Apply for Premium Visa Mauritius: Your Gateway to Paradise
Whether you are a digital nomad seeking a tropical office, or a traveler wanting to swap a two-week holiday for a one-year immersion, the Mauritius Premium Visa remains one of the world’s most accessible long-stay options in 2026.
Designed to welcome non-citizens for a period of up to one year (renewable), this visa bridges the gap between a short-term tourist stay and permanent residency. The best part? It is completely free, carries no processing fees, and allows you to bring your family along as you work remotely for an employer or business based outside the island.
In this guide, we will walk you through the updated 2026 application process, from meeting the $1,500 monthly income threshold to securing the right health insurance, so you can transition from dreaming about the Indian Ocean to actually living beside it.
Photo Credit: Amazing Movement
Introducing the Premium Visa Mauritius
The Premium Visa Mauritius is a special initiative introduced by the government to attract remote workers, retirees, and investors seeking an extended stay in this enchanting paradise. Unlike traditional tourist visas, which are often limited to short visits, the Premium Visa allows eligible individuals to stay in Mauritius for an extended period, typically up to one year with an option to renew.
The Mauritius Premium Visa was first announced by the Government of Mauritius on October 23, 2020, and the online application platform officially went live on November 16, 2020.
It was introduced as a direct response to the global pandemic, aiming to position Mauritius as a safe, long-stay destination for “digital nomads,” retirees, and tourists who wanted to escape lockdowns while working remotely in a tropical environment
Step-by-Step Guide to Apply for the Mauritius Premium Visa
1. Check Eligibility:
Citizens from the listed countries can apply for a Premium Visa:
Angola, China, Grenada, Luxembourg, Qatar, Swaziland, Antigua and Barbuda, Congo (Brazzaville), Guyana, Macau SAR, Romania, Sweden, Argentina, Democratic Rep. of Congo, Hong Kong, Malawi, Rwanda, Switzerland, Australia, Croatia, Hungary, Malaysia, Russian Federation (Russia), Tanzania, Austria, Cyprus, Iceland, Maldives, Samoa (Western), Chad, Bahamas, Czech Republic (ex Czechoslovakia), India, Malta, San Marino, Tonga, Bahrain, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Dominica, Israel, Monaco, Seychelles, Tunisia, Belgium, Egypt, Italy, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Turkey, Belize, Estonia Republic, Jamaica, Namibia, Singapore, Tuvalu, Benin, Fiji, Japan, Nauru, Slovenia, Uganda, Botswana, Finland, Kenya, Netherlands, Slovakia, Ukraine, Brazil, France, Kiribati, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, United Arab Emirates, Brunei Darussalam, Gabon, Korea (South Republic), Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Gambia, Kuwait, Oman, Spain, United States of America, Burundi, Georgia, Latvia, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu, Canada, Germany, Lesotho, Paraguay, St Lucia, Vatican, Cape Verde, Ghana, Liechtenstein, Poland, St Vincent & Grenadines, Zambia, Chile, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Suriname, Zimbabwe.
2. When to apply for the Premium Visa?
3. Essential Information for Premium Visa Applicants
In order to be eligible for the Premium Visa, prospective visitors must provide evidence of their extended stay intentions by booking a flight ticket of at least one year and adequate health insurance coverage for the initial duration of their visit, while adhering to the following conditions:
Applicants must not seek employment within the Mauritius Labor market.
The primary location of their business, income, and profits should be outside of Mauritius.
Applicants should furnish supporting documents to substantiate their purpose of visit, accommodation arrangements, and other relevant details.
Fulfilment of any other essential immigration prerequisites.
Simple Process to Obtain Your Premium Visa:
Arranging Flight Reservations in Advance
Submit Your Application online
Receive an In Principle Approval (IPA) for your Premium Visa via Email
Reserve Accommodation for Your Stay in Mauritius (proof of accommodation will be requested by the Passport and Immigration Office)
Embark on Your Journey to Mauritius (Always have a travel insurance while traveling)
Inform the Passport and Immigration Office (PIO) about any changes in accommodation.
4. Premium Visa Checklist
To apply for the Premium Visa, you need to complete the online application form, submit a copy of your passport’s bio-data page, a passport-sized photo, and travel and health insurance for the intended stay period. Additionally, you must provide evidence of accommodation for 1 year, proof of sufficient funds (minimum USD 25,000) through bank statements, or a monthly income payslip of a minimum of USD 1,500. Any necessary documents for dependents (e.g., marriage or birth certificates) and other required documents may be specified by the visa office. For renewals, some items may not be applicable. If you have any further questions or inquiries, you can find additional information on the EDB website.
Some tips on getting all the documents required for the premium visa Mauritius
Flight ticket
Like mentioned earlier, it’s important to note that you can enter on a tourist visa without any legal issues while your Premium Visa application is awaiting approval. Therefore, you can book your flight ticket with peace of mind even though you don’t have your visa yet.
