Mauritius Company Formation.
Mauritius company formation through the Financial Services Commission. A Global Business Company is taxed at 15% with an 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign income — roughly 3% effective — with access to 45 concluded tax treaties. Three structures, prepared and filed from Port Louis.
Mauritius company formation at a glance.
Structure, cost, timeline, substance and tax position of a Mauritius company formation — at a glance, no jargon.
Mauritius Company Formation Cost: Full Breakdown (2026)
How much does it cost to set up a company in Mauritius?
| Year 1 component | Provider | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation and CBRD incorporation | CBRD | Included |
| FSC Global Business Licence — processing fee | FSC | Included |
| FSC Global Business Licence — first annual fee (pro-rated by quarter) | FSC | Included |
| Licensed management company, registered office and company secretary, Year 1 | Management company | Included |
| Two Mauritius-resident directors, Year 1 | Management company | Included |
| Constitution, statutory registers and Sovera formation service | Sovera Global | Included |
| All-in Year 1 total, Global Business Company | $3,500 | |
| Corporate bank account opening, Mauritius principal account | Sovera Global | $1,500 |
| Annual renewal, Year 2 onwards — USD 2,600 FSC licence fee at cost plus $950 Sovera fee | FSC + Sovera Global | From $3,550 |
| Authorised Company and Domestic Company | Lower government fee base, lighter substance | Quoted on engagement |
The government fees, published in full
Most providers quote a single all-in number and leave you unable to check it. These are the statutory fees payable to the FSC, taken directly from the Financial Services (Consolidated Licensing and Fees) (Amendment) Rules 2026, Government Notice No. 119 of 2026, which came into operation on 1 July 2026. They are the same for every provider in Mauritius.
| FSC licence | Processing fee (USD) | Annual fee (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Global Business Licence (FS-4.1, s.72) | 600 | 2,600 |
| Authorised Company (FS-4.3, s.71A) | 600 | 1,400 |
| Management Licence (FS3.1A, s.77) | 700 | 6,800 fixed, plus variable |
The Authorised Company annual fee excludes the annual registration fee of USD 65 payable separately to the Registrar of Companies. Name reservation at the CBRD is MUR 100. The CBRD annual registration fee is set under Part I of the Twelfth Schedule to the Companies Act 2001 and is banded by turnover and company class.
The first-year FSC fee is pro-rated. Timing your incorporation saves money.
This is the part nobody publishes, and it is worth real money. Under Part III of the amended First Schedule, the first annual licence fee is charged by the quarter in which the licence is granted, not for a full year. Incorporate in the June quarter and the first-year FSC fee on a GBC is USD 650 rather than USD 2,600.
| Quarter licence granted | GBC first annual fee | Authorised Company | Management Licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| July – September | USD 2,600 | USD 1,400 | USD 6,800 |
| October – December | USD 1,950 | USD 1,050 | USD 5,100 |
| January – March | USD 1,300 | USD 700 | USD 3,400 |
| April – June | USD 650 | USD 350 | USD 1,700 |
Year 1 versus Year 2 onwards
From Year 2 the recurring cost of a Mauritius GBC has three components: the FSC annual licence fee of USD 2,600, the CBRD annual registration fee, and the management company’s annual administration, resident director, registered office and company secretarial fee. Statutory audit is mandatory for a GBC and is charged separately by the auditor. A standard Year 2 starts at $3,550 all-in. That is the USD 2,600 FSC annual licence fee billed at cost, plus a $950 Sovera fee covering the annual return, registered office, company secretarial work and coordination of the statutory filings. The CBRD annual registration fee and the statutory audit are additional and are charged at cost by the registry and the auditor respectively. An actively trading GBC with higher transaction volume, or one needing enhanced substance, is quoted above that floor once the activity profile is known.
Late payment of the FSC annual fee escalates on a published scale rather than a flat penalty: USD 2,600 on the due date, 3,250 within one month, 3,900 after one month but within three, and 5,200 after three months but within six, for a GBC. For an Authorised Company the same scale runs 1,400 / 1,750 / 2,100 / 2,800. For the 2026 cycle the FSC extended the payment window to 30 September 2026.
