Work remotely in Mauritius for up to 180 days with the new Premium Long-Stay Visa

On top of favorable personal tax rates and newly relaxed emigration requirements, the Mauritian Government has made moving to the country even more appealing with a new Premium Long-Stay Visa programme.
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Zainab Bouzaine, Immigration Specialist at XpatWeb, says the new Visa programme will likely appeal to several South Africans who either want to work remotely on a picturesque tropical island, escape from rising Covid-19 numbers locally or those who want to get a feel for the tropical island to determine whether they would like to retire there eventually.

“The Mauritian Government isn’t charging for this Visa, and there aren’t any commitment fees associated with it. South Africans may enter Mauritius on a tourist Visa and apply for the Premium Long-Stay Visa once they are there, or you can apply through the economic development board before departure. If you are eligible, can apply for the Visa from 16 November 2020,” says Bouzaine.

New Visa requirements and eligibility
Some of the requirements for this long-stay Visa include not entering the Mauritian labour market, and applicants will need to prove that they have enough income from a source outside of Mauritius to stay there. Apart from the standard emigration requirements, additional documentation needed includes health insurance and proof of accommodation for the duration of your stay.

Long-stay Visa holders will be able to stay in Mauritius for 180 days. It is important to note that after 183 days, Visa holders will become a tax resident of Mauritius.

Mauritius and Covid-19 
At the beginning of the pandemic, the WHO identified Mauritius among 13 African countries as being at high risk due to the high volume of international travel, high population density, and long life expectancy (due to the elderly being at greater risk),.

In as little as five weeks, Mauritius brought down its Covid-19 inflection cases from a cluster of local cases to zero cases, becoming the first in Africa to contain the virus’s spread after reporting its first case in March.

The country’s well-developed healthcare system, combined with a timely and decisive national response and strict measures to detect and stem the virus’s spread, has led to the country becoming an African Covid-19 success story.

“The Premium Long-Stay Visa is ideal for retirees who want to get distance from the pandemic, as well as people who do business remotely and have kids that can study remotely. We also foresee that people who aren’t quite ready to commit to moving to Mauritius will make use of this extended stay Visa to get a better feel of what life on the island could be like,” says Bouzaine.

With beautiful beaches, lagoons, reefs, a modern infrastructure, and a small population of 1.2-million people, it’s not hard to see Mauritius’ appeal to tourists. 

“There are many factors, both immigration and tax-related, that can make planning and having a roadmap invaluable when exiting South Africa. Therefore, to avoid costly mistakes, one must seek professional assistance and follow due diligence when looking to go to Mauritius on the Premium Long-Stay Visa,” concludes Bouzaine.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, 060 995 6277, rosa-mari@atthatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za

ABOUT Xpatweb:
HOLISTIC EXPATRIATE SOLUTIONS
The Xpatweb group has been in existence for over 15 years and includes over 100 professionals, including immigration specialists, mobility practitioners, tax practitioners, attorneys, and chartered accountants. They offer holistic, client-centric, and fully compliant expatriate and work visa solutions. Clients can expect an exceptional end-to-end service that starts with an initial technical meeting to discuss any past challenges, a recommended optimal solution, and the creation of a roadmap and protocol for service delivery. They also offer an on-premises immigration audit service to confirm expatriate employees hold legally obtained, valid visas, and that their duties align with their visa conditions. In addition, their unique online immigration tracking system helps you to easily manage and track expatriate assignees across the globe, is fully customisable and dashboard-driven, and provides a secure repository for storing assignees’ documents.

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