The number of foreign citizens moving to Mauritius has increased constantly in the past few years. Regarded as the 13th best country for business in the world recently, the insular has a few advantages over other African countries. Among these, higher salaries for those who come here for work and a great tax system for those who open companies.
These are only a few of the reasons why applying for Mauritius citizenship becomes quite appealing. Below, our specialists explain the main ways of obtaining a Mauritius passport.
Table of Contents
Several routes to citizenship in Mauritius in 2024
One of the main advantages of those who want to move to Mauritius and plan to remain here is that they can apply for various types of visas that enable them to live here until they become eligible for citizenship.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Residency options | Temporary residency and permanent residence |
Ways to acquire citizenship | – Naturalization; – birth or adoption; – marriage; – investment. |
Living requirement for citizenship by naturalization | 7 years |
| Living requirement for citizenship by marriage | Mauritius citizenship by marriage can be obtained after 4 years of living here with the spouse |
| Citizenship by ancestry availability (YES/NO) | Yes, ancestry is also a pathway to obtaining a Mauritius passport |
| Citizenship by investment availability (YES/NO) | Yes, immediate or after 2 years of living here, depending on the chosen route |
| Special requirements for EU citizens (if any) | No, there are no special requirements for EU citizens to abide by |
| Special citizenship requirements for non-EU citizens (if any) | No, there are no specific conditions for non-EU citizens to accede to Mauritius citizenship |
| Documents to obtain citizenship by naturalization | – Application form; – proof of living in Mauritius; – ties to Mauritius, or marriage certificate, based on the means of acquisition. |
| Timeframe for obtaining citizenship (approx.) | The national ID card is issued within a few days of filing the documents |
| Access to dual citizenship (YES/NO) | Mauritius does not accept dual citizenship for naturalized people, but it does for all other categories of applicants |
| Benefits after obtaining Mauritius citizenship | – Voting rights; – access to tax benefits; – free travel to more than 120 countries. |
| Fastest way to secure citizenship | Birth and ancestry |
| Best way to obtain citizenship in Mauritius | Naturalization and investment are the best routes to citizenship in Mauritius |
| Support in filing for citizenship (YES/NO) | Yes, you can rely on our lawyers in Mauritius for support in acquiring a passport. |
Most visas can lead to permanent residency which can later be transformed into a Mauritius passport. However, there are several ways through which a foreigner can become a citizen of this country.
Here are the main routes to Mauritius citizenship:
- birth or adoption;
- descent;
- marriage;
- naturalization or registration;
- investment.
No matter the path you choose, our lawyers in Mauritius are at your service with detailed information and support in how preparing for becoming a citizen of this country.
We also specialize in company formation in Mauritius, so feel free to ask about obtaining citizenship by becoming a business owner. The offshore entity is one of the suggested structures if you choose to open a company in Mauritius, especially for international businesspeople. It is a great option for people looking for an advantageous taxation system because it permits its owner to utilize it to conduct business worldwide, including in one’s native country.
Starting an investment business in Mauritius implies complying with various regulations. Among these, there are those that have to do with the share capital, and those that need to respect licenses regulations. Feel free to address our company formation specialists for guidance in applying for a Mauritius Forex license.
We can also help if you are interested in immigration to Mauritius. If you purchase real estate using plans endorsed and overseen by the government’s Economic Development Board, you will be given a permanent residency visa. The options for foreigners or expats to purchase real estate in Mauritius are listed are many at this moment.
Citizenship by birth, adoption, and descent in Mauritius
One of the simplest ways of obtaining Mauritius citizenship in 2024 is by birth, descent, or adoption. However, this option is not available for anyone, but only for those who have ties to this country. Here are the eligibility conditions to obtain a passport this way:
- citizenship by birth is available for persons born before October 1st, 1995, from foreign parents who were residents of Mauritius, or directly from Mauritius citizens;
- citizenship by birth is also available for persons born after October 1st, 1995 from at least one Mauritian parent;
- citizenship by descent is covered by Sections 23 and 20, article 3 in the Constitution that mention that any person with a Mauritius parent will automatically become a citizen of this country;
- citizenship by adoption is governed by Section 3 in the Citizenship Act.
According to the Citizenship Law, a minor can become a Mauritian citizen if:
- he or she has been adopted by a citizen of Mauritius;
- he or she has been adopted by a couple, where the man is a citizen of this country;
- the adoption was concluded in Mauritius.
The certificate of Mauritian nationality will be issued by the Supreme Court based on an adoption order issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Our lawyers are at the service of foreign citizens who immigrate to Mauritius and want to apply for citizenship. If you need immigration legal services in other countries, such as Argentina, we can put you in touch with our local partners.
How to obtain Mauritius citizenship by marriage
Another way of obtaining citizenship in Mauritius is marriage. According to the Citizenship Law, Section 7, the foreign spouse of a citizen of this country can become him/herself a Mauritian passport holder by meeting two important conditions. The first one is for the couple to live together in Mauritius, and the second is for the marriage to have lasted at least 4 years before filing for citizenship.
In this case, the registration of the marriage implies an application with the Home Affairs Secretary in the presence of a judge of a District Court or the Supreme Court.
If you are interested in obtaining Mauritius citizenship this way in 2024, you can discuss the procedure with our specialists who can guide you on the documents to be filed in order to validate the marriage and thus simplify the process for the foreign spouse to become a citizen of this state. We also have a video on this subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajuhOwb05gs&feature=youtu.be
Citizenship by naturalization in 2024
Naturalization or registration is one of the best ways of acquiring citizenship in Mauritius as this option is available for anyone who relocates here. The procedure was created for both citizens of non-Commonwealth countries and for those of the Commonwealth.
In order to become a citizen of Mauritius by naturalization, the following conditions must be met:
- the applicant must have held permanent residency in Mauritius for at least 7 years;
- during these 7 years, the person must have lived here for 5 years;
- within the 5 years, the person must have not left the country in the past 12 months.
During the immediate period following the 12th month, the foreign citizen can apply for citizenship.
Foreigners frequently travel to, relocate to, live in, work in, and invest in Mauritius. The Mauritian government promotes qualified professionals, talented businesspeople, and their families to settle and work in Mauritius. The Mauritius passport is also among the strongest in Africa according to the Henley Passport Index. Moreover, Mauritius offers a program called Residence-by-Investment, which is covered in more detail in the section below. Due to this, a lot of families, retired non-citizens, and High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWI) move to Mauritius.
The population of Mauritius
According to the most recent information:
- at the level of January 2024, Mauritius counts a population of 1,301,382, according to Worldometer’s report gathered from the most recent United Nation’s data;
- at the middle of 2023, the population forecast for Mauritius was 1,300,557;
- the population of Mauritius represents 0.02% of the global total population;
- Mauritius is ranked 157th out of all the countries, dependent territories included;
- in Mauritius, there are 641 persons per sqkm (or 1,659 persons per square mile);
- 2,030 sqkm is the total land area of the country (784 sq. miles);
- of the total population (523,224 in 2023), 40.2% live in urban areas;
- the median age of the inhabitants is 37.5 years.
Obtaining Mauritius citizenship is not complicated if all the formalities are duly completed. For this purpose, please contact our lawyers. You can also rely on us for business registration in Mauritius.