Cheaper Mauritius quotes usually exclude something that is not optional. A GBC cannot be incorporated or maintained without a licensed management company, and it cannot claim the partial exemption without two resident directors and a Mauritius principal bank account. A quote that omits those is not a cheaper Mauritius company formation, it is an incomplete one that will fail its first substance review.
Why choose Mauritius for company formation
Mauritius is not an offshore haven and has not been one since the GBC-2 was abolished in 2019. It is an OECD-compliant international financial centre where treaty access is real but conditional. These are the advantages that survive that condition.
45 concluded double taxation treaties
The Mauritius Revenue Authority records 45 concluded tax treaties, with a further 7 awaiting ratification, 7 awaiting signature and 19 under negotiation. The network is deepest exactly where capital is scarce and treaty protection matters most: India, and across sub-Saharan Africa. Treaty benefit is not automatic — it requires a Tax Residence Certificate, which requires substance.
15% headline, roughly 3% effective
A GBC pays 15% corporate income tax. An 80% partial exemption applies to qualifying foreign income — foreign dividends, most foreign interest, and income from certain FSC-licensed activities — bringing the effective rate to approximately 3%. Collective investment schemes and closed-end funds can access a 95% exemption on interest. There is no capital gains tax and no withholding tax on dividends paid to non-residents.
A regulated IFC, not an offshore label
Mauritius is off the FATF grey list and off the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions. It participates in the OECD Common Reporting Standard and has signed and ratified the BEPS Multilateral Instrument, which entered into force on 1 February 2020. For counterparties and correspondent banks, that distinction is the difference between an account opening and a rejection.
Ownership filed, not published
Beneficial ownership is disclosed to the registrar and to the licensed management company, and is available to competent authorities and to counterparties under CRS exchange. It is not published to the world. The CBRD’s public search confirms name, legal form, status and registration date; the full register of directors and shareholders is treated as confidential.
No minimum capital, any currency but MUR
There is no statutory minimum share capital for a Mauritius company. Capital may be expressed in any currency other than the Mauritian rupee, which suits USD- and EUR-denominated holding structures and removes the FX mismatch that catches founders in jurisdictions with local-currency capital rules. A single shareholder, resident anywhere, is sufficient.
Licensable activity on the same platform →
A GBC is the base entity beneath the FSC’s licensed regimes: collective investment schemes and closed-end funds, the Variable Capital Company introduced in 2022, investment dealer and investment adviser licences, and virtual asset service provider classes under the VAITOS Act 2021. One jurisdiction covers the holding vehicle and the regulated operating entity.
Who a Mauritius company is best suited for
Six mandates where a Mauritius company formation is the right answer rather than a fashionable one. Where it is the wrong answer, we say so on the comparison table below.
India-bound investment holding
Mauritius has historically been the single largest source of foreign direct investment into India, on the strength of the India DTAA. The 2016 protocol removed the capital gains exemption for shares acquired after 1 April 2017 and the Principal Purpose Test now applies, so the structure has to be built on genuine substance rather than treaty shopping. Built properly, it still works.
Mauritius holding company →African private equity and platform holdings
Mauritius is the dominant domicile for Africa-focused private equity and development finance. Treaties in force across the continent, an English-language common law commercial framework, and a professional services base that institutional LPs already recognise. Investment protection agreements sit alongside the tax treaties.
African investment structuring →Fund domicile and VCC structures
Collective investment schemes, closed-end funds, protected cell companies and the Variable Capital Company. The VCC allows multiple ring-fenced sub-funds under one umbrella with per-sub-fund FSC fees, which suits managers launching successive strategies without incorporating from scratch each time.
CIS / CEF / VCC + GBCGroup treasury and IP licensing
Interest and royalty flows routed through a jurisdiction with treaty coverage, no withholding tax on outbound dividends, and no capital gains tax. Intellectual property income sits outside the standard 80% exemption categories and is tested more strictly, so IP structures are built with that in mind from the start rather than retrofitted.
GBC + substance packageCross-border trading and services
International trading, consultancy and distribution companies that need a bankable, treaty-eligible base with a credible regulator behind it. Mauritius sits in a working time zone for Europe, the Gulf, India and East Africa, which matters more in practice than most jurisdiction comparisons admit.
