Investor Occupation Permit in Mauritius: requirements, application and support

The Investor Occupation Permit (Investor OP) is a residence and work permit issued by Mauritian authorities to foreign nationals who set up and run a company in Mauritius. It allows you to live and work legally on the island as a business owner.

Unlike a tourist visa, the Investor OP is a long-term permit: it is issued for 3 years, renewable, and gives you a stable, legal residence in Mauritius.

It is the permit most foreign entrepreneurs choose when they want to settle in Mauritius while running a business on the island or internationally.

Who is the Investor Occupation Permit for?

The Investor OP is the right permit if you match one of these profiles:

• You want to set up a company in Mauritius and be its director
• You have a viable business project with realistic turnover projections
• You have an initial investment of at least USD 100,000 to inject into the company
• You are looking for stable, long-term legal residence in Mauritius, not just a transit visa

This is not the right permit if your activity is fully salaried (in that case, the Professional Occupation Permit applies) or if you work as a freelancer without setting up a formal structure (in that case, the Self-Employed Occupation Permit is more suitable).

Investor Occupation Permit requirements in 2026

Since the 2026/2027 Budget, the conditions for the Investor OP have been revised. Here is what you need to know.

The initial investment

The minimum investment threshold is set at USD 100,000 (approximately EUR 90,000 at current rates). This amount must be injected into the Mauritian company as capital or documented investment.

The previous USD 50,000 option was removed in August 2026.

Performance criteria at renewal

This is the key change introduced by the 2026 Budget. When renewing your Investor OP, the EDB (Economic Development Board) will now assess your company’s actual performance:

• At year 3: minimum annual turnover of MUR 5 million (approximately EUR 95,000)
• At year 5: minimum annual turnover of MUR 8 million (approximately EUR 152,000)

Indicative rate: EUR 1 = approximately MUR 53 at the time of publication.

These performance criteria change the picture: the Investor OP is no longer just a residence permit, it is also a commitment to building a real business. Your project needs to be serious, and your business plan projections need to be consistent with these thresholds.

Setting up a Mauritian company

To obtain an Investor OP, you must set up a company in Mauritius (a GBL or a domestic company, depending on your activity). This company is the legal basis for your permit.

This is where many applicants get stuck: Mauritian authorities require a resident Mauritian director to be present in the company at the time of incorporation and permit application. If you are not yet in Mauritius, you cannot be the sole director of your own company when submitting the application.

As part of my support service, I work with a trusted Mauritian accountant who takes on this resident director role at the time of company incorporation. Once your OP is obtained and you are settled in Mauritius, he simply resigns, leaving you in full control of your company. This is the standard, legal process for applicants putting their file together from abroad.

The application file: what you need to know

Without going into the full list of required documents (which evolves and depends on your personal situation), here are the key elements of an Investor OP file:

• Identity and civil status documents (passport, criminal record certificate, birth certificates for dependants)
• Proof of investment fund transfer
• Business plan for your Mauritian company
• Company incorporation documents and articles of association
• Financial statements proving the source of funds

The business plan is the most underestimated part. The EDB does not just check a revenue figure: it analyses the overall consistency of your project, the viability of the model, and how credible your projections are given the new performance criteria. A generic or poorly structured business plan is the leading cause of delayed or refused applications.

For technical and accounting questions specific to your situation, I turn to my Mauritian accountant partner to get the most accurate and relevant answers.

Timelines and the EDB process

The Investor OP application is submitted to the EDB (Economic Development Board), the government body that handles all permit applications in Mauritius.

Official processing times are typically a few weeks once the complete file is submitted. In practice, timelines vary depending on the time of year and how complete your file is. An incomplete or poorly prepared file significantly extends the process.

You also need to account for the time required to incorporate the company, open a professional bank account, and gather all supporting documents before even submitting the application.

Why get support?

On paper, the requirements look straightforward. In practice, it is rarely that simple.

I have been supporting families and entrepreneurs with their Occupation Permit applications for several years. What I see consistently: files that stall or run into problems are almost never blocked on substantive eligibility — they fall down on form, file consistency, or procedural points that no one tells you about in advance.

What you get when you work with me:

• Full A-to-Z support, from building your file to obtaining your permit
• Access to a dedicated step-by-step Notion workspace for your permit type
• Coordination with my Mauritian accountant partner for company incorporation and the resident director role
• Help structuring your business plan
• Support through to permit issuance

The Investor Occupation Permit support is priced at EUR 2,000, paid in three instalments:

• 35% on signing (EUR 700)
• 35% when the file is submitted to the EDB (EUR 700)
• 30% on permit issuance (EUR 600), and only if you get it

That final instalment is a success fee: if the Mauritian authorities do not issue your permit, it is not charged. That is my commitment to you.

Travelling with family? Dependants (spouse, children) can be included in your application for a flat fee of EUR 150, regardless of how many there are. A family of four pays no more than a couple.