Mauritius truly deserves its title as Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. The island offers stunning, picture-postcard white sandy beaches and warm turquoise waters, and provides excellent opportunities for outdoor experiences like golf, sailing, tennis and horse riding. The unspoilt natural vegetation of regions like the southern coast is home to beautiful nature parks, valleys and forests, where it only takes a short drive or hike to breathe in some fresh mountain air or unwind in a breath-taking setting.

Mauritius has comfortable temperatures all year round, with summer stretching from October to April and the cooler weather coming from June to September. It is the ideal destination for sea lovers to enjoy a swim, indulge in mountain hiking or even experience the spine-chilling thrills of paragliding.

The island is a cultural melting pot permeating everything from food to the relationship between people, the workplaces, the Mauritian art scene and social life. There is an incredible diversity of people coming from all four corners of the world, including Africa, India, China, the United Kingdom and France, among others. A variety of different beliefs, customs, religions and languages all coexist harmoniously on this little piece of paradise.

Mauritius is a land of opportunities for skilled expats and entrepreneurs. The country has its doors wide open to the world, which makes it relatively easy for anyone to move here to live, work, invest or study, among others. There is no visa requirement for visitors coming from a large number of countries, and you can qualify for permanent residency after three years.

Mauritius offers the luxury of calling home a destination to which people usually come on vacation. The island has a year-round holiday vibe that leaves you feeling happy and rejuvenated just thinking about it!

The country welcomes a wide range of educational options, ranging from international to French-language schools, public and private institutions, as well as formal education and vocational training. There is something for people from all ages, from nursery to tertiary education.

International languages spoken in Mauritius include English and French, along with the mother tongue, Mauritian Creole, and various other dialects. Reflecting the cultural diversity found in Mauritius, the use of different languages also facilitates business transactions and administrative procedures.

Foreigners are eligible for tax residency once they have stayed in Mauritius for a minimum of 183 days in any tax year. Under this scheme, foreigners enjoy the following advantages:

• no taxes on dividends, capital gains, wealth and direct inheritance rights, or exchange control;
• free repatriation of profits, dividends and capital;
• a flat 15% tax rate for both individuals and corporations; and
• customs duty and VAT exemption on any goods imported through the Freeport.

Mauritius also has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) and Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs) with over 40 countries.

For more information on the Mauritian tax regime, please visit the Economic Development Board’s website (https://www.edbmauritius.org/).

Lying on GMT +4, the country has a convenient time zone for doing business with European, African and Indian Ocean Rim countries.

Mauritius is widely regarded as the number one country in Africa to conduct business, with a quick and easy company registration process. The country has a strong economy, an educated workforce, simple and effective taxation, modern technological facilities and infrastructure, social and political stability, as well as efficient road networks.