GBC + corporate bankingRegulated fintech and virtual assets
The VAITOS Act 2021 gives Mauritius one of the few FATF-aligned virtual asset licensing regimes in the region, across five classes from broker-dealer to marketplace. Investment dealer and payment intermediary licences sit on the same GBC platform. Suited to operators who need a licence a bank will recognise.
GBC + FSC licenceSee your exact scope in under a minute.
Fixed-price formation. Published government fees. A written engagement before anything is filed.
GBC vs Authorised Company vs Domestic Company
Mauritius offers three company types under the Companies Act 2001. Choosing between them is the actual decision — it determines tax residency, treaty access, substance obligations and annual cost. Each below is one we structure, register and maintain.
Global Business Company →
The treaty vehicle. Licensed by the FSC under section 72 of the Financial Services Act 2007 and tax resident in Mauritius. Pays 15% with an 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign income for roughly 3% effective. Requires two Mauritius-resident directors, a licensed management company, a Mauritius principal bank account, local accounting records and audited financial statements. This is the only structure that can obtain a Tax Residence Certificate and use the treaty network.
Authorised Company →
The non-resident vehicle, introduced under section 71A to replace the abolished GBC-2. Majority non-resident owned, with management and control exercised outside Mauritius. Treated as non-resident for tax, so no Mauritius tax on foreign-source income — and, for the same reason, no treaty access and no Tax Residence Certificate. Requires a licensed registered agent, files an annual return with the MRA, and maintains a registered office. Lighter and cheaper, but only correct where treaty benefit is genuinely not needed.
Domestic Company →
The onshore vehicle for business conducted in Mauritius: local trade, employment, premises, or a back-office and shared-services operation. Non-resident shareholders are permitted. Taxed at 15% with the partial exemption available on qualifying foreign income where the substance conditions are met. Registered with the CBRD without an FSC global business licence, so the annual registration fee band is materially lower. Where a sole foreign director is appointed, a residence or Occupation Permit copy is required.
Mauritius company registration requirements
Three pillars: who may apply, what you provide, and what Mauritius requires you to maintain. The third is where most Mauritius structures fail, so it is set out in full rather than summarised.
Eligibility & applicant
- Individual or corporate applicants accepted. One shareholder minimum, resident anywhere — no Mauritian ownership requirement for any structure.
- Minimum age 18. Directors must satisfy the FSC fit-and-proper test, assessed on competence, integrity and financial soundness.
- Not a resident or national of FATF high-risk or sanctioned jurisdictions. Mauritius applies UN and targeted financial sanctions screening at onboarding and on an ongoing basis.
- Source of funds and source of wealth must be lawful, documented and independently verifiable — not merely asserted.
Politically Exposed Persons are not excluded but require enhanced due diligence and senior sign-off. As a licensed UAE trust and company service provider supervised as a DNFBP, we run that assessment ourselves before a file is opened, not after.
Document checklist
- Certified passport copy for every shareholder, director and beneficial owner — certified within the last three months.
- Proof of residential address — utility bill or bank statement dated within three months.
- Bank or professional reference — from a regulated bank, lawyer or accountant.
- Curriculum vitae for each director, supporting the FSC fit-and-proper assessment.
- Business plan setting out activity, target markets, expected turnover and the flow of funds. The FSC reads this; a generic plan delays licensing.
- Corporate documents where a shareholder is a company — certificate of incorporation, constitution, register of members and a structure chart to ultimate beneficial owner.
Documents for a corporate shareholder incorporated outside Mauritius generally require apostille. Mauritius is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, which keeps legalisation simpler than for UAE-bound documents.
Substance you must maintain
- Two Mauritius-resident directors of sufficient calibre to exercise independence of mind and judgement. Not signatories — directors who actually decide.
- Principal bank account maintained in Mauritius at all times.
- Accounting records kept at the registered office in Mauritius, with financial statements prepared and audited in Mauritius.
- Board meetings held in Mauritius with a quorum physically present, minuted properly, at a frequency appropriate to the business.
- Core Income Generating Activity carried out in or from Mauritius, with an adequate number of suitably qualified people employed directly or indirectly, and a level of local expenditure proportionate to actual activity.
- Administration by an FSC-licensed management company at all times. A GBC cannot exist without one.
The first four are the FSC’s managed-and-controlled test, which governs the licence. The fifth is the MRA’s separate CIGA test, which governs the 80% partial exemption. They are assessed by different authorities against different standards, and passing one does not mean passing the other.