When you arrive on a tourist visa, if your return ticket is more than the maximum legal for a tourist visa, you can still proceed if you can prove that your premium visa application has been submitted.
Travel and health insurance
For the travel and health insurance, we had selected the insurance company Safety Wings for the following reasons:
- Fast & Easy: You can apply online in under 5 minutes and get your visa-compliant insurance letter instantly.
- Monthly Flexibility: It works like a subscription (paid every 28 days). This means you don’t have to pay for a full year upfront; you can just start with one month and cancel or extend as your plans change.
- Visa Approved: The Mauritius EDB is familiar with SafetyWing, making the approval process smoother for “Digital Nomad” applicants.
You can click here to explore Safety Wings plans for digital nomads.
Letter of accommodation
For the accommodation part, most people start with a cancellable hotel, apartment or villa rental booking for their first few weeks. This gives you the document you need for the visa immediately, but allows you the flexibility to switch to a long-term rental whenever you want. This is what we did when we applied.
You can book a whole villa, beach house or apartment through Vrbo, so you immediately feel at home in Mauritius while you’re visiting long term rentals. There are options for any budget. It also has a dedicated “Long Stay” feature specifically for rentals of 28 nights or longer.
5. The Premium Visa Application Online Process
Here is a step-by-step guide to applying for the Premium Visa online:
1. To begin the application process for your Premium Visa, the first step is to create an account on the Economic and Development Board Mauritius (EDB) website.
2. Once you have successfully registered an account on the EDB website, navigate to the homepage and access the ‘Licensing’ menu, followed by selecting ‘Premium Visa’ to initiate the application process. You can also just click on this link.
3. Initiate the online application procedure.
6. Completion of the application procedure
1. After completing the required form and uploading all necessary documents, the “Fill the Form” and “Upload Documents” icons will turn green, indicating that your application is ready for submission. Click on “Place Request” to submit your application.
2. Once your application is submitted, please note that modifications cannot be made online. However, if you need to provide additional documents or information, you can send them via email to piovisa@govmu.org and hpd@edbmauritius.org. Make sure to include the application reference number in the email subject for easy identification.
3. Shortly you will receive an acknowledgement receipt from the PIO Mauritius with your application number.
Further questions?
If you have any questions regarding the process, and want to get advice from people who have applied in the past, we recommend asking your questions on our Premium Visa Facebook group or on our Frolic Chat.
6 Responses
hello !
1. i heard minimum income requirement of usd 1500 usd , it says 25000 usd on the post ?
2. should we book accommodation for full stay prior to application ? or just may be like for a month ?
Hello Shiv,
Thank you for you message.
Yes, to qualify for Premium Visa either you need to show sufficient funds of USD25,000 on your bank statement or a monthly income payslip of minimum USD1,000.
Regarding the accommodation you will have to show a 1 year lease of rental agreement.
Hello, I also have a question about accommodation, for which I’d be grateful of your consideration.
The table above states “either hotel booking / lease or rental agreement…” – I would like to go over with this visa and to stay in hotels for the convenience and service, but I would have my wife and three children with me, and so perhaps more than most people it would benefit me to keep an eye on accommodation costs whilst moving around due to needing suites or very large family rooms.
Do you think they would not allow us to move from place to place, for example two weeks in one place, then ten days in the next, then three weeks in the next etc.? Aside from price I would prefer to give us options and variety for where we live, rather than just commit to one part of the island for the whole duration of the visa in advance/without having any experience yet.
I can show bank and stockbroker account documentation with considerable balances, and it’s not that I would shop around because I would struggle but just because I like to find a good deal.
Thank you for your comment on our website. While we aren’t professional visa service providers, we’re happy to share our personal experience. When applying for our Premium visa, we faced a similar challenge in finding long-term rental accommodation, so we initially showed 2 weeks of hotel stay. However, we communicated this situation to the PIO and expressed our intent to secure a long-term rental. In response to your query, we believe staying in multiple locations upon arrival in Mauritius shouldn’t pose an issue. It’s crucial to inform the PIO about your plans to avoid any complications upon your arrival.
Great info, thanks.
Is it possible converting the premium visa into a retirement visa or does one have to start all over again?
Any recommendations with regards to visa agencies / assistance?
Hi Pieter,
We’ve not yet moved to Mauritius but plans are in the pipeline. Our aim is ultimately the Retirement Visa route as well. I will tell you my understanding, but someone may have better information…Premium visa and Retirement visa are two separate applications and Premium visa cannot be converted to a Retirement visa. Option 1 is to go straight for the Retirement visa, which is our plan. However, the Premium visa seems easier to apply for so option 2 is to go for a Premium visa which is valid for one year, and while you are there apply for a Retirement visa at some stage, which hopefully is allowed and I’d imagine that’s a route that many have followed, so if anyone out there with first hand experience doing it that way can add their insight that would be great.
Hopefully see you on a beach in Mauritius in the near future!
Cheers, Steve