Relocating to Mauritius starts with the right permit.
Plain guides to residence permits, tax, property, schools, healthcare and cyclone season, each dated and linked to the official pages behind it.
By Rory Phillips · Updated October 2026
Relocating to Mauritius means choosing a residence route first: an Occupation Permit to work, invest or run a business, the Retired Residence Permit from age 50, a permit that comes with buying property for at least USD 375,000 under an approved scheme or in a G+2 building, or the Premium Visa if your income comes from outside Mauritius. Many nationalities can visit without a visa, but visitors cannot work, and the immigration officer sets the length of each stay.
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The checklist, in order
Seven steps to a move to Mauritius
- Choose your residence route
- Check the tax side early
- Price the move
- Pick an area before a house
- Ask schools about places
- Start pet paperwork early
- Plan your first month
Start from the stage you are at
A move to Mauritius runs in roughly this order. Pick the stage that fits and go straight to the page that helps most.
Still deciding
The routes in, what each permit asks of you, and the main costs of moving and living there.
Read the moving guide → 02Choosing a route
Answer a few questions on age, work and budget and see which permits fit.
Open the visa checker → 03Planning the move
Permit fees, pet import fees, used-car duty, rent and first bills, with flights and shipping left as quotes to get.
Open the cost calculator → 04Just arrived
A bank account, a phone, health cover and a driving licence, in a sensible order.
Read the first-month guide →Moving from a particular country? Read our guides to moving from South Africa and moving from the UK, or see all three free tools.
Not a relocation agency. The rules, checked and sourced.
Relocating to Mauritius is an independent guide, founded by Rory Phillips. The official information on moving to Mauritius is split between the Economic Development Board, the Passport and Immigration Office, the Mauritius Revenue Authority and each year's Budget, so we read those sources and write them up in plain English.
Nobody here sells permits, property or removals. Every guide lists its sources with the date we checked them, and says so when a figure could not be confirmed.
Eight topics, from permits to cyclone season
Permits and visas
The Premium Visa, Occupation Permits, retirement, property routes and permanent residence.
Cost of living
Rent, food, fuel, utilities and school fees, priced in rupees.
Where to live
The north coast, west coast, centre, and south and east, compared on drive times, schools, climate and rents.
Schools
International curricula, fees and how to ask about places.
Healthcare
Public hospitals, private clinics and health cover for residents.
Safety and cyclones
Crime, road safety, weather and landslide warnings, with cyclone season in its own guide.
Money and tax
Tax residence, the 2026-27 rates, income from abroad, pensions and filing a return.
Everyday life
Climate, languages, schools, driving, phone plans, banking and public holidays.
Three tools to plan the move
Answer a few questions and get a starting point, with links to the guides that explain the detail.
Start with the big decisions
Weighing up South Africa as well?
Relocating to South Africa covers its visas, living costs and neighbourhoods in the same plain way.
Visit Relocating to South Africa →Common questions about relocating to Mauritius
Can foreigners move to Mauritius?
Yes. The main routes are an Occupation Permit to work or run a business, the Retired Residence Permit from age 50, a residence permit that comes with buying property for at least USD 375,000 under an approved scheme or in a G+2 building, and the Premium Visa for people whose income comes from outside Mauritius. Each has its own conditions, and visitors cannot work.
Do you pay tax in Mauritius on foreign income?
Only on what you bring into the country, once you are tax resident. Residence usually starts at 183 days or more in Mauritius in an income year, which runs from 1 July to 30 June, or 270 days across that year and the two before it. Income tax runs from 0% on the first Rs 500,000 to 35% on income above Rs 12 million, and there is no capital gains tax, inheritance tax or wealth tax.
Can you get residency in Mauritius by buying property?
Yes, if you buy property for at least USD 375,000 under one of the approved schemes or as an approved G+2 apartment. Most of the scheme guidelines say the residence permit stays in force while you own the property (the Invest Hotel Scheme guidelines do not say), and your spouse, children and dependants can be included.
Can you work in Mauritius on the Premium Visa?
Not for a Mauritian employer. The Premium Visa is for people whose work or income is based outside Mauritius, such as remote workers and retirees. It is free, you apply online, and it lasts up to a year and can be renewed. To take a job with a company in Mauritius you would normally need an Occupation Permit, which the employer applies for.
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