Mauritius company tax: rates and partial exemption
Mauritius companies are taxed under the Income Tax Act 1995. Since the 2019 reform every company pays the same 15% headline rate; the difference is made by the partial exemption regime, and the partial exemption is made by substance.
A Global Business Company is tax resident in Mauritius and pays corporate income tax at 15% on its chargeable income. Where income falls into a qualifying category — foreign-source dividends, most foreign-source interest, and income from specified FSC-licensed activities including fund and asset management — an 80% partial exemption applies, leaving an effective rate of approximately 3% on that income. Collective investment schemes and closed-end funds can access a 95% exemption on interest, giving 0.75%.
An Authorised Company is treated as non-resident for tax purposes where it is centrally managed and controlled outside Mauritius. It pays no Mauritius tax on foreign-source income, files an annual return with the MRA, and cannot access the treaty network or obtain a Tax Residence Certificate.
The exemption is not a rate and it is not automatic. It is a conditional relief granted only where the Core Income Generating Activity conditions are satisfied, and the MRA assesses those conditions before issuing a Tax Residence Certificate. The deemed foreign tax credit that made the old GBC-1 attractive was abolished, with grandfathering ending 30 June 2021. Any Mauritius structure still described to you in those terms is being described from an out-of-date brochure.
15% headline less an 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign income, conditional on CIGA substance. 0.75% where the 95% interest exemption applies to a CIS or closed-end fund.
| Category | Applicable rate |
|---|---|
| Corporate income taxHeadline rate, all Mauritius companies | 15% |
| Corporate income taxQualifying foreign income with 80% partial exemption and CIGA met | ~3% |
| Corporate income taxInterest of a CIS or closed-end fund, 95% exemption | ~0.75% |
| Corporate income taxWhere CIGA substance conditions are not met | 15% |
| Authorised CompanyForeign-source income, non-resident for tax purposes | Nil |
| Capital gains taxNo capital gains tax regime in Mauritius | 0% |
| Withholding taxDividends paid by a GBC to non-residents | 0% |
| Value added taxRegistration compulsory above MUR 6m turnover, or by specified profession | 15% |
| Double taxation treatiesConcluded per the Mauritius Revenue Authority; 7 further await ratification | 45 |
| Economic substanceFSC managed-and-controlled test and MRA CIGA test | Mandatory |
Summary is indicative and current as at August 2026. Your specific position depends on activity, income category, treaty partner and the substance actually maintained. Mauritius has signed and ratified the BEPS Multilateral Instrument and the Principal Purpose Test applies to covered treaties, so the counterparty jurisdiction may test the arrangement independently of the Mauritius position. Sovera Global is not a tax advisory firm; we structure and administer, and we work alongside your tax counsel rather than in place of them.
Substance is tested, and it is enforced.
The most expensive mistake in Mauritius is treating the 80% partial exemption as a rate rather than a conditional relief. The MRA does audit it, and it does disallow it.
| Test | Assessed by | Consequence of failure |
|---|---|---|
| Managed and controlled from Mauritius — two resident directors, local bank account, local records, local audit | Financial Services Commission | Global Business Licence at risk; loss of tax residency |
| Core Income Generating Activity in or from Mauritius — qualified people employed, expenditure proportionate to activity | Mauritius Revenue Authority | 80% partial exemption disallowed; income taxed at the full 15% |
| Tax Residence Certificate, reviewed annually | Mauritius Revenue Authority | Treaty benefits unavailable in the counterparty jurisdiction |
| Principal Purpose Test under the BEPS Multilateral Instrument | Treaty partner tax authority | Treaty benefit denied at source even where Mauritius grants the TRC |
Mauritius vs alternative jurisdictions.
