Occupation Permit in Mauritius

One can obtain an Occupation Permit as an investor, a paid professional, or a self-employed individual.

Investors

Foreign investors who qualify for the Occupation Permit (OP) must:

• Justify a turnover of 2 million Mauritian Rupees for the first year, and a total turnover of at least 10 million Mauritian Rupees for the next two consecutive years
• Justify an initial investment of US$ 100,000 (or the equivalent in another currency).

If a foreign investor has been operating in Mauritius for a minimum of 3 years before obtaining the OP and have not registered their company with the Board of Investment (BOI), then they must have a cumulative figure of at least 12 million Mauritian Rupees for the past three years. These terms also apply to foreign investors who inherit, whether it's in the event of a death or whether it's due to the incapacity of the previous investor, and if the company has had a turnover of at least 12 million rupees during the past three years.

Two other categories for investors are available under the OP:

• 'Innovator Occupation Permit': If you are investing in R&D, or in a field that is considered innovative, then it is required to invest at least 20% of the budget in R&D each year. The initial sum required is USD 40,000, or its equivalent.
• 'Investor ' Machinery & Equipment Permit': If high tech machinery or equipment are being imported into the country, then 75% of the initial USD 100,000 investment may be allocated to it. The contribution, in cash, would then amount to USD 25,000, or its equivalent.

The application can be submitted online and does not require the company to having been registered already, not the funds transferred, before submitting the application. An Agreement in Principle will be issued, following which the investor will be able to come to Mauritius to complete the procedures required to obtain the OP.

Paid professionals

Foreign professionals who are applying for the Occupation Permit must:

• Earn a basic monthly salary of over 60,000 Mauritian Rupees. For the ICT sector, this monthly minimum is capped at 30,000 Mauritian Rupees.
• Be accompanied by their Director of Human Resources or by a representative on the day of filing of the application.

Self-employed individuals

Self-employed individuals applying for the Occupation Permit must:

• Justify an annual revenue exceeding 600,000 Mauritian Rupees from their business activity in the first two years, and 1,200,000 Mauritian Rupees from the third year
• Justify an initial investment of USD 35,000 (or its equivalent in another currency)
• Submit the application pack in person

The Occupation Permit is a combination of the Work Permit and the Residence Permit. The professional applying for an Occupation Permit needs to earn a basic salary of at least Rs. 60,000 per month, or Rs. 30,000 in the ICT sector.

The OP is valid for three years, allowing the individual to live and work in Mauritius for that period of time, unless the applicant asks for a short-term Occupation Permit which for a period of nine months or less. The permit can be renewed once only, for an additional period of three months.

The Occupation Permit request is submitted by the employer, and the following documents are required:

• Contract of Employment
• Job description
• A copy of the employee's academic and professional qualifications
• The CV and a letter of recommendation from a previous employer
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate (if relevant)
• A copy of the passport's bio-data page
• A recent passport-sized photo (4.5 x 3.5 cm)
• Certificate of incorporation and the business registration card of the company
• Trade licence of the company
• Detailed description of the activities of the company
• A signed contract

Good to know:

A foreign professional with an OP and a monthly salary of over USD 3,000 is eligible to purchase an apartment.

Useful link :

BOI ' Occupation permit