Explore Residency Opportunities in Mauritius with Premium Visa in the Idyllic Indian Ocean

Introduction

Have you ever dreamt of spending an extended period of time on a tropical island paradise? Of waking up each morning to sunny skies, palm trees and the sound of waves gently lapping the shore? Well, the recently introduced Mauritius Premium Visa offers exactly that – a chance to immerse yourself in island life for up to a year at a time in one of the most beautiful destinations on Earth.

In this blog, we will give you an in-depth look at everything you need to know about the Mauritius Premium Visa. We’ll cover who’s eligible, how to apply, requirements you need to meet and what life on the island is like with this long-term visa. We will also provide tips for finding accommodation, budgeting, healthcare and more. And by the end, you’ll have all the resources you need to make your dream of an extended tropical getaway a reality! 

So grab your sunscreen and let’s get right into all the details on this tropical visa!

Premium Visa In-Depth

What is the Premium Visa?

The Mauritius Premium Visa is a long stay visa created by the Mauritian government to encourage more remote workers, frequent travellers, retirees and investors to experience island life for longer periods of time.  

Instead of limiting people to short tourist stays of a few weeks, the premium visa allows you to remain in Mauritius for up to one full year. Even better, the initial year is renewable if you fall in love with island living! 

The goal is to attract people who will integrate into the community and economy during their extended stays. Rather than brief resort vacations, the government wants to shift the tourism landscape towards more meaningful, sustainable and locally-impactful visits. Note that this is not a visa that can be granted on arrival to Mauritius. 

Who Can Apply?

Citizens from the following countries are eligible to apply for the Mauritius Premium Visa initially: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Eswatini, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

However, citizens from other nations not on this list can still visit Mauritius under regular tourist visas. Once in the country, they can then apply for a Premium Visa by submitting an online application. This provides more flexibility for digital nomads from a wide range of countries looking to make Mauritius their remote work hub!

Application Requirements

To give you an idea of what to expect, here are the key requirements you’ll need to submit an application:

Seem straightforward enough? The full requirements list is available here if you want to see additional details. 

Online Application Process

After getting approved, you can start planning the extended tropical adventure of your dreams!

Life in Mauritius on the Premium Visa

Once you arrive in Mauritius on a premium visa, you’re allowed to essentially live as a resident while maintaining flexibility. This means you can:

You can also arrive in Mauritius on a tourist visa and apply for the premium visa in-country by following the same steps as above.

So in summary – you’ll have tons of freedom and can make Mauritius your temporary home while on premium visa!

Living in Mauritius Long-Term

Decided you want to spend an extended period of time living the island life in Mauritius? Here are some things you should consider when planning long-term stays under the premium visa programme.

Accommodation Options

One of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is finding the right place to stay in Mauritius. Here are some of the best options to consider:

Short Term Rentals

Fully furnished 1-3 month holiday lets are a flexible way to get your bearings when you first arrive. These short term rentals allow you to learn the different areas before committing. Many come with amenities like housekeeping, WiFi and access to pools. 

Great areas to look at holiday rentals include the northern village of Grand Baie for its lively resort town vibe, Flic en Flac on the west coast or the peaceful south coast beaches.

Long Term Rentals

If you know you want to really settle in, longer 6 or 12 month property rentals might be ideal. These give you stability and often work out cheaper per month than holiday lets. 

When researching long term rentals, look for ones with strong internet connectivity to support remote work. Useful amenities include backup generators in case of tropical storms causing power cuts!

Buying Property

Thanks to recent regulation changes, premium visa holders can also purchase property in Mauritius under certain programmes like Smart City, IRS or RES schemes. This allows the flexibility to invest in real estate you’ll eventually call home without needing permanent residency yet. Just be aware that minimum purchase prices under these programs start around $350k. 

So explore both renting and buying when considering your long term accommodation needs! Pro tip: Join Facebook groups like “Land/House for sale/rent in Mauritius” to stay on top of listings.

Cost of Living Considerations

Mauritius has historically been an expensive destination given high taxes on imports driving up costs of goods. But it remains very affordable compared to most tropical islands and has decent infrastructure.
Here are a few things to factor into your monthly budget: 

Housing – Renting a very basic 1 bedroom apartment starts around 15,000 MUR ($340) per month, ranging higher in tourist areas. 

Food – Groceries at supermarket chains like Winner’s are comparable to US/UK prices. But eating out at some local restaurants/street food stalls is very cheap – a meal often under 200 MUR ($5). 

