The business plan is the application
Selecting Your Business Activities in Mauritius
In Mauritius your stated activity is assessed, not just recorded. The business plan is a substantive part of the application.
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Described, assessed, approved
Unlike jurisdictions with a code list, Mauritius expects a coherent business plan setting out what the company will do, for whom, and with what funds. The regulator and the management company both assess it, and a vague plan delays or defeats the application.
- Business plan prepared to the standard actually expected
- Licensable activities identified before application
- Consistency across regulator, bank and management company
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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What the description decides
Why your stated activity matters
It is assessed by more than one party.
| It affects | How |
|---|---|
| Licensability | Certain activities require an FSC licence in their own right. |
| Regime | Whether a Global Business Company or Authorised Company fits. |
| Due diligence | The management company assesses the activity and its risks. |
| Banking | Banks read the activity and counterparty jurisdictions closely. |
| Substance | Core income-generating activities define what must happen here. |
| Tax treatment | Income type affects the partial exemption position. |
Activity assessment, licensing requirements and the partial exemption regime change. Yours is checked before application. A Global Business Company must be administered by a management company licensed by the Financial Services Commission, and an Authorised Company must have a licensed registered agent. That is a statutory requirement in Mauritius. We co-ordinate your engagement with a licensed Mauritian management company and manage the process end to end; the regulated filings are made by them.
How it works
From what you do to an approved application
The plan is prepared properly, not sketched.
01
Describe the business
What you will do, for whom, with what funds and through which counterparties.
02
Check licensability and regime
Whether the activity needs an FSC licence and which regime fits, with substance implications set out.
03
Prepare the plan
A business plan written to the standard the management company and regulator expect, used consistently with banking.
- What exactly the company will do
- Who the customers or investees will be
- Which countries are involved
- Where funds will come from
- Expected transaction volumes and values
- Whether you deal in or advise on investments
- Whether you hold client assets
- Whether you administer other entities
- What core activities will occur in Mauritius
- Planned local expenditure and employment
- Any regulatory history elsewhere
- Whether treaty benefits are intended
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Activity assessment and licensability check
- Regime recommendation
- Business plan preparation support
- Substance implications identified
- Consistency across regulator, bank and management company
- Guidance where an activity will cause difficulty
- Amendments where the business changes
- One adviser co-ordinating it
Not included, quoted separately
- FSC and Registrar fees, paid at cost
- Financial services licensing, quoted separately
- Market or competitor research
- Financial modelling and projections
- Regulator decisions
- Bank onboarding decisions
- Regulated filings, made by the licensed management company
- Substance implementation costs
Verify independently
Official Mauritian authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Corporate and Business Registration DepartmentFinancial Services CommissionMauritius Revenue AuthorityEconomic Development BoardRegistrar of CompaniesIndustrial Property Office
Questions
Choosing Mauritius business activities — FAQs
Is there an activity code list?
No. Mauritius assesses a business plan rather than selecting from codes, which means the quality of the description matters more than in code-based jurisdictions.
Which activities need an FSC licence?
Investment dealing and advice, fund management, insurance, and administering entities, among others. We check before any application.
Why does the plan matter so much?
Because the management company and the regulator both assess it, and banks read it during onboarding. A thin plan causes delay at every stage.
Can I change activities later?
Yes, but material changes may require regulator notification or a licence variation, so it is worth getting the scope right initially.
Does the activity affect my tax position?
Yes. Income type affects whether the partial exemption applies, and core income-generating activities define your substance obligations.
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