Mauritius Professional Occupation Permit

Workers outside the Occupation Permit scheme may not enter Mauritius for employment unless they hold a residence permit from the PIO and a work permit from the Ministry of Labour. The residence permit application, lodged at the Residence Permit Counter on the 8th floor of Sterling House in Port Louis, includes the Application to Enter Mauritius form, two photos, passport copies, the sponsor company’s letter and proof that the work permit was applied for; children under 24 can be included. Under section 15 of the Finance Act 2025, employers pay MUR 500 a year per foreign worker before the residence permit is issued. People who entered on a tourist or business visa may not take up employment. Graduates of local universities can be hired on a Young Professional Occupation Permit of up to three years with a basic salary of at least MUR 25,000.

The Occupation Permit is a combined work and residence permit in three categories: Investor, Professional and Self-Employed. The Professional category is for people employed in Mauritius by a multinational or local company under a contract with a basic monthly salary of at least MUR 50,000. The EDB’s 2026 newsletter explains that the budget harmonised this threshold across all sectors. A professional who holds an active permit granted under the earlier MUR 30,000 criterion can renew once under that criterion. The permit is valid for up to ten years depending on the contract and is renewed with a new contract meeting the salary threshold. A short-term Occupation Permit of up to nine months, extendable once by three months, also exists.

For approval in principle, upload the business registration card, certificate of incorporation, register of shareholders and directors, any clearances for regulated activities, a brief on the company’s activities, the signed employment contract and job description, academic and professional qualifications, a CV, the birth certificate, the passport bio page, a recent digital photo and the employer’s signed undertaking. Documents not in English or French need a certified or sworn translation; After approval in principle, the marriage or divorce certificate, a medical certificate and reports under six months old, the last entry visa pages and any earlier permit are added. The contract must show the applicant’s full name as on the birth certificate, the company name, job title, contract length and basic monthly salary.

The National Electronic Licensing System announces a non-refundable USD 50 application fee for every Occupation Permit and Residence Permit application from 1 December 2025. The EDB itself charges no processing fee, and the statutory permit fee is paid only by successful applicants after approval. For Professional permits the fee depends on the duration: USD 300 for a short-term permit of up to nine months, USD 150 for its three-month extension, USD 400 up to two years, USD 500 from two to three years, USD 800 from three to five years and USD 1,000 from five to ten years.

The employer, through a director or HR representative, registers on business.edbmauritius.org and files the application online; the employee does not need to travel to start the process. NELS covers everything from submission to the approval-in-principle letter. Regulated activities, such as banking, engineering, medicine, veterinary work and allied health professions, need a registration, clearance or licence from the relevant body, which the EDB asks for after submission. The professional must attend the appointment with the employer’s representative and bring the originals. For a secondment, the Mauritian employer provides the secondment agreement and a letter stating the job title, contract length and basic salary.

At expiry, the permit can be renewed with a new contract that meets the minimum salary. After at least five years on an Occupation Permit as Professional or a work permit, with a basic salary of at least MUR 400,000 a month for the five consecutive years before applying, the professional can apply for the 20-year Permanent Residence Permit within six months of meeting the criteria.

Dependants of Occupation Permit holders and retired non-citizens can obtain residence permits for the same duration as the main holder. The EDB defines dependants as the spouse (including an opposite-sex common-law partner), parents and children, including stepchildren and lawfully adopted children, who are unmarried and not in gainful activity. Their applications are made to and decided by the Passport and Immigration Office, and dependants may not work without their own work permit. A professional may invest in any business in which they are not employed and from which they draw no salary, and may hold shares in the employer as long as they are not the majority shareholder. Professionals file their emoluments with the Mauritius Revenue Authority each year. Holders may buy residential property under the Integrated Resort Scheme, Real Estate Scheme, Property Development Scheme or Smart City Scheme, or an apartment in a building of at least ground plus two floors.