Utilities – Unlimited prepaid data packages start around 900 MUR ($20) monthly for home broadband. While a postpaid mobile plan with data is around 400 MUR ($10). Note that the word ‘unlimited’ here is a bit of a misnomer: ‘unlimited’ means ‘unlimited up to data package limit’ which can be 200/400 GB per month. At times, some data plans also have a daily cap. 

Transportation – An extensive public bus system connects most parts of the island for cheap rates (around 44 MUR or $1 per trip). Though renting a car for costs around 2,000 MUR ($50) per day. Mauritius also has a new metro system, but runs only through the cities (and not coastal areas).  

So in general, you can comfortably live on a monthly budget starting around $1,500 per person is needed to qualify. And you can trim costs further by renting in less central areas, shopping locally and taking buses and the metro. 

Setting Up a Bank Account

While your foreign income won’t be taxed in Mauritius, you may still want to open a local bank account during your long term stay for convenience paying rent or other expenses. 

Major banks like the State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) and the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) both have streamlined processes for foreigners to open Mauritian bank accounts. Usually you just need to present your passport, proof of address (like a rental agreement) and initial deposit funds. They may ask for a bank reference and original/certified statements from your bank in the country you were normally resident.  

Absa Bank (Mauritius) is also another worthwhile contender – application and account opening seem to be much faster and less strenuous. 

We recommend comparing monthly fees and minimum balances to find the best banking option. 
 
State Bank of Mauritius (SBM): https://banking.sbmgroup.mu/individual/accounts  

Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB): https://mcb.mu 

Absa Bank (Mauritius): https://www.absabank.mu/en/personal 

Taxes in Mauritius

One common question is – will your foreign income get taxed while in Mauritius on a premium visa? 

The simple answer is no. The Mauritian Revenue Authority has explicitly stated:
“Income derived from outside Mauritius by a holder of a Premium Visa will not be subject to tax in Mauritius.” 

However, they continue:“The holder of a Premium Visa will be liable to pay income tax on money brought and deposited in a bank account in Mauritius…“

So in essence, you only pay taxes on funds you bring into local Mauritian bank accounts. 

There’s also an exemption that the first 325,000 MUR ($7,400) deposited into Mauritian bank accounts per year is tax free. And even funds above that threshold get a reduced income tax rate between 2-20%. 

The bottom line – it takes some intentional effort to trigger actual Mauritian income tax exposure! 

You can find more information on the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) website. 

Healthcare & Emergencies

Mauritius has a good network of public and private medical providers to care for any health issues that pop up during your long term stay.

For minor illnesses, we recommend visiting one of the many private doctor clinics across the island which charge around 800 MUR ($20) per appointment. They can prescribe medication and order scans or tests as General Practitioners. 

However, for more advanced treatment you’ll want to go to a major public hospital like Victoria Hospital or private facility like C-Care Wellkin (formerly Apollo Bramwell). Our own preference would be to stick to private healthcare in Mauritius. International health insurance plans are widely accepted if anything serious happens.

When it comes to medical emergencies, Mauritius has modern ambulance services that you can call for free at 114. Or the police emergency hotline is 999 if safety issues arise.

We highly advise getting travel insurance that includes medical evacuation given the island’s remote Indian Ocean location. Some policies also include emergency dental care which can come in handy! 

Final Thoughts and Our Own Personal Experience (Including Some Handy Tips!)

We hope this guide gave you an in-depth look at the incredible opportunities now available under the (relatively) new Mauritius Premium Visa programme. 

Spending up to a year living and working remotely against the backdrop of this tropical island paradise sounds pretty tempting doesn’t it?

Now that you know all the requirements, costs and logistics involved, you can decide if applying for premium visa makes sense for your location independent lifestyle. 

Maybe you’re a digital nomad looking for a change of pace from the standard Chiang Mai or Bali routes. Or a retiree seeking an exotic home base with unspoiled natural beauty. Perhaps an investor interested in diving into Mauritian real estate. 

Whatever your situation, the Mauritius Premium Visa provides the launch pad to experience this remote island nation for an extended duration any of these groups will appreciate. 

So if white sand beaches, vibrant reefs and swaying palms sound like the perfect office view, go ahead and apply for your chance to call Mauritius home for the next year!

You may also want to read our blog about our own experience on the ground here (including some handy tips)! 

Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And we hope to see you posting future travel photos enjoying coastal hikes and street food adventures in Mauritius soon!

Mauritius Premium Visa FAQs