Most people who will earn their living in Mauritius on their own account arrive with one of two permits in mind. The choice between them is less about the activity than about its shape.
Capital. The Self-Employed permit requires USD 50,000 transferred from abroad. The Investor permit requires USD 100,000, into a company's account. For many the difference decides it, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Structure. A self-employed holder works in their own name or through a one-person company, may engage one local administrative employee, and may not employ other professionals. An investor owns and directs a Mauritian company that can hire, contract and grow. If the plan is a practice of one, Self-Employed is simpler and cheaper to maintain. If the plan is a business with staff and a name of its own, the Investor route is the foundation it needs.
Sector. Self-Employed is confined to services. Trading, manufacturing, hospitality and property development are Investor activities by definition.
Obligations. Both carry income or turnover conditions from the third year, and higher ones from the fifth year for renewal: MUR 2 million and 3 million for the self-employed, MUR 5 million and 8 million for the investor. The investor's numbers are larger because a company is expected to do more, but the self-employed numbers are personal income and are not always easier to reach.
The family. Both permits extend to a spouse, children and parents as dependents. Where both partners will be active in the business, the common structure is an Investor permit for one and a Professional permit for the other, employed by the same company.
The wrong choice is rarely fatal, since a holder can shift category later, but it costs time and a second application. The right choice is usually clear after one conversation about what the business will look like in Year 3.