Business Registration in Mauritius

Why Set Up a Company in Mauritius?

  • Mauritius is a cosmopolitan country comprising people from various cultures and ethnicities. The people there are multilingual, the official business language being English.
  • The country is politically and economically stable, with the highest Human Development Index (HDI) in Africa.
  • The corporate tax rate in Mauritius is just 15%, and as low as 3% for offshore companies.
  • Mauritius is a free market economy, allowing for unlimited transfer of dividends, capital or profits out from Mauritius to any other country.

Process of Registering a Company in Mauritius

The application for registering a company can be submitted to the Registrar of Companies in Mauritius. The process is as follows:

  • Decide a name for your company and register it with the Mauritius Registrar of Companies. The name may be rejected if
    • It is similar to that of another company
    • It violates a legal enactment
    • It is deemed offensive by the Registrar of Companies
  • Submit a company application along with the following details:
    • Name of the company
    • Type and structure of the company
    • Business name, if any
    • Type of activity the business shall carry out
    • Registered company address
    • Proposed date of commencement of the business
    • Number of employees in the company
    • Official contact details of the company
    • Copy of identity proofs of the directors and the secretary
    • Name and contact details of the shareholders
  • If the application is in accordance with the Companies Act, and the prescribed fee is paid, the Registrar of Companies shall issue a Certificate of Incorporation and a unique Company Number.
  • The Registrar of Companies updates the company information in the Central Business Registration Database. Subsequently, the Municipality, the Mauritius Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Social Security are notified. Thereafter, your company is automatically registered for taxes, and you don’t need to file a separate application for tax registration.
  • An inspection is carried out by the local authorities – the Police Department, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Security, the Fire Services Department, and the Sanitary Authority – apprising you of their respective guidelines and fees.
  • Register the company with the Social Security office, whom the former should submit a monthly return of contributions.
  • Apply for a business licence, depending on the type of activity your business is to carry out, and pay the licence fee within 15 days of starting the business.
  • Open a corporate bank account for the company, and design a company seal which shall be used for its routine business operations.