Mauritius Premium Visa for Remote Workers: Requirements and How to Apply

The Mauritius Premium Visa lets remote workers live on the island for up to one year. The government does not charge a fee, and the main rule is proof of income from outside Mauritius. This guide covers who can apply, the income rule, the documents, the steps, renewal, and the tax basics. All details were checked on November 5, 2026.

Is the Premium Visa Open in 2026?

The visa is open. The Economic Development Board (EDB) still takes applications online, and the Passport and Immigration Office still lists the visa as free. The EDB’s FAQ is dated November 2023, and its Premium Visa page was last edited in August 2026 with the same rules.

Three recent changes are worth knowing about.

New laws: Mauritius passed two Acts in July 2026, and the President signed them on August 12, 2026. According to tax adviser Sebastian Sauerborn, the Acts changed work permit rules and left the Premium Visa in place.
New fees on other permits: The EDB set a USD 50 application fee for occupation permits and retired-person permits from December 1, 2025. The EDB added the same fee for property-scheme residence permits from October 1, 2026. The Premium Visa is on neither list.
A planned e-Visa: The 2026 to 2027 Budget plans an online travel authorization for all non-citizens, with a fee, targeted for 2027. Stamped Nomad reports that no fee amount or final rules are published yet.

What the Premium Visa Is

The Premium Visa is a long-stay visa for people who earn money outside Mauritius. The EDB describes it as open to tourists, retirees and professionals who want to stay with their families and work remotely. The visa is not a work permit, so holders cannot take local jobs.

Official name: Premium Visa, also called the Premium Travel Visa.
Announced: October 2020.
Stay: More than six months and up to one year, with an option to renew.
Entry: Multi-entry, so holders can leave and return during the validity.
Fee: None.
Apply at: The EDB online portal. The e-visa arrives by email.

The EDB says a tourist visa covers stays of up to 180 days in a calendar year. The Premium Visa is meant for longer stays. The guide on digital nomad visa vs tourist visa explains how to choose between the two.

wide landscape photograph at golden hour of a dramatic basalt

Who Can Apply

Any non-citizen can apply, but the starting point depends on the passport. The EDB keeps a list of 114 countries.

On the list: Citizens apply online before they travel. The list includes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Germany, France, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
Not on the list: Citizens enter on a tourist visa and apply during their stay. Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand and Colombia are not on the list.

Passport holders in the second group should also check whether they need a visa to enter Mauritius at all. The Passport and Immigration Office publishes a country table for that. The guide to visa options for non-Western passport holders covers other routes.

Applicants must also meet these conditions:

No local work: The applicant must not enter the Mauritius labour market.
Foreign income: The main place of business or source of income and profits must be outside Mauritius.
Proof of plans: The applicant needs documents that show the purpose of the stay and where they will live.
Insurance: The applicant needs travel and health insurance for the first period of the stay. The guide to health insurance plans for digital nomads compares options.
Other rules: The standard Mauritius immigration requirements still apply.

Income Requirement

The EDB sets the minimum income at USD 1,500 per month for each adult. The EDB adds USD 500 per month for each dependent child. The French version of the FAQ says the child amount applies to children under 24.

Here are three worked examples, with the arithmetic checked.

One adult: USD 1,500 per month, or USD 18,000 per year.
A couple: USD 3,000 per month.
A couple with two children: USD 4,000 per month.

Some visa sites list USD 18,000 in savings as another way to qualify. The EDB FAQ does not mention that option, so applicants should plan to show monthly income. The proof is the last three months of bank statements plus an employment contract or a letter that confirms monthly revenue. For a wider view, see the income requirements by country.

Documents to Prepare

The EDB lists these documents for a first application.

Online form: Completed on the EDB portal.
Passport: A copy of the bio data page.
Photo: One passport-size photo, for the first application only.
Flights: A ticket copy that includes a return ticket for a stay longer than six months.
Insurance: Travel and health cover for the full stay.
Housing: A hotel booking, a rental agreement, or an invitation letter from a host. A host letter also needs proof of address and a copy of the host’s ID, passport or residence permit.
Funds: Three months of bank statements and proof of monthly income.
Family papers: A marriage certificate for a spouse and birth certificates for children, in English or French. A child who travels with one parent also needs a letter of consent.
Other: Any extra document the office asks for.

The French version of the FAQ says documents in other languages need a certified translation into English or French. The EDB also offers a checklist download on its Premium Visa page. For papers that many visas share, the digital nomad visa documents checklist can help.

overhead flat lay on a warm sand colored wooden table

How to Apply Step by Step

Check the country list. Find your passport on the EDB list to see whether you apply before travel or after arrival.
Book your base. Book a return ticket for a stay longer than six months, arrange accommodation, and buy insurance for the full stay.
Gather the documents. Use the list above and the EDB checklist.
Apply online. Use the “Apply for Premium Visa” button on the EDB residency page. The EDB says no processing fee applies.
Wait for the email. The e-visa arrives by email once the office approves it.
Travel to Mauritius. For applicants abroad, the visa stays valid for travel for six months. Day one of the one-year stay starts on the day of arrival.
Complete the arrival form. The Passport and Immigration Office links to the free Mauritius All-in-One Travel Digital Form. Stamped Nomad reports that travelers must complete it within 72 hours of arrival, so confirm the timing on the official page.

