Overall the pace of life is slower and calmer. Life is generally less aggressive than in large urban areas of developed countries. You have space to breathe without giving up on your ambition.
#4 Lower Cost of Living – Day-to-day living is often significantly cheaper than in other expatriate centres or first world countries.
#5 Culture and Language – Mauritius is a melting pot of cultures, yet everyone can communicate in English and French, which makes integration that much easier. Being multicultural and with its many communities, food, festival, religious traditions, and festivities are an added bonus when living on the Island.
#6 Safety – Parents with young children feel instantly at ease with the slower lifestyle, outdoor activities, and vibrant communities. Mauritius consistently scores highly as the safest location in the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region.
#7 Education – There is a growing network of English and French Private International Schools, as well as Tertiary Institutions representing major international universities. This make the subject of where children will study once they finish school a less complicated process.
#8 Healthcare – Private clinics and hospitals are now available in most parts of the Island, and the country is developing a growing reputation for medical tourism due to the substantially lower costs of hospital care with institutions equipped with state of the art facilities.
#9 Location – Mauritius is perfectly located with London, Paris, Johannesburg, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, and Hong Kong all within a 4-hour time zone. There are excellent daily flight connections to all these business centres.
#10 Offshore Financial Centre – Mauritius is known for its stable political climate, Westminster style of parliamentary democracy, with well defined laws and regulations overseeing all aspects of business. It is possible to arrange one's tax affairs and protect one's wealth through offshore companies holding a GBC (Global Business Company) licence or through Trusts. All of which is done in low tax environment.

Having understood why Mauritius continues to draw people to its shores, let us review some of the reasons why you should consider planning to Work & Live in Mauritius, and why you should ask the team at Audacior and its related companies to provide you with complete end to end services that cover every aspect of your project to Work & Live in Mauritius.

Working in Mauritius

Working in Mauritius means being active in business, either as an Expatriate Entrepreneur, or as an Employee, possibly managing a company. Firstly from a Business perspective:

A low tax environment, with a maximum corporate income tax rate of 15%
Dividends paid out by companies are not taxed at source
No Capital Gains tax
No Exchange Control
Depending on your sector of operations, a 4-year Corporate Tax Holiday is available to SME
Tax laws are closely aligned with the UK system, hence interpretation is clear and simple, unlike the often complicated and complex European tax regimes
A 3% tax rate is available on corporate profits for offshore import/export trading
For larger entities, Mauritius is a signatory of Double Taxation Treaties with a large number of jurisdictions in Europe and Africa

From a Personal perspective:

Low income tax rates starting at 10%, and increasing to maximum 20% for high earners
As shareholder, dividends received are received tax free
No capital gains tax or wealth tax, and no estate duties
Overseas income is only taxed if repatriated to your personal bank account in Mauritius
Overseas wealth and income can be protected through offshore companies or trusts established in Mauritius if you become resident

Work and Residence Permits

Living in Mauritius requires that an expatriate applies for a Work and Residence Permit. There are a few options for type of permit to apply for and the choice will generally depend on the type of business activity and the amount of investment required in order to get started. It is important to understand from the outset that whatever type of permit that is applied for, family members have an absolute right to reside with you once your own permit has been approved. This is done through what is known as Dependent Permit, and it applies to spouses, children, and other 'dependents' like an older parent.

For the Expatriate Entrepreneur, work permits are known as Occupational Permits, and there are 3 major categories with a few others related to very specific activities. All Occupational Permits which also serve as automatic residence permits are issued by the Economic Development Board (EDB) via an online application system.

Investor Permit – This permit is recommended for entrepreneurs with a clearly defined project that requires some initial cash outlay. These are usually granted for 10 years and are renewable. There are 2 investment thresholds: US$100 000 or US$50 000. Funds must come from an account overseas connected by name to the investor. He/she cannot be paid a salary from the company, but he can draw dividends if the company is profitable.
Professional Permit – As the name implies, the permit is issued to an applicant who must be employed by a company and is granted based on the his/her qualifications. These are usually granted for 3 years initially and are renewable. The employee has an employment contract and is paid a monthly salary. The company withholds official deductions calculated on the salary, and pays this to the Tax Authorities through filings every month. The overall cost of setting up within a company and applying for a Professional Permit is substantially lower than applying for an Investor Permit.
Self-Employed Permit – The name is self-explanatory. The applicant is required to deposit US$50 000 into the business account (mainly as a guarantee that he/she will have sufficient working capital to operate for the start up phase). There are also turnover thresholds to be met for the permit to be renewed after 3-5 years. Audacior does not recommend this permit except in very specific circumstances.

An additional aspect of Working and Living in Mauritius is being up to date with all the legal, fiscal and civil requirements associated with running a company. An expatriate cannot be expected to know Company Law, Corporate and Personal Tax Regulations, in addition to Labour Laws relating to hiring local staff. It is for this reason that Audacior provides a complete service ensuring on time compliance in all matters relating to the Administrative, Legal, Fiscal, and Secretarial aspects of your company. You need not be concerned about filings and returns either for yourself personally or as a Company Owner or Director.

Audacior also provides a Mauritian National Resident Director service as is now required by the Registrar of Companies, and most Banks.

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