ABOUT IMMIGRATE MAURITIUS
With Immigrate Mauritius, you will receive a set of integrated services designed to support you before and after your arrival in Mauritius. These include a foreign exchange service; company structure and cross-border planning, proactive non-residency status confirmation; opening local and foreign bank accounts; South African Reserve Bank clearances; tax planning, compliance and communication, as well as any customised requirements within our service range. We have a global team of more than 100 professionals, including immigration specialists, mobility practitioners, tax practitioners, attorneys and chartered accountants, and this unique skillset allows us to address your immigration and residence needs holistically.
Our well-established network of law, tax, and financial firms, including a leading Mauritian bank, will ensure a smooth transition into the Mauritian market while preserving your wealth.
Management Team
Jerry Botha
International Tax & Remuneration
Marisa Jacobs
Global Mobility & Immigration
Lee Wallace
Travel, Tourism & Cross Border
WHY CHOOSE MAURITIUS?
Mauritius is just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from South Africa. This makes it still accessible to the “home of the heart” but it gives South Africans the benefit of being outside South Africa’s monetary area for exchange control and tax purposes.
Many affluent South Africans are opting for the island life in Mauritius, not only for its beauty, but also for greater financial and tax security. Mauritius ticks all the right boxes with competitive business set-up costs, a more discretionary immigration process, and offers a quicker route to permanent residency than popular destinations such as the UK, US, Australia and even Portugal. Our team will build a close relationship with you and your family while taking the stress of relocation planning off your shoulders
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LIVING IN MAURITIUS?
A first world lifestyle and a hop-skip-and-a-jump from South Africa with exceptional schooling, medical facilities, as well as ease of doing business. There are also various investment opportunities with a favourable fiscal regime, advanced information and communication technologies, and a strong banking sector. You also have peace of mind when relocating with your family, with options to bring your children and/or parents. There is a large South African community in Mauritius and an impressive schooling system for your children which is recognised worldwide.
From a business travel perspective, Mauritius is easily accessible with over 500 flights to and from destinations worldwide including England, France, China, Australia and Dubai.
FAVOURABLE TAX REGIME WHEN COMPARED TO SOUTH AFRICA
Mauritius has one of the world’s lowest tax rates for individuals and corporates, topped at 15%, with no taxes on Capital Gains, Inheritance and Dividend Income.
Once you have made the decision to relocate, it is important for one to follow the right exit procedures. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) will apply both the physical presence test as well as the ordinarily resident test to determine the tax status of South Africans living and working abroad. Our team will assist you, where you meet the criteria, to ensure your tax residency falls in Mauritius. This will give you peace of mind that you are well on your way to not being tax resident of South Africa, especially where you have formalized your non-resident tax status with SARS and SARB by using the Financial Emigration process or applying the Double Tax Treaty.
RELOCATION CONSIDERATIONS
We will work through a best practice pre-departure checklist before international relocation. This will include practical, personal financial planning items. We will also use this process to obtain the necessary KYC information for visa, banking, cellular and other purposes. The options for length of stay in Mauritius will be discussed with you over digital meeting or should you prefer a call, preferences will be identified. The largest independent tax practice in South Africa, Tax Consulting, who also authored the LexisNexis publication on Expatriate Tax, will consult with you and/or your South African tax practitioner, where there is possibility to break tax ties with South Africa. We will also consult on the various visa options and the benefits/disadvantages of each category.
Where you or your physician need to consult with a medical practitioner in Mauritius, to better understand the facilities, address any questions you may have around medical care in Mauritius and otherwise how they deal with Covid-19, such remote consultation will be setup. Our partners include one of South Africa’s largest independent medical aid brokers and where your broker is not able to make arrangements with your medical aid and insurance policy holders, including on key-man; life and disability insurance; they will step in to make appropriate arrangements. Where you are not covered by a medical aid, but require same, we will arrange for coverage on an international medical aid, such as BUPA and which is more affordable than what one would expect.
Mauritius has a good medical infrastructure including hospitals and staff. There are various options of medical schemes available which can be tailored to you and your family’s needs. Mauritius is also one of the few countries in the world that expertly navigated the Covid-19 pandemic and is now virus-free.
This includes arrival concierge, visa activation on residency and immigration protocol, as well as other services you may require to ensure you settle in seamlessly into your new home.
An experienced and dedicated team of immigration specialists from our partner Xpatweb, the largest independent work permit practice in South Africa and into Mauritius, offer an all-inclusive immigration service, from identifying the category of permit best suited, through to the compiling of a fully compliant application for submission taking care of all administration. Our team ensures hassle-free and smooth application processes with the least involvement of applicants and efficiently deals with large volumes in the quickest turnaround time.
Along with a beautiful island life with European style living, there are several centres of interests to accommodate the entire family such as sailing, sport fishing, cricket, trail running, horse riding, and many more.
The process to relocate pets can be burdensome and a roadblock to deciding to relocate oneself, or family to another country. Pets can be a source of comfort during a stressful time, particularly so when moving to a brand-new location often times still unfamiliar. Despite its complexity, pet relocation with the appropriate requirements and specialists can be a smooth sailing process.
SCHOOLING CONSIDERATIONS
Mauritius has an impressive schooling system with students often recognised for ranking high every year on Cambridge International O Levels, International A and AS Level examinations. It has a wide range of exceptional schools, situated closely to “smart” cities and that consistently meet international standards.
NORTHFIELDS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
The school was founded in 2001 by a small group of eight parents living in the North. They got together and decided to put their hearts, minds and finances together to create a school, with a family atmosphere for their children, allowing the School to open its doors in September 2001 to its first student intake of 9 pupils.
Source: Northfields International School
WESTCOAST INTERNATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL
Founded in 2014, Westcoast International Secondary School, the only English-medium secondary school on the west coast of the island, has moved into its brand new premises in Uniciti in January 2017. Westcoast Secondary School is part of the Uniciti Education Hub encompassing the whole education offer of Uniciti and follows the Cambridge International curriculum.
Source: Westcoast International Secondary School
LE BOCAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Le Bocage International School (LBIS) offers an international secondary school education to boys and girls aged between 11 and 19. It officially opened its doors in January 1990.
Source: Le Bocage International School
CLAVIS INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOL
Clavis International Primary School is nestled at the foot of Mt. Ory in Moka, Mauritius. Founded in 1991 and authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) in 2002.
Source: Clavis International Primary School
TELFAIR PRIMARY SCHOOL
Telfair International Primary School (TIPS)is an English co-educational school situated in Tamarin, on the west coast of Mauritius. The school first opened its doors in January 2007. We cater for children from 5 to 12 years old who then follow on to one of the private secondary schools on the island.
Source: Telfair PrimarySchool
International PREPARATORY SCHOOL
The International Preparatory School (IPS) is a fully authorised International Baccalaureate World School offering the Primary Years Programme. IPS is a private English medium pre-primary and primary school situated on spacious grounds in Labourdonnais Village, a rural sugar growing area in the north of Mauritius.
Source: International Preparatory School
PARTNERS