Mauritius is the right answer when you need treaty access and institutional credibility. When you do not, it is an expensive way to buy substance you will never use. The honest comparison is below.
| Jurisdiction | Setup cost | Timeline | Tax | Treaty access | Substance | Public reg. | Banking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritius GBC | $3,500 | 2–3 days + licence | 15% / ~3%* | 45 treaties | Heavy — 2 resident directors, audit | UBO non-public | Tier-1 | India and Africa holding, funds |
| Mauritius Authorised Co. | On request | 1–2 wks | Nil on foreign income | None | Light — registered agent | UBO non-public | Moderate | Non-treaty offshore holding |
| Labuan | $3,000 | 5–10 days | 3% / 0% | Malaysia network, partner exclusions | Moderate | Non-public | Tier-1 SWIFT | Asia-Pacific mid-shore |
| BVI | $2,500 | 2–3 days | 0% | None | Light | Non-public | Difficult | Holding, JV, deal SPVs |
| Cayman Islands | $4,500 | 2–3 wks | 0% | None | Moderate | Non-public | Tier-1 | Funds, institutional capital |
| Seychelles IBC | On request | 1–3 days | 0% | Limited | Light | UBO non-public | Difficult | Budget holding, IP |
| UAE (DMCC) | On request | 2–4 wks | 9% above AED 375k | Extensive | Moderate — real office | Non-public | Tier-1 | Operating base, residency |
*15% headline reduced to approximately 3% by the 80% partial exemption on qualifying foreign income, conditional on CIGA substance. Setup costs are Sovera Year 1 all-in figures for the named structure; where shown as on request the fee depends on scope and is quoted at engagement. Comparison is a summary for orientation, not advice on which jurisdiction fits your facts.
Build your engagement.
Select your structure and the services you need. We return a dated, line-itemised written quote — including the FSC and CBRD fees at cost — rather than an estimate you cannot check.
How to register a company in Mauritius, step by step
Mauritius company registration runs in six stages. Incorporation at the registry completes in 2 to 3 working days; the FSC Global Business Licence follows within 1 to 2 weeks; banking is the variable and is treated as its own stage rather than buried in the headline timeline.
Structure selection & written engagement
We establish whether you actually need treaty access. If you do, it is a GBC and the substance obligations follow. If you do not, an Authorised Company is cheaper and simpler and we will tell you so. You receive a dated, line-itemised engagement letter with the government fees shown at cost.
KYC, screening & fit-and-proper file
Certified identity and address documents, references, CVs and the business plan. We run sanctions, PEP and adverse-media screening in-house as a supervised UAE trust and company service provider, and assemble the fit-and-proper file the FSC will assess for each proposed director.
Name reservation & CBRD incorporation
Mauritius company registration formally begins here, and it is filed by our people in Port Louis. Name reserved with the Corporate and Business Registration Department, valid two months and extendable once. Incorporation itself completes in 2 to 3 working days. Constitution drafted, Form 1 application for incorporation filed with consents of director and secretary, and the Certificate of Incorporation issued with the company’s File Number and Business Registration Number.
FSC licensing & resident board
The Global Business Licence application goes to the Financial Services Commission through the licensed management company, with the business plan, fit-and-proper questionnaires and structure chart. Two Mauritius-resident directors are appointed, the registered office is established, and the statutory registers are opened.
Banking & tax registration
A GBC must maintain its principal bank account in Mauritius, so this stage is structural rather than optional. We prepare and submit the account application and register the company with the Mauritius Revenue Authority for a Tax Account Number, and for VAT where turnover or activity requires it. Bank timelines are set by the bank, not by us.
Substance file & Tax Residence Certificate
Board meetings convened and minuted in Mauritius, CIGA evidence documented contemporaneously rather than reconstructed at audit, and the Tax Residence Certificate applied for once the first period supports it. The TRC is reviewed annually by the MRA, so the substance file is maintained continuously.
Documents you receive and operational details
Documents delivered
Delivered electronically on issue and in certified hard copy on request.
Certificate of Incorporation
Issued by the Corporate and Business Registration Department, carrying the File Number and Business Registration Number that identify the company on the public register.
Global Business Licence
The FSC licence issued under section 72 of the Financial Services Act 2007. This is the document that makes the company a GBC rather than an ordinary Mauritius company.
Constitution
Adopted constitution defining governance, share rights and the scope of business. Where none is adopted, the default provisions of the Companies Act 2001 apply.
Statutory registers
Registers of members, directors, secretaries, charges and beneficial owners, maintained at the registered office in Mauritius as the Act requires.
Share certificates
Original signed certificates for every shareholder. Capital may be denominated in any currency other than the Mauritian rupee, with no statutory minimum.
