Mauritius digital nomad visa 2026: requirements, tax & how to apply

Overview

Mauritius does not run a separately branded "digital nomad visa." Its equivalent is the Premium Travel Visa, launched in 2020 and administered by the Economic Development Board (EDB). It lets foreign nationals live in Mauritius for up to a year while working remotely for employers or clients based outside the country. It is issued free of charge, applied for online, and renewable. If you have searched for a "Mauritius nomad visa," this is the route people mean.

Who it's for

The visa targets remote employees, freelancers, self-employed professionals and retirees who want to be in Mauritius but keep their income offshore. The core conditions are strict on this point: your main place of business and your source of income and profits must be outside Mauritius, and you may not enter the Mauritian labour market or work for a Mauritius-registered company. It suits someone who wants an English- and French-speaking, politically stable Indian-Ocean base with a flat tax system — not someone looking to earn locally.

Income requirement

You must show a monthly income of at least USD 1,500. Each accompanying dependent child raises the threshold by USD 500 per month. As an alternative to a monthly income payslip, you can demonstrate sufficient funds — bank statements showing roughly USD 25,000, i.e. about a year of that income — to cover your stay. You prove this with an employment contract, recent invoices, or bank statements from the preceding six months.

Tax treatment: does it make you tax-resident?

Yes — if you stay long enough. Spend 183 days or more in a tax year in Mauritius and you become a Mauritian tax resident. The important part is how that income is taxed. Under Section 73B of the Income Tax Act, income a Premium Visa holder earns from remote work is deemed Mauritian-source income only when it is remitted to Mauritius. Money you earn and keep in a foreign account is not taxed in Mauritius.

What you do remit onshore is taxed at the standard flat rate of 15%, with personal reliefs available. Because of those reliefs, remittances kept within roughly USD 8,000–16,000 a year (depending on dependents) can attract no Mauritian tax at all. Income that was already earned and taxed elsewhere before you became tax-resident can also be remitted tax-free. This remittance basis is the mechanical heart of Mauritius's appeal for remote earners — but it is a planning exercise, not automatic. Read it alongside our full Mauritius residency and tax guide.

Duration & renewal

The Premium Travel Visa is valid for a period exceeding six months and up to one year, and it is renewable. It does not, by itself, lead to permanent residence or citizenship — it is a long-stay remote-work permit. If you want a permanent base, the occupation permit or property-linked routes are separate; see our Mauritius golden visa guide.

Family

You can bring your family. Your spouse or partner and dependent children may accompany you on the visa. Each dependent raises the income requirement (USD 500 per month per child), and each family member needs their own valid health and travel insurance and supporting documents. Dependents on the Premium Visa may not work locally either.

How to apply

• Confirm eligibility: your income and source of work are outside Mauritius, and you meet the monthly income or funds threshold.
• Gather documents: passport (valid at least six months), passport photo, employment contract or proof of self-employment, six months of bank statements, proof of accommodation in Mauritius, and health and travel insurance covering the stay.
• Complete the online application on the EDB / residency portal (premiumvisa@edbmauritius.org for queries).
• Submit and wait for the EDB decision — the visa is granted or refused after review; there is no fee to pay.
• Travel to Mauritius and activate your stay; track your days if you intend to stay under or over the 183-day tax-residency line deliberately.

Cost & timeline

How Expectat helps you get there

You do not need a visa filed in a vacuum — you need a plan where the visa, your day count, and your remittances all point the same direction. That is where the Premium Visa either saves you tax or quietly costs you it.

• We map your situation and numbers — your income, where it lands, and whether the 183-day line and remittance basis work for or against you.
• We model your remittances so you keep foreign income offshore where it makes sense and bring onshore only what your Mauritian reliefs absorb tax-efficiently.
• We execute on the ground with vetted local partners — filing, accommodation proof, insurance and banking — so the application and the move actually happen.

Book a strategy call and we'll tell you plainly whether Mauritius is the right base for your income.