Can an Authorised Company Own Property in Mauritius?

Many owners of a non-resident company eventually ask whether it can hold a flat, a villa or a plot of land on the island. The short answer is nuanced: the Financial Services Act 2007 tolerates certain dealings with Mauritian property without changing the company's offshore character, but a second layer of rules, the property restrictions on non-citizens, decides whether a given purchase is allowed at all.

This page explains how an authorised company can own property in Mauritius in legal terms, why the question is harder than it looks, and which structures people compare instead. It is general information, not advice on a specific purchase.

Why an Authorised Company and Mauritian real estate sit awkwardly together

An Authorised Company is built for business conducted outside Mauritius. Under section 71A of the Financial Services Act, a company incorporated under the Companies Act, majority-owned or controlled by a non-citizen, that carries on its business mainly outside Mauritius and whose central management and control lie outside Mauritius, must apply to the FSC for authorisation. Its registered agent in Mauritius must be an FSC-licensed corporate service provider (Management Licence).

Two features matter for property:

• Foreign focus. The company's business is meant to be mainly outside the island. A company whose whole activity is letting or trading Mauritian real estate is pulling in the opposite direction.
• Foreign management. Central management and control must stay outside Mauritius. A company that also becomes a local landlord, with local decisions and local contractors, raises questions about where it is really run. The guide to managing from abroad covers that point in detail.

The broader catalogue of restrictions is in the limits of an Authorised Company; this page stays on real estate.

What the Financial Services Act says about immovable property

The statute does not ban property ownership by a global business entity. Section 73(1) of the Financial Services Act sets out dealings with residents that do not stop a Global Business Corporation (GBC) from being treated as conducting its business outside Mauritius. They include:

• opening a bank account in rupees for its day-to-day operations in Mauritius;
• holding or disposing of immovable property in Mauritius, subject to the Non-Citizens (Property Restrictions) Act;
• investing in securities listed on an exchange licensed under the Securities Act 2005.

For an Authorised Company, section 71A(13) provides that it is deemed to conduct business outside Mauritius even if it carries out the transactions referred to in section 73(1)(c) to (f). The wording of that cross-reference is technical, and whether a particular acquisition falls inside it is a question for a Mauritian adviser reading the current consolidated text, not something to assume from a summary.

Two points follow:

1. The deeming rule protects the company's status; it does not grant a right to buy. Any acquisition is still subject to the Non-Citizens (Property Restrictions) Act.
2. Occasional holding is different from a business model. The deeming rule helps a company that happens to own a Mauritian asset; it does not turn an Authorised Company into a vehicle for a property business on the island.

The non-citizen property regime

A company majority-owned by a non-citizen is treated, for property purposes, within the regime that restricts acquisitions by non-citizens. In practice that means a purchase generally needs to fit one of the categories the legislation allows, and the approval route depends on the type of property. The rules differ for apartments in approved schemes, for other residential property and for land, and they are amended from time to time.

Recent tax measures add a cost dimension. The Finance Act 2026 (Act No. 14 of 2026, assented to on 12 August 2026) adds an additional duty of 10% under the Land (Duties and Taxes) Act on deeds transferring a dwelling situated on State land or on Pas Géométriques to a non-citizen. The duty is paid by the transferor, not the buyer, and it does not apply where a notarial promise of sale or reservation contract was signed before 19 June 2026. Because it is borne by the seller, it may still influence price negotiations.

Residence permits linked to property are a separate subject and are not covered here.

Authorised Company, GBC or domestic company: how the options compare

Owners who want Mauritian property in a company usually weigh three vehicles. The table summarises how the sourced rules differ.

The company secretary rule comes from the Companies Act: every company other than a small private company or an Authorised Company must have at least one secretary, an adult individual ordinarily resident in Mauritius. The director requirements above follow the Registrar of Companies' official incorporation page.

Fees also differ. At the schedule in force since 1 July 2026, an Authorised Company pays a processing fee of USD 600 and an annual fee of USD 1,400, excluding the annual registration fee of USD 65 payable to the Registrar of Companies. A GBC pays the same processing fee and an annual fee of USD 2,600. The cost gap is real but is rarely the deciding factor when real estate is the aim. The full fee breakdown is on its own page.

Choosing a route: a decision path

The diagram below is a simplified way to frame the discussion with an adviser. It does not replace advice on the specific property.

Practical points before any purchase

Several checks are worth doing in order, and each is a point where a promising plan can fail.

Confirm that the buyer is allowed to buy

Before price or financing, establish whether the property category is open to non-citizens and whether the buyer, here a company controlled by non-citizens, can acquire it. The answer comes from the Non-Citizens (Property Restrictions) Act and its approval route, not from the Financial Services Act.

Protect the offshore status

The FSC authorises the Authorised Company on the basis that it will operate mainly abroad, and a company that operates as an Authorised Company without authorisation commits an offence punishable by a fine of up to MUR 1,000,000. A property strategy that makes the company look like a Mauritian operating business can create exactly this kind of exposure, so the structure should be reviewed before completion rather than after.

Think about tax residence

Under the Income Tax Act, a company is tax resident in Mauritius if it is incorporated there or if its central management and control are there. Section 73A treats a Mauritian-incorporated company as non-resident when it is centrally managed and controlled outside Mauritius, but it must still file a return under section 116. Local property ownership does not change that rule by itself, but local decisions might. The taxation page and the guide to permanent establishment risk explain the reasoning.

Remember beneficial ownership

Every Mauritian company must identify its beneficial owner and keep a separate register of the details required by section 91(3A) of the Companies Act, including full name, residential address and nationality. The Registrar of Companies keeps a Beneficial Ownership Register accessible to competent authorities; the Companies Act does not describe it as public. Notaries and real estate agents are themselves subject to anti-money-laundering obligations, so expect questions about who stands behind the buyer. See ownership privacy for the wider picture.

Plan the banking and the day-to-day paperwork

Paying for property, collecting rent and settling local bills will need accounts. The rules on banking for an offshore company matter here, and the registered agent's duties, such as record-keeping and filings, do not extend to managing your property.

Alternatives people consider

An Authorised Company is not the only way to hold Mauritian property, and often not the first one to consider.

• A GBC. The statute names holding or disposing of immovable property among the dealings that do not defeat its offshore character, though it requires management and control from Mauritius, resident directors and administration by an FSC-licensed corporate service provider (Management Licence).
• A domestic company. Suited to a genuine local business, including a property business, with the corresponding local compliance.
• Direct personal ownership. Often simpler for a single residence, subject to the same non-citizen rules.
• A mixed structure. A foreign business entity operates abroad while a separate local entity holds property, so that each is judged on its own facts.

The owner's home-country position also counts, since some countries tax or report foreign property and foreign companies in ways that change the outcome. See controlled foreign company rules and how the owner is taxed at home.

If you want a licensed provider to look at your plan, use the contact form; a provider can tell you which route fits before anything is signed.

Where to go next

• Compare the vehicles in Offshore Company or Local Company: How to Decide.
• Review the requirements for an Authorised Company to see what the FSC expects.
• Check trading in Mauritius if your plan involves local sales.