FSC licensing and sector permits
Business Regulatory Approvals in Mauritius
Mauritius financial services licensing is thorough. Treat it as a project with capital requirements, not a filing.
GCC business setup specialists
The FSC assesses the firm and its people
Licensing categories carry capital requirements, fit and proper assessments of controllers, and compliance infrastructure obligations. Applications are refused where the plan is thin or the controllers cannot be assessed.
- Licence category identified before you commit
- Capital and controller requirements set out early
- Honest when an application is unlikely to succeed
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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Who else must say yes
Approvals that commonly apply
Financial services is the main area here.
| Area | When it typically applies | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Investment dealer | Dealing in securities | Financial Services Commission |
| Investment adviser | Advising on investments | Financial Services Commission |
| Fund and fund management | Collective investment schemes | Financial Services Commission |
| Management licence | Administering other entities | Financial Services Commission |
| Insurance | Underwriting and broking | Financial Services Commission |
| Local permits | Premises, tourism, food and construction | Relevant authority |
FSC licensing categories, capital requirements and assessment criteria change and are demanding. 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
Establishing what you need
Capital and people are assessed as much as the plan.
01
Identify the category
Which licence your activity falls under, and what capital and personnel it requires.
02
Prepare the application
Business plan, compliance framework, controller assessments and capital evidence assembled.
03
Apply and follow through
Application submitted, queries answered and conditions carried into your compliance calendar.
Typically required
What the regulator asks for
Licensed regimes assess people as closely as the firm.
- Detailed business plan and financial projections
- Ownership and control structure
- Fit and proper evidence for all controllers
- Qualifications and experience of officers
- Capital adequacy evidence
- Compliance and risk policies
- Anti-money-laundering framework
- Appointed compliance officer and MLRO
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Outsourcing arrangements
- Regulatory history in other jurisdictions
- Auditor appointment
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Licence category identification
- Capital and personnel requirements set out
- Management company engagement co-ordinated
- Application preparation support
- Co-ordination with the FSC
- Responses to regulator queries
- Conditions carried into a compliance calendar
- Honest view of prospects
Not included, quoted separately
- FSC fees, paid at cost
- Capital required to be held
- Compliance manual drafting, quoted separately
- Compliance officer and MLRO appointments
- Professional indemnity premiums
- Legal representation
- Ongoing regulatory reporting
- Regulated filings, made by the licensed management company
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
Mauritius regulatory approvals — FAQs
How demanding is FSC licensing?
Substantial. It assesses the business plan, the capital, the controllers and the compliance framework, and takes months.
What capital will I need?
It depends entirely on the licence category. We set out the requirement before you commit so it is not a surprise.
Who are controllers?
Those who own or control the company and those who run it. Each is individually assessed for fitness and propriety.
Can I trade while the application is pending?
No. Carrying on licensable activity without authorisation is a serious matter.
What if the application is likely to fail?
We will say so before you spend on it. That is more useful than encouragement.
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