Timo Geldenhuys: It’s something we get asked a lot, how do I get citizenship in Mauritius?

Well, unfortunately, you don’t. Unless you’re born here, unless you’re married to a Mauritian and unless you are of Mauritian heritage, it’s almost impossible to get citizenship. 

The good news is that with property investment and purchase, you do get residency and permanent residency for you and your family. 

Any investment into one of the approved schemes by the government in Mauritius leads to a permit. The schemes are, the I.R.S (Integrated Resort Scheme), the R.E.S ( Real Estate Scheme), the P.D.S (Property Development Scheme), the Smart City Scheme or the Ground + 2 scheme. If the value of the purchase is over USD 375 000, you qualify for permanent residency for you, your spouse, and dependents who are your kids as long as they are still under your responsibility. There’s no specific age limit to that, and they all qualify for residency in Mauritius.

You can come and go as you please, and that residency stays in place for as long as you own that property. 

The Economic Development Board Mauritius (EDB), is the arm that facilitates that on behalf of the government and they’ve made it really easy for people to come, work, live and play in Mauritius.

If you’re interested in those various permits and how you can get into Mauritius easier, the EDB portal is amazing, so I advise you to go and have a look there, but if it comes to investment and residency through property purchase, Mauritius Sotheby’s International Realty is perfectly placed to advise you and assist you in that regard. 

We have a number of properties all over the island, and if you purchase these properties you and your family will qualify for permanent residency. 

So, unfortunately, no citizenship, but definitely permanent residency. We look forward to assisting you in that process and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.