Mauritius Offshore Company Formation

Mauritius sits at the crossroads of Africa and Asia with a common-law legal system, English as the language of business and more than forty double taxation agreements. For UAE-based investors it is the standard route into African and Indian Ocean markets — a Global Business Company gives you treaty access at a 15% headline rate, while an Authorised Company gives you a clean non-resident vehicle for trading and holding. Black Swan handles the licence, the management company and the bank account end to end.

15%

Headline corporate tax rate, with an 80% partial exemption bringing qualifying foreign income to an effective 3%

0%

Capital gains tax and inheritance tax — Mauritius levies neither

44

Double taxation agreements concluded, covering much of Africa, Asia and Europe

~1 week

Typical time to incorporate once documents and licence approval are in place

Why Choose Mauritius for Offshore Company Registration?

Mauritius has become one of the most used jurisdictions for structuring investment into Africa and Asia. A jurisdiction is only as good as the country running it, so here is what actually sits behind the tax table.

Attractive Tax Structure

The headline corporate rate is 15%, and an 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign-source income — foreign dividends, interest, ship and aircraft leasing — brings the effective rate on that income down to 3%. There is no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax, and more than forty double taxation agreements protect a resident company from being taxed twice on the same profit.

Strategic Location

Mauritius sits at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, in the Indian Ocean between the Gulf, East Africa and South Asia. It is the established route for investment into African markets and trades in a time zone that overlaps comfortably with both Dubai and Singapore.

Stable Political and Economic Environment

Mauritius runs a hybrid legal system built on English common law for company and commercial matters. The judiciary is independent and the Privy Council in London remains the final court of appeal, which gives investors an unusually predictable environment for the region.

Ease of Doing Business

Mauritius is consistently ranked the easiest place in Africa to start and run a company. Incorporation is handled electronically through the Corporate and Business Registration Department, the paperwork is limited, and banking, audit and professional services are all mature.

An Indian Ocean Island Economy

The Republic of Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the southeast coast of Africa. It runs a genuine free-market economy, is rated highly on business environment and economic competitiveness, and has had consistently pro-business governance across changes of administration.

A Diversified Base

Sugar and textiles are still part of the picture, but financial services and tourism now carry much of the economy, and information and communications technology and renewable energy are the fastest-growing sectors. It is not a one-industry island.

English Is the Working Language

English is the language of business, law and the courts. The workforce is skilled and largely bilingual in English and French, which makes both anglophone and francophone African counterparties straightforward to deal with — a practical advantage no other regional hub offers.

Infrastructure and Connectivity

Developed port, transport and telecommunications infrastructure, with established links to the GCC, Africa, Europe and Asia. Mauritius hosts multinationals, trading houses and investment managers with real operations, not only holding vehicles.

Incorporating a Company in Mauritius

Mauritius offers six practical structures. Which one is right depends on whether you will trade inside the country, and whether you need access to its double taxation treaties.

Sole Proprietorship

A single individual runs the business and is personally answerable for every obligation and debt it incurs — liability is unlimited. Simple to register, but rarely the right vehicle for a non-resident investor.

General Partnership

Two or more partners share the profits between them and each bears unlimited liability, meaning every partner is answerable for the obligations and debts that arise in the business.

Limited Partnership

Similar to a general partnership, except that limited partners are liable only up to the amount they have contributed. At least one general partner must retain unlimited liability for the debts of the business.

Domestic Company (Ltd)

A private company limited by shares, used where the business will actually trade inside Mauritius. It is tax resident, taxed at 15%, and is the standard vehicle for a local operating business rather than an international structure.

Global Business Company (GBC)

The licensed vehicle for international business — the structure formerly called GBC-1. It is tax resident in Mauritius, so it can use the double taxation treaty network, and it is taxed at 15% with an 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign income. In return it must meet genuine substance requirements in Mauritius and be administered by a licensed management company.

Authorised Company (AC)

The replacement for the old GBC-2. Central management and control sits outside Mauritius, so the company is treated as non-resident and is not liable to Mauritian income tax — but it cannot access the treaty network. It must appoint a Mauritian registered agent, which has to be a licensed management company, and majority ownership must be non-citizen.

Important: the old GBC-1 and GBC-2 categories no longer exist. The Finance Act 2018 renamed GBC-1 to the Global Business Company and abolished GBC-2, replacing it with the Authorised Company. Remaining GBC-2 licences were grandfathered only until 30 June 2021. If you have been quoted for a “GBC-2”, the advice is out of date.

Global Business Company vs Authorised Company

This is the decision that matters most. The GBC buys you treaty access and costs you substance; the Authorised Company buys you simplicity and costs you the treaties.

