Mauritius launches golden visa for HNIs, asks for $1 million investment within 12 months
These golden visa holders would be encouraged to invest across sectors, including fintech, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and renewable energy
- May 6, 2026,
- Updated May 6, 2026 11:16 AM IST
Mauritius is opening its doors to the world's wealthy, at a price. The island nation has launched a golden visa program targeting 100 high-net-worth individuals a year, requiring each holder to invest at least $1 million within 12 months of arrival, according to a Bloomberg report.
Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam told lawmakers Tuesday that the program was created following "multiple enquiries" from foreigners seeking to relocate with their families. The intent, he said, is to do more than attract residents; it is to move capital into the economy and keep it there.
What the program targets
The visa is structured to maximise long-term economic benefit. Ramgoolam said holders would be encouraged to invest across sectors, including fintech, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and renewable energy, areas the government sees as central to the island's next phase of growth.
On arrival, golden visa holders would initially stay in hotels or rent residential properties designated for foreign investors, a condition Ramgoolam said is designed to limit any pressure on local housing affordability.
The global context
Mauritius is entering a market that is simultaneously growing and contracting. Countries, including the United States, have moved to attract wealthy foreign investors through similar programs. At the same time, several European nations have begun winding down their golden visa offerings, citing concerns from law enforcement that they can enable money laundering, criminal activity and corruption.
Critics of such programs argue they deepen inequality by extending opportunities to the wealthy that remain out of reach for others.
Ramgoolam addressed those concerns directly. "With respect to the risks of money laundering and illicit financial flows, a robust, risk-based due diligence framework is already in place," he said.
Why Mauritius
The country is not starting from scratch. It is already an established high-end relocation destination, an international financial centre with beachfront villas, apartments and the infrastructure that wealthy residents expect. The golden visa program is, in many ways, a formalisation of what has been happening informally for years.
The government is now betting it can turn that appeal into a structured, scalable source of foreign investment.
Mauritius is opening its doors to the world's wealthy, at a price. The island nation has launched a golden visa program targeting 100 high-net-worth individuals a year, requiring each holder to invest at least $1 million within 12 months of arrival, according to a Bloomberg report.
Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam told lawmakers Tuesday that the program was created following "multiple enquiries" from foreigners seeking to relocate with their families. The intent, he said, is to do more than attract residents; it is to move capital into the economy and keep it there.
What the program targets
The visa is structured to maximise long-term economic benefit. Ramgoolam said holders would be encouraged to invest across sectors, including fintech, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and renewable energy, areas the government sees as central to the island's next phase of growth.
On arrival, golden visa holders would initially stay in hotels or rent residential properties designated for foreign investors, a condition Ramgoolam said is designed to limit any pressure on local housing affordability.
The global context
Mauritius is entering a market that is simultaneously growing and contracting. Countries, including the United States, have moved to attract wealthy foreign investors through similar programs. At the same time, several European nations have begun winding down their golden visa offerings, citing concerns from law enforcement that they can enable money laundering, criminal activity and corruption.
Critics of such programs argue they deepen inequality by extending opportunities to the wealthy that remain out of reach for others.
Ramgoolam addressed those concerns directly. "With respect to the risks of money laundering and illicit financial flows, a robust, risk-based due diligence framework is already in place," he said.
Why Mauritius
The country is not starting from scratch. It is already an established high-end relocation destination, an international financial centre with beachfront villas, apartments and the infrastructure that wealthy residents expect. The golden visa program is, in many ways, a formalisation of what has been happening informally for years.
The government is now betting it can turn that appeal into a structured, scalable source of foreign investment.