Quick facts
- Capital / main cities
- Port Louis
- Currency
- Mauritian rupee (MUR)
- Time difference with Beijing
- UTC+4, four hours behind Beijing, no daylight saving
- Police / ambulance
- Police 999 or 112; ambulance 114; fire 115 or 995
- Entry with a Chinese passport
- Visa-free for valid Chinese passports, stays up to 60 days; work requires a Work Permit or Occupation Permit
- Chinese population (estimate)
- ~20,000–30,000 of Chinese descent; ~3,000 PRC nationals (2022–2025) Sources
- Chinese embassy
- Chinese Embassy in Mauritius: Royal Road, Belle Rose, Rose Hill; tel. (230) 467-4600; consular emergency 230-52522618
Mauritius is one of the safer and more business-friendly countries in Africa. Chinese citizens with a valid Chinese passport can enter Mauritius without a visa for stays of up to 60 days (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, January 2026). The established Chinese community is mostly descended from Hakka migrants from Meixian in Guangdong and is now in its third or fourth generation; newer arrivals from China mainly work for Chinese contractors, banks and the Jinfei zone.
The market is small, labour and compliance costs are high and work permits take time, so plan for that before you move. This page brings together the basics for living and doing business in Mauritius: visas and work permits, company registration, safety, the Chinese community, and embassy and emergency contacts.
Key facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Capital | Port Louis, the political, economic and financial centre |
| Area and population | 2,040 km² including outer islands; about 1.244 million people at the end of 2024 |
| Time zone | UTC+4, four hours behind Beijing, no daylight saving |
| Currency | Mauritian rupee (MUR). On 13 November 2025 about 45.16 rupees to 1 US dollar. Renminbi cannot be exchanged directly for rupees |
| Languages | English is official, French is widely used, Creole is the everyday spoken language |
| Driving | Right-hand drive, traffic on the left; many junctions are roundabouts, where vehicles already on the roundabout have priority |
Figures are from the PRC Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) country guide for Mauritius, 2025 edition.
Where Chinese people live and work
The MOFCOM guide puts the Chinese community at about 20,000, concentrated in Port Louis and Curepipe. About 90% trace their roots to Meixian, Guangdong, and about 75% work in commerce or industry; the rest are professionals and civil servants. This site uses the following estimates: about 20,000–30,000 people of Chinese descent, about 3,000 Chinese nationals, and 205 Chinese contract workers. See Chinese population in Africa for how these figures were compiled.
Chinese companies and newer arrivals are concentrated in these areas (MOFCOM guide, 2025 edition):
- Construction contracting: 17 Chinese construction companies are registered in Mauritius. In 2024 Chinese firms signed about USD 300 million in new contracts, covering housing, roads, sewers, energy storage and substations.
- Finance: Bank of China (Mauritius) opened in September 2016, and its renminbi clearing bank opened in June 2025.
- Industrial zone: the Jinfei Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone near Port Louis became a Smart City project in 2014; companies in the zone get VAT and customs duty incentives.
- Tourism: the embassy noted in July 2024 that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Mauritius was growing.
Visas and work permits
The 60-day visa exemption covers short stays such as tourism, family visits and business trips. It does not allow work. Foreigners paid in Mauritius need either a Work Permit issued by the Ministry of Labour or an Occupation Permit (OP) applied for through the Economic Development Board (EDB). The OP has three categories: investor, professional and self-employed. Thresholds, documents and steps are on Mauritius visas and work permits.
Business and company registration
Foreign investors can own 100% of a company and get the same treatment as local investors. There are no exchange controls, and profits can be sent abroad freely. Companies register with the Registrar of Companies. Corporate income tax and VAT are both 15%. From 1 October 2025 the compulsory VAT registration threshold fell from MUR 6 million to MUR 3 million in annual turnover. Company types, steps, annual fees and Chinese chambers of commerce are on Registering a company in Mauritius.
Safety
The MOFCOM guide describes Mauritius as long being one of Africa’s safer countries. Offences reported to police fell from 58,794 in 2023 to 53,331 in 2024, but murders rose from 26 to 35, and the guide notes that many Chinese companies have suffered theft. In February 2024 the embassy reported Chinese tourists being robbed after their parked car was broken into in the south, and in 2020 it warned about private currency-exchange scams. Practical precautions are on Mauritius safety.
Chinese community
The old community goes back a long way. The Kwan Tee Pagoda in Port Louis dates from 1842, and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1908 and still runs an annual food and culture festival in Chinatown. Newer arrivals and Chinese companies have their own groups, such as the Chinese Enterprises Association and the Chinese Business Chamber. See the Chinese community in Mauritius.
Cost of living
Selected supermarket prices collected by the Chinese Embassy in September 2025 (MOFCOM guide):
| Item | Unit | Price (MUR) |
|---|---|---|
| White rice | kg | 96 |
| Cooking oil | kg | 104 |
| Chicken | kg | 259 |
| Beef | kg | 580 |
| Eggs | 12 | 95 |
| Potatoes | kg | 49 |
From January 2025 the national minimum wage for full-time employees is MUR 17,110 a month.
Climate and money transfers
Mauritius has a subtropical maritime climate. Summer runs from November to April, with coastal temperatures around 30°C, about 22°C on the central plateau, and more rain; winter runs from May to October, averaging about 24°C on the coast and 19°C on the plateau. During cyclones and heavy rain the authorities issue advance warnings and tell people to stay indoors.
There are no exchange controls. Foreign companies registered in Mauritius can open foreign-currency accounts, and foreigners can send all legal after-tax income abroad. Bank of China (Mauritius), AfrAsia Bank and HSBC offer renminbi services. Private currency exchange is not legal, and the embassy has warned about related scams, so use banks or licensed exchange bureaus.
Embassy and emergency numbers
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| Police | 999 or 112 |
| Ambulance | 114 |
| Fire | 115 or 995 |
| Tourism complaints | 8910 or 2031000 |
| Chinese Embassy switchboard | (230) 467-4600 |
| Embassy consular section | (230) 463-8708, (230) 463-8706 |
| Embassy consular protection emergency line | 230-52522618 |
| MFA Global Emergency Call Centre for Consular Protection | +86-10-12308 or +86-10-65612308 |
Numbers are from embassy notices of June 2023 and September 2026. Embassy address: Royal Road, Belle Rose, Rose Hill; website mu.china-embassy.gov.cn. Mauritian emergency lines operate in English and French only (MOFCOM guide).
For lost, stolen or expiring passports see passport renewal abroad; for theft, disputes or accidents see consular protection. Mauritius and Madagascar are covered in this site’s Indian Ocean section.
References
- Country Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: Mauritius (2025 edition) (PRC Ministry of Commerce et al., 2025)
- Embassy reminder on Mauritius entry and exit rules (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, 2026)
- Visa Requirement Country-wise 2025 (Passport and Immigration Office, Mauritius, 2025)
- Contact us (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, 2023)
- Embassy reminder on travel safety (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, 2026)
- Embassy safety reminder (car break-in robbery) (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, 2024)
- Reminder on currency-exchange fraud (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, 2020)
- Reminder to Chinese tourists on travel safety (Chinese Embassy in Mauritius, 2024)
- Kwan Tee Pagoda (Cohan Tai Biou Society, accessed October 2026)
- Ile Maurice: Deux jours de saveurs et de traditions à Port-Louis (L’Express (Mauritius), via AllAfrica, 24 October 2025)