Tax Residency

Global Business Company
Tax resident in Mauritius

Authorised Company
Treated as non-resident

Corporate Tax

Global Business Company
15%, with an 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign income — an effective 3%

Authorised Company
Not liable to Mauritian income tax

Treaty Access

Global Business Company
Yes — the full network of more than forty double taxation agreements

Authorised Company
No — a non-resident cannot claim treaty relief

Management and Control

Global Business Company
Must sit in Mauritius

Authorised Company
Must sit outside Mauritius

Substance Requirements

Global Business Company
Core income-generating activity in Mauritius, suitably qualified staff and a minimum level of local expenditure

Authorised Company
No substance test, but the business must be conducted principally outside Mauritius

Administration

Global Business Company
Licensed by the Financial Services Commission and administered by a licensed management company

Authorised Company
Authorised by the FSC through a Mauritian registered agent, which must be a management company

Annual Filings

Global Business Company
Audited financial statements and an annual tax return

Authorised Company
Income return to the Revenue Authority within six months of year end, plus an annual financial summary to the FSC

Best Suited To

Global Business Company
Funds, holding companies and investors who need treaty protection on dividends, interest or capital moving into Africa and Asia

Authorised Company
Trading, e-commerce, consultancy and asset holding where treaty relief is not part of the plan

What’s Included in Our Mauritius Company Registration Service

One engagement covering structure, licence, incorporation, banking and the first year of compliance — managed from our Dubai office.

Expert Consultation

We start with the structure, not the paperwork: whether you need a Global Business Company or an Authorised Company, whether treaty access is worth the substance it requires, and how the Mauritian entity should sit alongside your UAE licence. You get a written recommendation before anything is filed.

Company Formation

Name reservation, drafting the constitution, preparing the incorporation file for the Corporate and Business Registration Department, and lodging the licence or authorisation application with the Financial Services Commission through a licensed management company.

Registered Office and Agent Services

A registered office address in Mauritius and the licensed management company that acts as your registered agent — a legal requirement for both a GBC and an Authorised Company, not an optional extra.

Bank Account Setup

A Mauritian corporate bank account so the company can actually operate. We prepare the file, handle the compliance questions the bank will ask, and manage the introduction from start to account opening.

Tax Planning and Advisory

Guidance on the partial exemption regime, on which treaties are worth structuring around, and on what substance you would need to hold up if the position were ever tested. Practical planning, not a promise of zero tax.

Ongoing Compliance and Support

Annual return, audited accounts, licence renewal and the FSC filings. We keep the entity in good standing so the structure stays usable rather than becoming a liability in year three.

How Company Registration in Mauritius Works

Six steps from decision to a working bank account. The whole process is handled remotely — you do not need to travel to Mauritius to incorporate.

01 Choose the Structure

Global Business Company or Authorised Company, decided on whether treaty access is worth the substance it requires. This one choice drives everything downstream — cost, filing load and where your board has to meet.

02 Reserve the Company Name

A name reservation is lodged with the Corporate and Business Registration Department. The name is held while the licence application is prepared, so nobody takes it from under you mid-process.

03 Prepare the Application File

Authenticated passport copies, proof of address, a bank reference and a business plan for each applicant, plus the details of every director and shareholder. The documents section below sets out exactly what is needed.

04 Apply to the Financial Services Commission

Filed through a licensed management company — a Global Business Licence for a GBC, or authorisation for an AC. The FSC reviews the promoters, the proposed activity and the source of funds, so the business plan needs to be real.

05 Incorporate and Receive Certificates

Once the FSC is satisfied, incorporation is completed with the Registrar of Companies and you receive the Certificate of Incorporation together with your licence or authorisation. Roughly a week once the file is complete.

06 Open the Account and Start Filing

The corporate bank account is opened and the annual cycle begins — audited accounts and a tax return for a GBC, or an income return and financial summary for an Authorised Company.

Documents Required for Company Registration in Mauritius

The Registrar and the Financial Services Commission both need to see who is behind the company and what it will actually do.

Full name, residential address and national identification number of each individual applicant
Name, registered office address and registration number of any corporate or unincorporated applicant
The proposed business name, if one is being used
The general nature of the business to be carried on
The principal place of business, and any other place where the business will be conducted
The date, or proposed date, on which business will commence
Authenticated passport copy for every director and shareholder
A bank reference for each applicant
A business plan setting out the activity, the market and the expected flows

Note: for a Global Business Company or an Authorised Company the Financial Services Commission also runs due diligence on the ultimate beneficial owners, so expect to evidence source of funds. Documents need to be certified, and we tell you in advance exactly which ones and by whom — getting this right at the start is what keeps the timeline to a week.

When You Also Need an EDB Registration Certificate

Some activities need a registration certificate from the Economic Development Board — the agency that absorbed the former Board of Investment — on top of company registration. You will need one if you fall into any of these categories.

