Moving to Mauritius from the United Kingdom
British enquiries have risen steadily, from retirees, from founders who can run a business from anywhere, and from families who want a warmer, safer place to raise children with schools that follow the curriculum they already know. Mauritius is a Commonwealth country with English as the language of government and law, and a legal system with final appeal to the Privy Council. It is not a stretch.
The routes
- Retired Non-Citizen permit
Over 50, income from the UK.
- Investor permit
Run a business here.
- Premium Visa
A year to decide.
- Residency by property
USD 375,000 in an approved scheme.
The routes British clients use
Over 50 and living on a pension or investment income: the Retired Non-Citizen permit, ten years, on transfers of USD 24,000 a year, with no property required. Running a business: the Investor permit at USD 100,000 into a Mauritian company. Consulting alone: the Self-Employed permit at USD 50,000. Buying a home in an approved scheme at USD 375,000 or above: residence for as long as it is held. Testing the island first: the Premium Visa, a year at a time on income from abroad.
The UK tax questions to settle before you leave
We are not tax advisers. We know the questions a UK adviser needs to answer before the move is decided. Whether you will pass the statutory residence test's automatic overseas tests, and how many UK days that leaves you. How the UK and Mauritius treaty treats your pension, your dividends and any UK rental income. Whether keeping a UK property keeps you UK resident, or exposes you to non-resident capital gains on its sale. How the remittance basis in Mauritius interacts with the transfers the permit requires. And what your UK domicile means for inheritance tax, which does not follow residence. The answers shape which permit, and when.
Schools and the curriculum
The largest English-medium schools follow the British curriculum through Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels, several with the IB alongside, and a child moving from an English school steps into the same year group with the same examinations at the end. Waiting lists exist in the early primary years and in Year 7, and the application should start before the permit does.
The practical side
Direct flights from London. A four-hour time difference in winter, three in British summer time, which makes working with the UK straightforward. Driving on the left. Sterling is freely convertible into rupees with no exchange control on the Mauritian side. Private healthcare is good; the insurance should include evacuation for the small number of conditions treated abroad.
Questions we are asked
Can I keep my UK state pension?
Yes. It is paid abroad, and Mauritius is among the countries where the UK state pension is uprated annually under a social security agreement. Confirm the current position with the Department for Work and Pensions before relying on it.
Do I need a visa to enter while the permit is processed?
British citizens enter Mauritius visa-free as visitors. The permit process itself starts before travel and is completed in person once approved in principle.
Is Mauritius a tax haven?
No. It is a low-tax, treaty-compliant jurisdiction with substance requirements, a 15% corporate rate, personal rates up to 20% with a 35% band above MUR 12 million from 1 July 2026, and a remittance basis for foreign income. It is on no current blacklist, and that is precisely why it works for British residents.
Not sure this is the right route?
Most people leave the first consultation with a different route from the one they arrived with. An hour, by appointment, and you leave with a clear view of which permit fits, what it will cost, and how long it will take.