Management company appointment
Appointment of the FSC-licensed management company as administrator and registered office, together with the appointment of the two Mauritius-resident directors.
Tax Account Number
MRA registration and Tax Account Number, with VAT registration where turnover exceeds MUR 6 million or the activity falls within a specified profession.
Tax Residence Certificate
Issued by the MRA on application once substance supports it, and reviewed annually. This is the document a treaty partner asks for — without it, the treaty network is unavailable.
Shelf companies, redomiciliation and striking off
Shelf companies. We do not sell shelf companies in Mauritius and would advise against buying one. A Mauritius GBC cannot be incorporated without a licensed management company and an FSC licence tied to a named business plan and named directors, so a shelf entity has to be re-licensed and re-papered on transfer — which takes as long as incorporating fresh, at 2 to 3 working days, and inherits a filing history you did not create.
Redomiciliation into Mauritius. A company incorporated elsewhere can continue into Mauritius rather than incorporating a new entity, preserving its legal identity, contracts and track record. It requires the outbound jurisdiction to permit continuation, a certificate of good standing, and FSC approval where the continued company will hold a Global Business Licence. We handle continuations in both directions — see redomiciliation.
Striking off and dissolution. A Mauritius company can be removed from the register voluntarily by application to the Registrar, or struck off by the Registrar for failure to file annual returns or pay the annual registration fee. For a GBC, the Global Business Licence must be surrendered to the FSC and outstanding fees settled first; a licence left to lapse produces penalties rather than a clean exit. Closing properly costs less than closing by neglect, and the difference shows up in the directors’ own fit-and-proper records on the next application.
The Economic Development Board and the Freeport regime
Beyond the FSC and the CBRD, the Economic Development Board is the national investment promotion agency and the route to Mauritius’ incentive schemes: the Freeport regime for warehousing, re-export and light processing, the Occupation Permit that lets an investor or professional live in Mauritius alongside the company, and the Premium Investor Certificate for larger projects. These sit alongside company formation rather than replacing it — you still need the company first — but they change the answer for groups doing physical trade, logistics or manufacturing through the island rather than pure holding and services.
Banking infrastructure
A Global Business Company is required to maintain its principal bank account in Mauritius. That makes banking a structural requirement of the licence, not an add-on — and it is the stage that sets the real timeline.
Mauritius banks
Mauritius Commercial Bank, SBM Bank, AfrAsia Bank, Bank One and Absa Mauritius. Multi-currency, treaty-jurisdiction resident accounts with correspondent reach into Africa, India and Europe. The FSC managed-and-controlled test requires the principal account to sit here. Account opening is $1,500, covering preparation, submission and management of the application through to approval.
UAE and international banks
Once the Mauritius principal account is in place, a secondary operating account in the UAE or elsewhere is straightforward and often useful for trade settlement. Our Dubai desk handles those introductions directly. See our business banking page for the full network.
EMIs & payment providers
Electronic money institutions and payment service providers for collection and settlement flows. Useful alongside a bank account, never a substitute for the Mauritius principal account, which the licence requires regardless of what payment rails you use commercially.
Bank and EMI introductions are prepared and submitted by us, but approval rests entirely with the institution and is not guaranteed. Acceptance depends on activity, applicant profile, source of funds and the bank’s own risk appetite at the time. We tell you before the engagement starts if we think an account is unlikely, rather than after the formation fee has been paid.
Filed from Port Louis.
Mauritius company formation cannot be done at arm’s length. The Companies Act requires a registered office on the island, the FSC requires administration by a licensed management company, and the partial exemption requires activity carried out in or from Mauritius. Our filing desk sits where the registry and the regulator sit.
CBRD incorporation
Name reservation, the application for incorporation, consents of director and secretary, and the constitution are prepared and filed with the Corporate and Business Registration Department in Port Louis. Incorporation completes in 2 to 3 working days and we collect the Certificate of Incorporation, File Number and Business Registration Number directly.
FSC licensing
The Global Business Licence application, the fit-and-proper questionnaires for each proposed director, the business plan and the structure chart are submitted to the Financial Services Commission through our licensed management company. Regulator queries are answered locally, in the same working day, rather than across time zones.