Applicants who are already in Mauritius on a tourist visa follow the same steps. In that case, the EDB matches the visa length to the insurance and the return ticket, which must both cover more than six months.

view from an airplane window seat as the plane descends toward a tropical island

How Long Does Approval Take?

The EDB does not publish a processing time. Several visa blogs say 48 hours, but none cite an official source. Applicants on the Expat.com forum report waits from about three weeks to more than seven weeks.

Forum posts are not official, and waits can change from year to year. Applying early can help. The guide to processing times by country shows how other visas compare.

Cost of the Premium Visa

Government fee: None. The EDB and the Passport and Immigration Office both say the visa is free of cost.
Costs you still pay: Flights, insurance, accommodation, and certified translations if a document is not in English or French.

The application fees compared guide shows how a free visa compares with other countries.

Validity, Renewal, and What the Visa Allows

Length: More than six months and up to one year.
Renewal: Holders apply again with the same documents. The photo, marriage certificate and birth certificates are not needed a second time.
Work: Local jobs are not allowed. People who want to work or invest can apply for an occupation permit through the EDB. Retirees can apply for a residence permit as a retired non-citizen.
Property: Holders can buy a home only under set schemes, or an apartment in a building of at least ground plus two floors.
Family: A spouse and children can be included. The guide to family and dependent provisions compares other countries.

The permit routes work differently from a visa, as the guide on visa vs residency by investment explains. The EDB FAQ does not describe how refusals or appeals work. For general steps, read the guides on renewal and extension rules and what to do if an application is rejected.

Tax Basics for Premium Visa Holders

The EDB gives these tax rules for the visa.

Mauritian-source income: Pay for work done remotely in Mauritius is taxed on a remittance basis. Tax applies when the money is brought into Mauritius.
Foreign card spending: Money spent in Mauritius with foreign credit or debit cards is not treated as remitted.
Local bank deposits: Money deposited in a Mauritian bank account is taxable. The deposit is not taxed if the holder declares that tax was already paid in the home country or country of residence.

The Mauritius Revenue Authority treats a person as resident after 183 days in an income year. The authority also uses 270 days across that year and the two years before it, or domicile in Mauritius. The income year runs from July 1 to June 30. A stay of close to one year can pass the 183-day test.

Some immigration firms say Premium Visa holders are not tax resident while they hold the visa. The Revenue Authority’s published test counts days and domicile and does not mention the visa. A tax adviser can confirm how the rules apply to a specific stay.

Home country rules can apply at the same time. Readers can see how US citizens file taxes while working abroad and read the UK tax rules, Canadian tax rules and Australian tax rules. A Mauritian bank account matters for the deposit rule above, and the guide to a bank account without local residency explains the options.

This section is general information and not tax advice.

Who the Premium Visa Suits

The visa suits these people:

Remote employees and freelancers with USD 1,500 or more in monthly income from employers or clients outside Mauritius.
People planning a stay of seven to twelve months. Stays under 180 days can use a tourist visa.
Families who can show USD 500 per month for each child.

Stamped Nomad, using Numbeo prices from September 2026, puts a single person’s monthly budget in Port Louis at about MUR 39,700 to MUR 49,300. The total is roughly USD 830 to USD 1,030. The same source cites Speedtest data with a median fixed broadband speed of about 97 Mbps in August 2026. The Mauritius digital nomad guide covers neighborhoods, costs and coworking in more detail.

Mauritius time is UTC+4. A 9:00 start in London is 13:00 in Mauritius during UK winter time and 12:00 during UK summer time. A 9:00 start in New York is 18:00 in US winter time and 17:00 in US summer time.

The visa is a poor fit for these people:

Anyone who wants a local job or Mauritian clients. The visa bars local work, and income must come from abroad.
Short-stay travelers. A tourist visa covers up to 180 days in a calendar year.
Applicants below the income line. The minimum applies to each adult.
People with a tight deadline. The EDB gives no approval time, and applicants report waits of several weeks.

a small wooden work table on a shaded balcony at sunrise

Official Pages to Check

Ready to Plan the Trip?

The application asks for a return ticket for a stay longer than six months, so flights are the first booking to sort out. Search flights to Mauritius on FlyBibe and compare routes and dates before you apply. Once the dates fit your plans, the rest of the file is mostly documents and a few weeks of waiting for the email with your e-visa.

Immigration and tax rules change. This article reflects information checked on November 5, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the Economic Development Board, the Passport and Immigration Office, or a qualified professional before making plans.