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In a country with favorable personal tax rates and relaxed emigration requirements, the government of Mauritius has announced a new “Long-Term Premium Visa” program.
Zainab Bouzaine, an immigration specialist at XpatWeb, said the new visa program will likely appeal to South Africans who want to work remotely on the tropical island.
It also offers an escape from the rising Covid-19 numbers locally or from those who want to get a feel for the tropical island to determine if they would like to retire there eventually, Bouzaine said.
“The government of Mauritius is not charging for this visa and there are no commitment fees associated with it.
“South Africans can enter Mauritius on a tourist visa and apply for the premium long-stay visa once there, or they can apply through the economic development board prior to departure. If you are eligible, you can apply for the visa as of November 16, 2020, ”said Bouzaine.
Some of the requirements for this long-term visa include not being able to enter the Mauritian labor market, and applicants will need to show that they have sufficient income from a source outside of Mauritius to stay there.
In addition to the standard emigration requirements, the additional documentation required includes medical insurance and proof of accommodation for the duration of your stay.
Long-stay visa holders will be able to stay in Mauritius for 180 days. It is also important to note that after 183 days, visa holders will become Mauritian tax residents, Bouzaine said.
Mauritius and Covid-19
At the beginning of the pandemic, the World Health Organization identified Mauritius among 13 African countries as high risk due to the high volume of international travel, high population density and long life expectancy (due to the elderly having a higher risk). .
In just five weeks, Mauritius reduced its Covid-19 tipping cases from a pool of local cases to zero cases, becoming the first in Africa to contain the spread of the virus by reporting its first case in March.
The country’s well-developed healthcare system, combined with a timely and decisive national response and strict measures to detect and stop the spread of the virus, has led the country to become an African Covid-19 success story.
“The Long Term Premium Visa is ideal for retirees who want to get away from the pandemic, as well as for people who do business remotely and have children who can study remotely.
“We also anticipate that people who are not quite ready to commit to moving to Mauritius will use this extended stay visa to get a better idea of what life on the island might be like,” said Bouzaine.
Read: These countries are targeting skilled people to move and work there.
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