Mauritius

Mauritius has two routes for nomads and retirees who want more than a holiday. Remote workers and long-stay visitors with income from abroad use the Premium Visa, which is free and lasts up to a year at a time. Retirees aged 50 or older who can move a steady income to the island apply for the retired non-citizen permit, which lasts 10 years.

Short stays

Tourists from visa-exempt and visa-on-arrival countries can be granted up to 6 months in a calendar year, case by case; the stay stamped on arrival depends on nationality. Anyone planning to stay longer than that in a calendar year needs the Premium Visa or a permit.

The Premium Visa

The visa runs for more than six months and up to 1 year, renewable, and it's multi-entry. Applicants need at least $1,500 a month per adult and $500 a month per dependent child, according to the Economic Development Board's (EDB) 2023 FAQ, plus travel and health insurance, a return ticket and proof of accommodation.

Holders can't take local jobs, and their business or income must be outside Mauritius. Nationals of the EDB's listed countries apply from abroad; others can apply after arriving on a tourist visa. The Premium Visa page has the full document list.

The retirement permit

Since the Finance Act 2025, retirees transfer $2,000 a month or $24,000 a year into a Mauritian bank account, starting within 60 days of the permit. The permit fee is $1,000, holders may invest but not work, and dependants get permits for the same period.

Permanent residence: A 20-year Permanent Residence Permit after at least five years as a retired non-citizen permit holder, with transfers totalling at least USD 200,000 over the five years before applying. The retirement permit page lists the documents for each stage.

Which route fits

• Remote worker or long-stay visitor with foreign income: the Premium Visa.
• Retiree aged 50 or older planning to settle: the retired non-citizen permit.
• Anyone who wants to work, invest or buy property: the EDB's residency portal covers occupation permits and the property schemes open to foreigners.
• Short trip: a tourist stay within the calendar-year limit.

Everyday spending takes the bigger share of a budget in Port Louis, especially outside the center. In Numbeo's crowd-sourced prices for Port Louis, updated September 2026, a one-bedroom apartment averaged about MUR 22,600 a month in the center and MUR 13,000 outside it, while a single person's other monthly costs came to about MUR 26,700.

That puts a single remote worker's budget at roughly MUR 39,700 to 49,300 a month ($830 to $1,030 at the Bank of Mauritius indicative rate for Sept. 23, 2026), depending on where the apartment is.

• Outside the center: about MUR 39,700 ($830) a month with rent.
• In the center: about MUR 49,300 ($1,030) a month with rent.

Numbeo's figures are averages of prices its contributors report, so they're a guide rather than a quote. It has no cost pages for Grand Baie, Flic en Flac or Le Morne, where many nomads stay, so budgets there need local checks.

What the totals leave out

• Health and travel insurance: the Premium Visa requires cover for the whole stay, priced by insurer, age and cover.
• Flights: a return ticket is part of the Premium Visa file.
• Coworking: a desk comes on top, and prices vary by space.

Port Louis is the capital and the only Mauritian city Numbeo prices in its September 2026 data. It suits nomads who want city services and government offices close at hand more than a beach on the doorstep.

Grand Baie, a resort town on the north coast, suits nomads who want restaurants, shops and other foreigners around them.

Flic en Flac, a beach village on the west coast, suits those who want a quieter base by the sea.

Le Morne, in the southwest, sits beside the Le Morne Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It suits nomads who put the outdoors first and don't mind being far from the capital.

Connections are workable rather than fast. Speedtest's Global Index for August 2026 put Mauritius's median fixed broadband download at about 97 Mbps. It didn't publish a mobile median for the month because the sample was too small.

Speeds in a given rental depend on the building's connection, so it pays to ask the landlord which plan serves the property before signing, and to keep mobile data as a backup.

Emtel and my.t both sell eSIMs, so a phone that supports them can be set up without a card swap.

Coworking

Coworking spaces exist in the main towns and business districts, but dedicated spaces are thinner in the smaller coastal villages, where home connections and cafes do more of the work. Day passes and monthly desks are the usual formats, and prices vary by space.

Mauritius taxes residents on income derived in Mauritius or remitted to it, according to the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA). A person is resident after 183 days or more in an income year (July 1 to June 30), after 270 days or more in aggregate over that year and the two before it, or through domicile in Mauritius.

Premium Visa holders

Income of a Premium Visa holder, including pay for remote work done in Mauritius, is taxed on a remittance basis; spending in Mauritius with foreign cards is not treated as a remittance. Money deposited in a Mauritian bank account is taxable unless the holder declares that tax on it was paid in the country of origin or residence, according to the EDB's FAQ.

Retirees

The MRA counts pensions as foreign income, and the retirement permit requires regular transfers into Mauritius, so retirees should check how their pension will be taxed.

What nomads should check

• The income year: it runs from July 1 to June 30, not the calendar year.
• What gets remitted: spending with foreign cards isn't treated as a remittance for Premium Visa holders, but deposits into a local account can be.
• Recent changes: whether the Finance Acts of 2025 or 2026 changed the remittance rules wasn't confirmed, so long stays call for a check with the MRA.

Arrival

• Tourist stays: the stay granted on arrival depends on nationality, within the limit of 6 months in a calendar year.
• Premium Visa: the e-visa arrives by email, and applicants abroad must travel within six months of issue.

Money

Prices are in Mauritian rupees. The Bank of Mauritius publishes indicative exchange rates each day; on Sept. 23, 2026, one rupee was worth about $0.021.

Phone and data

Emtel and my.t both offer eSIMs, and my.t lists tourist offers.

Insurance

Premium Visa holders must carry travel and health insurance for their whole stay, so a policy that covers the full period and any renewal is worth arranging before applying.

Buying property

Foreigners can buy residential property only under set schemes, such as the Integrated Resort Scheme, Real Estate Scheme, Property Development Scheme and Smart City Scheme, or an apartment in a building of at least ground plus two floors, according to the EDB. The EDB's property pages explain each scheme.