South Africans are the largest group of foreign residents arriving in Mauritius, and the reasons are familiar: a four-hour flight, the same time zone, English-speaking schools, a stable currency and a functioning state. The question we are asked most often is not whether to come but which door to use and what it will cost. This is the short version.
Three routes. An entrepreneur who will run a business here takes the Investor Occupation Permit: USD 100,000 into a Mauritian company, turnover conditions from the third year, ten years' validity. A professional or consultant working alone takes the Self-Employed permit at USD 50,000. Anyone over 50 living on income from South Africa takes the Retired Non-Citizen permit on transfers of USD 24,000 a year. A fourth door, buying a home in an approved scheme at USD 375,000 or more, carries a residence permit for as long as the property is held, and suits families who were going to buy anyway. Most South African families use one of the first three and rent for the first year.
Where the money goes in year one. Setting aside the permit investment itself, which is working capital or living money rather than a fee, the costs fall into six groups, in roughly descending order.
- Housing. Rent in the north or west for a three-bedroom house with a pool is the largest line. Deposits, agency fees and the first months' rent are paid before arrival.
- Schooling. The international schools charge in rupees and the fees are significant but well below the equivalent in the Gulf or Singapore. Places fill early and enrolment deposits are due at acceptance.
- Establishment. Incorporation, the registered office and secretary, a resident director if needed, and the bank account. For the Investor route this is a fixed package; for the Retired route it is minimal.
- The permit itself. Government fees are modest. Our fee for preparing and managing the application is set out in the written proposal before anything starts.
- Medical cover. Private health insurance that works in Mauritius and covers referral to South Africa is not optional and should be arranged before arrival.
- Vehicle and household. A car, registration and insurance; utilities and connections; household staff if wanted, at wages that are low by South African standards.
Exchange control. Moving capital from South Africa is subject to the South African Reserve Bank's rules and your annual allowances, and the timing of transfers should be planned with the permit deadline in mind. The Investor and Self-Employed permits require the initial investment to arrive within 60 days of issuance, and a delayed transfer cancels the permit. We do not advise on South African exchange control, but we sequence the permit so that the money is ready when the clock starts.
What we would tell a friend. Rent before you buy. Choose the school before the house. Get the bank account open before the permit is issued, not after. Budget for two trips before the move, one to see and one to sign. And decide the route on what the business or the household will look like in three years, not on the smallest number on the page.