Investors planning to operate in a Freeport zone
Investors buying immovable property for business purposes
Manufacturers exporting goods who want the special labour and employment provisions
Non-citizen investors and professionals applying for an Occupation Permit

Companies claiming the land conversion tax exemption
Non-citizens applying for a Residence Permit
Companies that need agricultural land for development
Property development projects under the Property Development Scheme, which replaced the Integrated Resort Scheme

How Mauritius Taxes Your Company

Mauritius is a low-tax jurisdiction, not a no-tax one — and the difference is the point. What you get is a credible, treaty-connected structure that stands up to scrutiny, at a rate most onshore jurisdictions cannot match.

Headline Rate and Partial Exemption

Corporate tax is charged at 15%. An 80% partial exemption applies to certain foreign-source income — foreign dividends, foreign interest, ship and aircraft leasing and some reinsurance income — bringing the effective rate on that income down to 3%. Collective investment schemes and closed-end funds receive a 95% exemption on interest. You cannot claim the partial exemption and a foreign tax credit on the same income; it is one or the other.

What Mauritius Does Not Tax

There is no capital gains tax and no inheritance or estate duty. There are no exchange controls, so profits, dividends and capital can be repatriated in unlimited amounts to any country. Companies exporting goods, and Freeport operators, are taxed at 3% rather than 15%.

The Treaty Network

Mauritius has concluded 44 double taxation agreements covering much of Africa, Asia and Europe. Only a tax-resident company can claim relief under them — a Global Business Company, not an Authorised Company — and only where it can demonstrate genuine management and substance in Mauritius. A tax residence certificate is issued annually by the Revenue Authority.

Levies to Budget For

Beyond the headline rate, tax-resident companies can face additional charges depending on turnover and sector — a 2% Corporate Social Responsibility contribution, a 2% Corporate Climate Responsibility levy above MUR 50 million turnover, a Fair Share Contribution where annual income exceeds MUR 24 million, and from July 2026 an alternative minimum tax of 10% of adjusted book profit in specified sectors. An Authorised Company, being non-resident, sits outside the Mauritian income tax net entirely. We model the real cost before you commit to a structure.

Benefits of Company Incorporation in Mauritius

The reasons investors keep choosing Mauritius over the classic island jurisdictions — and over structuring into Africa directly.

No Capital Gains or Inheritance Tax

Mauritius levies neither, so profit on the sale of assets or shares stays with the company and shareholdings pass on without a tax event.

Free Repatriation of Capital and Profits

There are no exchange controls. Profits, dividends and capital can be transferred in unlimited amounts to any country, which is what makes the structure usable rather than theoretical.

100% Foreign Ownership

No local partner is required, and nominee as well as corporate shareholders and directors are permitted. You keep full ownership and control of the company.

A Developed Banking and Financial Hub

Established banks, fund administrators, auditors and law firms are all on the ground. You are not relying on a single correspondent relationship the way you would in a smaller jurisdiction.

Built for Funds and Investment Holding

Mauritius is the standard domicile for Africa- and India-focused funds and holding structures, and the regulatory and service infrastructure has been built around exactly that use case.

International Access

A practical gateway into African and Asian markets — including places where a direct structure would be difficult to bank or to enforce a contract in.

Rules in Line With International Standards

Mauritius has aligned with OECD and FATF requirements. Substance and beneficial-ownership rules are real and enforced — which is precisely why the jurisdiction is still bankable when others are not.

Privacy Within the Rules

Director and shareholder details are not published in an open public register the way they are in the UK. Mauritius does maintain beneficial ownership records and exchanges information under international agreements — this is privacy, not secrecy, and the distinction matters.

Liberal Immigration Policy

The Occupation Permit route lets investors, professionals and self-employed people live and work in Mauritius, and a company can support residence applications for its key people.

Set Up in Mauritius Without the Friction

We built our business setup service to make incorporating in Mauritius straightforward. Alongside company formation we handle accounting, bookkeeping, tax consultancy and legal advisory — so the entity is supported after it exists, not registered and left to drift.

Experience Across Industries

Our consultants have established companies across a wide range of sectors and know what regulators, banks and auditors actually ask for. That knowledge is what turns a filing into an approval.

Advice That Keeps Up

Global tax and substance rules move quickly and Mauritius has moved with them. We track the changes and revise structures, rather than repeating advice that was correct five years ago.

Licensing, Visas and Banking

Beyond incorporation we handle licensing and visa formalities, banking and the groundwork that lets the company trade. Mauritius is also a genuinely pleasant place to live, and the Occupation Permit route is worth discussing if that appeals.

Start Your Offshore Business in Mauritius

Mauritius rewards structures that are built properly. Get the vehicle right at the start — Global Business Company or Authorised Company, with the substance and banking to match — and it will carry your African and Asian business for years. Get it wrong and you will be unwinding it under pressure. Talk to Black Swan and we will set it up quickly, efficiently and in full compliance with Mauritian law.

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