MauritiusCompany formation, tax and banking
The tax-treaty gateway into Africa and India, with real funds and real banks.
Mauritius company formation at a glance
Mauritius is one of the few offshore-type centres where a properly set-up company can reliably get a real bank account. AfrAsia Bank, SBM, MCB and Absa Mauritius serve international clients, and opening an account takes three to six weeks through a licensed management company. A Global Business Company can pay an effective 3% on qualifying income from abroad, but only with real presence on the island: two local directors, local books and a local audit.
Mauritius is the standard route for institutional money going into Africa and, in the past, India. Its Global Business Company regime gives an effective tax rate as low as 3% on qualifying income from abroad, backed by more than forty tax treaties and a genuinely deep fund administration industry.
The India treaty was renegotiated in 2016, ending the era of routing money through Mauritius just for the tax. Mauritius adapted by building real presence: licensed management companies, directors who live there, local audits and working banks.
Why people choose Mauritius
- Effective 3% tax on qualifying income from abroad, through an 80% exemption
- More than forty tax treaties, covering much of Africa plus India and China
- One of the few offshore-type centres where companies reliably get real bank accounts
- No capital gains tax and no tax kept back on dividends
- Off the FATF grey list in 2021 and the EU list in 2022
Where Mauritius fits
- Africa-focused funds
- India investment
- Global business companies
Where Mauritius fits in a structure
Typical role · Africa fund or holding company
A Mauritius Global Business Company (GBC) sits between investors and the businesses they own across Africa, usually as a fund or holding company. The headline rate is 15%, but 80% of qualifying income from abroad is exempt, so the effective rate is 3%, and its treaties cover much of Africa. It relies on real presence on the island, which the Financial Services Commission enforces.
What it depends onThe 3% only holds with real presence (a licensed management company, at least two directors living in Mauritius, local books and a local audit), and because accounts are normally reported to your home tax office under CRS, where you live still decides how your income is taxed.
A simplified picture to explain the idea, not a recommendation. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Opening a bank account
AfrAsia Bank, SBM, MCB and Absa Mauritius serve international clients, and Mauritius is one of the few offshore-type centres where a properly set-up company can reliably get a real bank account. Opening one takes three to six weeks through a licensed management company.
How tax works here
15% headline company tax, but 80% of qualifying income from abroad — dividends, interest and fund income — is exempt, giving an effective 3%. No capital gains tax, no tax kept back on dividends and no inheritance tax. Its treaties cover much of Africa plus India, China and the Gulf.
Real presence, and who can see the owners
Global Business Companies need a licensed management company, at least two directors living in Mauritius, a local bank account, local bookkeeping and a local audit, plus the main money-making work done in Mauritius. The Financial Services Commission enforces this; the presence is real, not just on paper.
When to choose it
Choose Mauritius for an Africa-focused fund or holding company, for investing into treaty countries across Africa, or when a tax-efficient structure also needs a working bank account and audited accounts.
You get a written comparison, not a sales pitch.
Every Mauritius recommendation comes as a written comparison with the alternatives — whether the setup will stand up to scrutiny, how easy banking will be, which tax treaties apply, who can see the owners, what it costs to run each year and the risk to your reputation — so you can see the trade-offs before you commit.
Considering Mauritius? Get a written comparison first.
Answer six questions and our team will come back with a shortlist, rough costs and where you could bank.
Questions we hear on every Mauritius intake.
- Is Mauritius still useful for investing in India?
- Less than before 2016. The protection from Indian tax on gains from selling Indian shares was removed, so most India structures now compare Singapore and Mauritius on other things.
- What is the effective tax rate?
- 3% on qualifying income from abroad, thanks to the 80% exemption, as long as you meet the presence conditions.
- Can a foreigner open a bank account in Mauritius?
- Yes, usually through a Mauritius company set up with a licensed management company. AfrAsia Bank, SBM, MCB and Absa Mauritius serve international clients, and opening an account takes three to six weeks. Expect to show where your money came from and what the account is for.
- Is a Mauritius bank account reported to my home tax office?
- Generally yes. Mauritius takes part in the automatic exchange of financial account information (CRS), so accounts held by people who are tax resident elsewhere are normally reported to their home tax office. Where you live then decides how the interest and gains are taxed.
- Was Mauritius removed from the FATF grey list?
- Yes. Mauritius came off the FATF 'grey list' (countries under increased monitoring) in 2021 and the EU list in 2022, after strengthening its anti-money-laundering rules.
What we typically deliver in Mauritius
Investment Funds
Setting up investment funds, keeping the manager compliant and running the fund day to day, across Cayman, the BVI, the Bahamas, Luxembourg and the UAE.
StructuresCorporate Structuring
Groups of companies across several countries: holding companies, companies that own your IP, joint-venture companies, and moving a company to a new country.
BankingInternational Banking
Personal introductions to 25+ private and business banks that are actively taking clients — UK, EU, Gulf, Asia, Caribbean, US.
ComplianceFiduciary & Compliance
Independent directors, anti-money-laundering procedures, proof of real presence, and the day-to-day admin that keeps companies in good standing.
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Every engagement begins with a twenty-minute advisory call. The fee is in writing before any work begins. No hourly billing.