Foreign nationals are eligible to apply for an Innovator OP under the following 2 options:

Option 1
No minimum investment required and submission of an innovative project to the Economic Development Board.

Option 2
Registered with an incubator accredited with the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council.

Eligibility

The business plan should clearly depict all expenditures related to R&D activities.
The scheme applies to companies conducting R&D in qualifying sectors including but not limited to life and health sciences, technology, ICT, fintech, biotechnology, nano technology, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and design.The R&D expense component should constitute of at least 20% of total operational expenditure during the research phase.
The Economic Development Board will assess, on a case to case basis, each project on its own merit to determine its eligibility to the scheme.

Qualifying Expenditures

The following costs may qualify as Research and Development:

• Direct R&D staff costs
• Subcontracted R&D costs
• Externally provided R&D staff
• Clinical trial volunteer costs
• Prototypes
• Software directly used in R&D
• Consumable items
• Any other expenditure deemed to have been incurred with the prospect of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding

For greater clarity, the following costs will not be considered as R&D expenditure:

• The production and distribution of goods and services
• Capital expenditure
• The cost of land
• Expenditures incurred for the use and the creation of patents and trademarks, as these are the cost of protecting the completed R&D

Note:

It would be on the onus of the promoter to provide for precise, comprehensive and reliable information on its qualifying activities and the Economic Development Board reserves the right to accept or reject qualifying R&D expenditures based on sound interpretation of the innovative and added value aspects of the project. For renewal, such conditions as the Chief Executive Officer may determine will apply.

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

An investor is eligible to apply for an Investor OP under the following options:

Investment in high technology machines and equipment

An initial investment of USD 50,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible currency, of which:

a minimum transfer of at least USD 25,000 to the bank account of the company under which the application will be
the equivalent of the remaining value in high technology machines and equipment, subject to such criteria as the Chief Executive Officer may determine, such as:

• The high technology machines and equipment will be evaluated based on the invoice issued by the supplier and a report from a recognized Chartered Valuator in the country of origin.
• In case the high technology machines and equipment is yet to be shipped to Mauritius, the investor should submit the bill of lading to the Occupation Permit Unit at time of submission of the application.
• Investment in high technology machines and equipment must be in a qualifying activity including but not limited to agro-industry, aquaculture, healthcare, ICT-BPO, fin-tech, life sciences, biotechnology, manufacturing, ocean economy and renewable energy.

Note:

The investor should transfer the remaining balance in freely convertible foreign currency in case the value of the high technology machines and equipment is less than that submitted on the invoice and bill of lading, when being evaluated by the Custom Department in Mauritius.
The high technology machines and equipment must be used for the proposed business activity.

For renewal of an OP I

A Self-Employed is defined as a non-citizen engaged in a professional activity under the services sector only and registered with the Registrar of Businesses under the Business Registration Act

A Self-Employed should operate a one-person business activity, working exclusively for his/her own account.

A Self-Employed should make an initial transfer of USD 35,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency to his/her local bank account in Mauritius.

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

A Professional, as defined under the Immigration Act, is an expatriate employed in Mauritius by virtue of a contract of employment.

A Professional should earn a monthly basic salary of at least MUR 60,000. For Professionals in the sector of information and communication technologies (ICT), business process outsourcing (BPO), pharmaceutical manufacturing and food processing, the monthly basic salary should be at least MUR 30,000. Professionals may also apply for a Short-term Occupation Permit for a period not exceeding 9 months. The OP may be extended only once for a period not exceeding 3 months.

Right to Invest by Professional

A holder of an Occupation Permit as Professional may invest in any business provided that: –

• he/she is not employed in the business
• he/she does not manage the business
• he/she does not derive any salary or employment benefits from the business
• Notwithstanding the above, a Professional may hold shares in a business where he is employed provided that the Occupation Permit holder is not a majority shareholder.

Note:

An application for a Professional should be submitted by the Employer (either Director or HR representative) on behalf of the Professional.
The contract of employment, duly signed by both parties, should clearly mention the following: applicant’s full name as per the birth certificate, company’s name, Job Title, Duration of the contract of employment and Monthly basic salary.
The Employer is also required to sign the Undertaking form as per section 5 of the Occupation Permit application form.

The Professional should be accompanied by the Employer (either Director or HR representative) on the appointment date.

Mauritius is an exceptionally safe, hospitable and pleasant environment and a desirable location for people wishing to enjoy their retirement. There are ample accommodation facilities, from fully-serviced apartments to luxurious villas and beach-front residences. The cost of living is affordable and for added peace of mind, medical and health services are of a world-class standard.

A Retired Non-Citizen is defined as a person who is not a citizen of Mauritius and aged 50 years or above.

He/She should make an initial transfer of at least USD 1,500 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency to his/her local bank account in Mauritius. Thereafter, the Retired Non-Citizen should transfer at least USD 1,500 monthly or the aggregate of at least USD 18,000 per year or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency during the 10 years’ validity of the residence permit.
At the end of each year, the Retired Non-Citizen should submit to the Economic Development Board, the evidence of transfer of funds into his/her local bank account.

Right to Invest by Retired Non-Citizen

A holder of Residence Permit as Retired Non-Citizen may invest in any business provided that: –

• he/she is not employed in the business
• he/she does not manage the business
• he/she does not derive any salary or employment benefits from the business

Note: The Retired Non-Citizen should also provide information on other residences that he/she may have in other jurisdictions, including tax residences. This information will be shared with the Mauritian Tax Authority to be in line with the prevailing Common Reporting Standard (CRS) adopted by the Republic of Mauritius.

A holder of an Occupation  (OP) or Residence Permit is eligible to apply for a 20-year Residence Permit (RP) provided the following specific conditions are met:

1. Investor, holding an OP for at least 3 years with a minimum annual gross income of at least MUR 15M;
   or an aggregate turnover MUR 45M, for any consecutive period of 3 years.
2. Professional, holding an OP for at least 3 years with a basic monthly salary of at least MUR 150,000 for 3 consecutive years.
3. Self-Employed holding an OP for at least 3 years with an annual business income of at least MUR 3M for the 3 consecutive years.
4. Retired Non-Citizen holding a Resident Permit for at least 3 years with transfer of at least USD 54,000 or its equivalent in freely convertible foreign currency for the period of 3 years.

An investor who invests at least USD 375,000 in a qualifying business activity is also eligible to apply for the 20-year residence permit.

Qualifying activities are:
Agro-based industry, Audio-visual, Cinema and Communication, Banking, Construction, Education, Environment-friendly and green energy products, Financial Services, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Freeport, Information Technology, Infrastructure, Insurance, Leisure, Manufacturing, Marina development, Tourism and Warehousing, Initial Public Offerings.

The Dependents of an Occupation or Residence Permit holders are eligible to apply for a residence permit. Dependents are defined as spouse (including Common Law Partner of the opposite sex) and children, including step children or lawfully adopted children, under 24 years of age.

Do you need advice, help for your relocation plans…? We are happy to assist you.