In six weeks, Mauritius's Economic Development Board has approved a package of measures that fundamentally reshape the island's investment landscape: a Golden Visa programme, a streamlined work permit system, and a dedicated artificial intelligence special economic zone. The roadmap is concrete — and the figures are compelling.
63 Projects, €3 Billion in the Pipeline
Between April 2025 and May 2026, the EDB board approved 63 investment projects totalling 159.3 billion Mauritian rupees — approximately €3 billion. Among them, sixteen renewable energy projects (MUR 8.75 billion) are under way, though four are still facing regulatory hurdles. The direction is clear: Mauritius is no longer courting capital at the margins — it is structuring it.
The Golden Visa: Permanent Residency for $1 Million
The most visible measure of this shift is the Strategic Golden Visa. Any foreign investor placing at least USD 1 million in priority sectors — FinTech, green energy, aquaculture — now qualifies for permanent Mauritian residency. The logic is straightforward: attract high-value profiles who anchor their assets and networks on the island.
This scheme is paired with a new Technical Occupation Permit, designed to fast-track the recruitment of foreign professionals in sectors facing talent shortages: healthcare, ICT, construction, hospitality, agri-industry, AI and FinTech. These permits will be issued through government-to-government agreements, bypassing the usual bureaucratic delays.
The 'Silent Agreement Principle' and Côte-d'Or's AI Zone
A Business Facilitation Bill in preparation introduces a principle that cuts sharply against local administrative culture: the Silent Agreement Principle. If a competent authority fails to respond to an investment application within set deadlines, approval is deemed granted. A strong symbolic break.
The 20-point budget roadmap for 2026/2027 also calls for an AI special economic zone at Côte-d'Or. The island is positioning itself as a regional tech hub, with an e-diaspora platform and an online student visa system to attract academic talent from across the Indian Ocean and Africa.
Why It Matters
Mauritius is pulling every lever simultaneously: capital, skills, regulatory framework. The combination of Golden Visa + AI zone + tacit approval principle creates an investment ecosystem reminiscent of Singapore or Dubai in their acceleration phase. For Indian Ocean businesses seeking a regional base, the island is reinforcing its comparative advantage — at a moment when Madagascar, Seychelles, and Réunion are also investing in their attractiveness. The risk? That implementation fails to match the pace of announcements — four renewable projects stalled in regulatory limbo serve as a reminder that execution remains the real test.
Sources: Economic Development Board of Mauritius, Le Journal des Archipels (07/08/2026), Maurice-Info, Defimedia.