Registered office & resident board
The registered office, the statutory registers, the two Mauritius-resident directors and the board meetings that satisfy the managed-and-controlled test are all located on the island. Accounting records are held at the registered office and financial statements are audited in Mauritius, as the Mauritius Revenue Authority requires before issuing a Tax Residence Certificate.
Sovera Global L.L.C-FZ is licensed in the Meydan Free Zone, Dubai under Commercial Licence 2531729 and supervised as a designated non-financial business and profession by the UAE Ministry of Economy. Mauritius filings are made through an FSC-licensed management company in Port Louis, which is the only route by which a Global Business Company may lawfully be administered. You are engaging a regulated firm at both ends of the structure.
Regulatory framework
Mauritius operates a two-authority structure that founders routinely conflate. The Corporate and Business Registration Department (CBRD), under the Ministry of Finance, incorporates every company under the Companies Act 2001 and maintains the register through the Companies and Businesses Registration Integrated System. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is the integrated regulator for the non-bank financial services sector and licenses the Global Business Company under section 72 and the Authorised Company under section 71A of the Financial Services Act 2007. The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) administers the Income Tax Act 1995, assesses the Core Income Generating Activity conditions and issues the Tax Residence Certificate.
A GBC is incorporated by the CBRD and licensed by the FSC. Both steps are required; neither is sufficient alone. An Authorised Company is registered with the CBRD and authorised by the FSC, and must appoint a licensed registered agent. Only an FSC-licensed management company holding a Management Licence under section 77 may administer a GBC.
Fee change effective 1 July 2026. The FSC amended the Financial Services (Consolidated Licensing and Fees) Rules 2008 by Government Notice No. 119 of 2026, made on 29 June 2026 and in operation from 1 July 2026. The GBC annual licence fee is USD 2,600 and the Authorised Company annual fee is USD 1,400, with the increase proportionally larger for Authorised Companies, which had carried a lower fee base. First-year fees are pro-rated by the quarter in which the licence is granted, and the payment window for the 2026 cycle was extended to 30 September 2026. The full schedule is set out in the cost breakdown above.
Beneficial ownership is filed with the registrar and held by the licensed management company. It is available to competent authorities and exchanged under the OECD Common Reporting Standard, in which Mauritius participates, but is not published. Mauritius signed the BEPS Multilateral Instrument on 5 July 2017, ratified it in October 2019, and it entered into force on 1 February 2020, bringing the Principal Purpose Test into covered treaties. Mauritius is not on the FATF grey or black list, having exited the grey list in October 2021.
Virtual asset activity is regulated separately under the Virtual Asset and Initial Token Offering Services Act 2021, with five VASP classes supervised by the FSC. Funds are regulated under the Securities Act 2005 and the Collective Investment Schemes and Closed-end Funds Regulations, with the Variable Capital Company available under the Variable Capital Company Act since 2022.
Ongoing compliance
The formation cost is one thing; the annual cost of holding a compliant Mauritius GBC is the number that decides whether the structure makes sense. Government fees are published below at cost.
| Annual obligation | Due | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| FSC Global Business Licence annual fee | Annually; 2026 window extended to 30 September | USD 2,600 |
| CBRD annual registration fee | Annual payment window, generally December to January | Banded — Twelfth Schedule |
| Sovera annual renewal — annual return, registered office, company secretarial, filing coordination | Annually | From $950 |
| Two Mauritius-resident directors | Annually | Quoted on engagement |
| Audited financial statements, prepared and audited in Mauritius | Annually — mandatory for a GBC | Charged by auditor |
| Income tax return to the MRA | Annually | Quoted on engagement |
| Tax Residence Certificate renewal | Annually, reviewed by the MRA | Quoted on engagement |
| CIGA substance file and board minutes | Continuous | Quoted on engagement |
Government fees are stated at cost from Government Notice No. 119 of 2026 and are the same for every provider in Mauritius. Year 2 starts at $3,550 all-in for a standard holding GBC – USD 2,600 FSC at cost plus a $950 Sovera fee – and is quoted above that floor where activity, transaction volume or audit scope require it, because a dormant holding GBC and an actively trading GBC carry materially different administration loads. Authorised Company annual fee is USD 1,400 on the same escalating scale, running to USD 2,800 after three months, plus the USD 65 annual registration fee payable to the Registrar of Companies.
Selected Mauritius engagements.
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