Last updated: September 2026
Moving to Mauritius permanently is about more than a plane ticket and a place to stay. Once you go beyond the length of stay allowed as a tourist, living legally on the island means obtaining a residence permit suited to your situation.
There are several pathways, each designed for a different profile. This page covers the 5 types I help with professionally: the Investor Occupation Permit, the Self-Employed Occupation Permit, the Professional Occupation Permit, the Retired Non-Citizen permit, and the Premium Visa. All are issued by the EDB (Economic Development Board), the government body that handles these applications in Mauritius.
I have personally obtained 4 residence permits, across 3 different types covered here — including the Professional Occupation Permit, which I obtained twice. This guide draws on that direct experience, as well as the experience of the families and professionals I have been accompanying for several years.
This page gives an overview: what each permit allows, who it is for, and the broad categories of criteria involved. The precise details — required documents, application strategy, how to present your case — are part of the paid accompaniment service and are intentionally not covered here.
Just planning a tourist stay? Everything about the tourist visa and entry conditions for Mauritius →
The 5 types of permit: who are they for?
Investor Occupation Permit
The Investor Occupation Permit is for those who create or manage a business in Mauritius. It is linked to the economic activity of a locally registered company.
Who it is for: entrepreneurs, business owners and investors who want to develop a commercial activity in Mauritius — regardless of nationality.
What it allows: living legally in Mauritius, running your company, and having your immediate family join you on a dependant’s permit.
The criteria mainly relate to the level of investment in the company and the ability to demonstrate real, sustained economic activity (turnover, letters of intent, projections). This is one of the permit types whose criteria have changed the most in recent years.
Self-Employed Occupation Permit
The Self-Employed Occupation Permit is for independent workers: consultants, coaches, freelancers, and service providers. Unlike the Investor OP, it does not require setting up a company — it is granted on an individual basis.
Who it is for: independent workers who carry out their activity from Mauritius, with local or international clients, without an employer structure.
What it allows: living and working legally in Mauritius as a self-employed person, with family able to join on a dependant’s permit.
The criteria relate to the nature of the activity, income generated from Mauritius, and the ability to demonstrate a real client base. The line between the Self-Employed OP and the Investor OP can seem blurry — the right choice often depends on the specifics of each situation.
Professional Occupation Permit
The Professional Occupation Permit is the salaried worker’s permit: it applies to people hired by a Mauritian company under a local employment contract.
Who it is for: managers, executives and professionals employed by a company based in Mauritius.
What it allows: working legally in Mauritius for a Mauritian company, with family able to join on a dependant’s permit.
The criteria relate to the level of remuneration and the nature of the position. This is generally the permit whose application is most framed by the employer — but that does not mean it requires no preparation on the employee’s side.
Retired Non-Citizen Permit
The Retired Non-Citizen permit is for people who want to settle in Mauritius without working. It is an often-overlooked option, but well suited to those who have regular income from abroad (pension, annuities, passive income).
Who it is for: people who have reached the minimum required age and want to enjoy life in Mauritius without working locally.
What it allows: living legally in Mauritius without professional activity, benefiting from the island’s tax and lifestyle environment. Family can be included.
The criteria relate to age and the ability to demonstrate regular income transferred to Mauritius. One of the more straightforward permit types in terms of application logic — though its thresholds have also evolved.
Premium Visa
The Premium Visa is the most recent and most flexible pathway. It is designed for remote workers and digital nomads who want to live in Mauritius while keeping their income and clients abroad.
Who it is for: those who work remotely for a foreign company or international clients, and want to live on the island without necessarily setting up a local structure.
What it allows: living legally in Mauritius for an initial period shorter than the OPs, renewable. Family can be included.
The criteria relate to demonstrating income from outside Mauritius. The Premium Visa is sometimes used as a first step before moving to an Occupation Permit — this transition is possible but requires a complete new application.
High-level comparison
| Investor OP | Self-Employed OP | Professional OP | Retired | Premium Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional activity in Mauritius | Yes (company) | Yes (independent) | Yes (employee) | No | No |
| Main criterion | Investment + turnover | Income from Mauritius | Salary + position | Income + age | Foreign income |
| Family included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Initial duration | Several years | Several years | Several years | Several years | Shorter |
| Application complexity | High | Medium-high | Medium | Medium | Moderate |
Exact financial thresholds (amounts, minimum turnover, salary requirements) are intentionally not included here — they have changed several times in recent years. See the callout below.
The broad steps of the EDB process
Whatever the permit type, the process goes through the EDB (Economic Development Board), which centralises and processes all residence and work permit applications in Mauritius.
1. Identify the right permit type
Based on your personal, professional and family situation. This choice determines everything that follows — a wrong orientation at this stage can lead to a refusal or significant delays.
2. Prepare your application
Gather the required documents and put them together in a way that is coherent with the criteria for your chosen permit type. This is the stage where preparation quality makes the biggest difference.
3. Submit the application
Applications are submitted to the EDB, online or in person depending on the case. The file must be complete from the moment of submission.
4. Review and decision
The EDB reviews the application. Processing times vary depending on workload and how complete the file is. A well-prepared application reduces back-and-forth and speeds up the process.
5. Permit received and post-approval formalities
Once the permit is granted, several additional steps follow: registration, bank account opening, and so on.
Eligibility criteria change regularly — and this matters
This is not a minor detail: the conditions for obtaining a Mauritius residence permit have changed several times in recent years. Minimum investment amounts, required turnover thresholds, number of letters of intent required, Premium Visa eligibility conditions, salary criteria for the Professional OP — all of these have been modified, sometimes through the annual Budget, sometimes by circular, and not always with clear communication.
What was accurate when you read a blog post, watched a video, or asked someone who went through the process two years ago may no longer be true today.
Submitting an application based on outdated information means risking a refusal, a delay, or a request for additional documents that can push back your timeline by months.
This is one of the concrete reasons why up-to-date accompaniment — from someone who follows these changes continuously and is working on active applications — makes a real difference compared to going it alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can you live in Mauritius without a residence permit?
Yes, up to the limit of your authorised tourist stay. Beyond that, a residence title is required to remain legally on the island.
Can you switch permit types?
Yes, but it generally requires a completely new application to the EDB. Moving from a Premium Visa to an Occupation Permit, for example, is not a simple update — it is a new full application.
Can a spouse work on a dependant’s permit?
No. The Dependant’s Permit allows family members to live in Mauritius, but does not give the right to work. To work, a spouse must submit their own permit application.
Do you need to be in Mauritius to submit your application?
Not necessarily for every step, but some formalities require a physical presence or representation on the island.
Can you submit an application without professional help?
Yes, it is possible. But the quality of the preparation — the coherence of the file, the presentation of supporting documents, anticipating weak points — has a real impact on the outcome and timelines.
How long should you allow?
Timelines vary depending on the permit type, how complete the file is, and the EDB’s workload at the time of submission. A well-prepared file moves faster than one that generates follow-up requests.
What if the application is refused?
A refusal is not necessarily final, but it complicates the situation. It is better to address weak points in the file before submission rather than after.
Accompaniment
I help families and professionals prepare and submit their Mauritius residence permit application — Investor OP, Self-Employed OP, Professional OP, Retired or Premium Visa.