Retired Residence Permit in Mauritius: requirements, application and support

Last updated: November 2026

You are 50 or older, you have stable income from abroad, and you are thinking about settling in Mauritius long-term? The Retired Non-Citizen Residence Permit is probably the most straightforward path for you.

I am a French expat living in Mauritius since 2018. I have personally obtained 4 Mauritian permits of 3 different types, and I have been helping retirees through their applications for several years. In this article, I share everything you need to understand this permit without getting lost in the administrative details.

1. What is the Retired Residence Permit in Mauritius?

The Retired Non-Citizen Residence Permit is a long-stay residence permit issued by the EDB (Economic Development Board) to non-Mauritian citizens aged 50 and over who wish to live in Mauritius without engaging in any local professional activity.

It grants you Mauritian resident status for a period of 10 years, renewable.

It is a clean, stable, and relatively accessible option if your income meets the requirements.

2. Main requirements

Minimum age

You must be 50 years old or over at the time of application.

Financial resources

This is the central criterion. You must demonstrate that you have regular resources coming from abroad:

• A bank statement showing at least USD 24,000 available (i.e. USD 2,000/month over 12 months)
• An initial transfer of USD 2,000 to a Mauritian bank account within 60 days of obtaining the permit
• Ongoing monthly transfers of USD 2,000/month (or USD 24,000/year) to Mauritius

These transfers must be real and documented. This is not just a formal condition: the EDB verifies it at renewal.

Criminal record

A clean criminal record is required. The certificate must cover the last 10 years and be less than 6 months old at the time of submission.

Medical tests

Preliminary medical examinations are mandatory, carried out by an EDB-approved doctor in Mauritius.

3. What the permit allows (and what it does not)

With this permit, you can:

• Reside in Mauritius for up to 10 years (renewable)
• Bring your spouse and children under 24 as dependants
• Invest in a Mauritian company, provided you are not employed by it and do not receive a salary

However, you cannot:

• Carry out any paid professional activity in Mauritius
• Receive a salary or income from a Mauritian activity

4. Duration and renewal

The permit is valid for 10 years, renewable provided you continue to meet the conditions (actual transfers, presence in Mauritius, tax situation).

An important point that is often overlooked: some implementing texts mention a minimum stay of 180 days per year in Mauritius. This requirement is not systematically enforced today, but it is worth factoring in if you plan to split your time between several countries. Check the current situation on edbmauritius.org before applying.

5. The application file: an overview

Here are the main document categories to prepare:

• Signed official EDB forms
• Identity and civil status documents (passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable)
• Financial documents (bank statements, proof of income)
• Criminal record certificate (less than 6 months old)
• Medical certificate (obtained in Mauritius)
• ID photos meeting Mauritian standards

All documents must be submitted as PDFs through the EDB’s NELS (National Electronic Licensing System) platform.

6. Timeline

The process unfolds in several phases:

1. Online submission through NELS
2. EDB in-principle approval (several weeks to a few months depending on how complete your file is)
3. In-person appointment at the EDB in Ebene to finalise
4. Permit issuance and opening of a Mauritian bank account within 60 days

Allow between 2 and 4 months for the full process once your complete file has been submitted. Timelines vary depending on the period and the EDB’s workload.

7. Fees to expect

• Application fee (non-refundable): USD 50
• Permit fee: USD 1,000
• Fee per dependant: USD 400 per person
• Initial transfer upon obtaining the permit: USD 2,000
• Ongoing transfers: USD 2,000/month

8. Is this permit right for you?

The Retired Permit is a good fit if:

• You are 50 or older
• You have regular income from abroad (pension, annuities, passive income, dividends)
• You are not looking to work in Mauritius
• You want a stable, long-term setup without the constraints of a professional permit

On the other hand, if you are thinking about continuing any kind of activity, even part-time, the Self-Employed or Investor Occupation Permit will be better suited to your profile.

9. Working with me

On paper, the conditions seem clear. In practice, many applicants get stuck on points they did not anticipate: documenting their income, coordinating the medical examinations, or simply understanding exactly what the EDB expects at each stage.

I have been supporting retirees through their Retired Permit applications for several years. What I see consistently: files that run into trouble are almost never rejected on the substance of the requirements, but on form, consistency, or procedural details that no one explains to you upfront.

What you gain by working with me:

• Full end-to-end support, from building your file to obtaining your permit
• Access to a step-by-step Notion workspace dedicated to the Retired Permit
• Review and formatting of your financial documents in the format expected by the EDB
• Coordination of your file with the EDB
• Follow-up through to the issuance of your permit

The Retired Permit support package is priced at 800 EUR. The issuance of the permit remains at the discretion of the Mauritian authorities (EDB and PIO). That is why the final 30% (240 EUR) is only invoiced upon obtaining the permit: if the permit is not issued, that payment is not due. That is my commitment to you.

Payment is structured in 3 instalments:

• 35% on signing (280 EUR): start of support, access to the Notion workspace, beginning of file preparation
• 35% on file submission (280 EUR): once your complete file has been submitted to the EDB
• 30% on permit issuance (240 EUR, success fee, invoiced only if the permit is granted)

Do you have dependants (spouse, children under 24) to include in your application? A flat-rate dependants add-on of 150 EUR applies, regardless of the number of dependants, to cover the coordination of the additional documents required for their Dependent Permit applications.

Always verify current conditions on the official sites: edbmauritius.org and residency.mu.