Mauritius: serving expat and cross-border buyers

Agencies in Mauritius deal with buyers who live in one country, hold another passport and pay from a third. For foreigners, the first question is not the price but the route: a non-citizen can acquire residential property only in categories the law allows. This briefing sets out what an agent should establish about such a buyer, and what is asked of the agent. It is written for agencies and developers.

Step one: which route does the property fall under

Mauritian agency guides say that non-citizens may buy residential property, and obtain a residence permit, only through schemes approved by the Economic Development Board. They name the Property Development Scheme, the Integrated Resort Scheme, the Real Estate Scheme, Smart City and the Invest Hotel Scheme, and one guide adds apartments in multi-storey buildings known as G+2, with a minimum price of MUR 6 million (see this guide to the nine buying steps). Another guide says the Property Development Scheme is now the main framework for new properties and replaces the older schemes, which remain only for existing projects (see the scheme overview). Reports also say that a provision allowing purchases outside the schemes from USD 500,000 was repealed (see the 2026 investor guide).

These are agency sources and not the law. Before you take instructions, check against the Economic Development Board list of approved developments which scheme a project is in, and tell the buyer in writing.

Residence status of the buyer

A residence permit is available on a qualifying purchase from USD 375,000 or its equivalent, according to the same guides. A consultancy summary adds that the permit lasts as long as the buyer owns the property and that it can cover a spouse and children under 24. The permanent-residence waiting period was reported as extended from three to five years. Do not promise a permit: describe it as available on conditions that the Economic Development Board decides, and send the buyer to the Board or a lawyer.

Your own duties as an agent

Two sets of rules apply. First, registration with the Real Estate Agent Authority is reported to become mandatory from 1 August 2026, in a first stage for property agents, land promoters and property developers; those that already held a business registration number at 31 July 2026 are reported to have until 31 October 2026 to apply, through the Economic Development Board's licensing platform for a processing charge of MUR 2,000 (see this report). Check your own position now.

Second, the anti-money-laundering law. A Mauritian law-firm note says real estate agents, land promoters and property developers are reporting persons under the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act, supervised for this purpose by the Financial Intelligence Unit, and that they must register with the Unit, apply customer due diligence, identify ultimate beneficial owners, keep records for seven years and file a suspicious transaction report within five working days of becoming aware. The note names MUR 500,000 as a cash threshold and lists severe penalties (see the DTOS note). This is one firm's summary, so read the Act and the Unit's guidance before you design your procedure.

What to collect

Treat the file as something the Unit or the Authority might read later. For each buyer, collect:

• a valid passport and proof of address
• citizenship and residence status, written down at the first conversation
• for a company buyer: documents showing who ultimately owns and controls it, and who may act
• a certificate of good character not older than six months where a residence permit is to be applied for, which the guide above lists among the documents
• evidence of where the money comes from

Source of funds

For scheme purchases, the guide above says funds must come from abroad in foreign currency, which leaves a trail, and you should keep it. A useful file shows the route of the money: income evidence and the statements where it arrived, the sale contract and receipt for another property, inheritance or gift documents, loan agreements. Check that the account holder is the buyer. Treat large cash, payments from unrelated parties and reluctance to explain as red flags. Splitting a payment to stay under a threshold is a recognised method of laundering and must be reported, not helped.

Sanctions screening

Screen the buyer, any beneficial owner and any third-party payer against the lists your bank or lawyer requires, and keep a dated record. Mauritius applies United Nations sanctions through its own legislation, which we did not review here, and banks that process the transfer apply their own rules, including the rules of the countries whose currency is used. If a red flag appears, stop, take advice and report as the law requires. Never advise a client on how to avoid a check.

Russian-speaking buyers are one example. Nationality is not a reason to refuse the file and not a reason to skip checks. What matters is the person: whether they or their business are listed, who owns the buying entity, and where the money came from.

A short checklist for your team

• confirm the route and the scheme, in writing, before any reservation
• ask for citizenship and residence status at the first call
• check your own registration with the Real Estate Agent Authority and the Financial Intelligence Unit
• build the source-of-funds file before money moves
• screen every party and payer, and keep the record for seven years
• keep one person responsible for compliance, even in a small agency

Working with D.H. Realting

D.H. Realting is a trilingual (Russian, English, Polish) overseas-property platform. We introduce buyers, including expats and cross-border buyers, and support the process. Agencies that handle the deal locally and want to be introduced to such buyers can contact us through our partners page.

This briefing is informational only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Facts were checked on 12 October 2026 from the sources named in the text; rules change, so confirm with a local lawyer before relying on any point.