Questions we answer every day.
Practical answers on Mauritius Global Business Companies, Authorised Companies, trusts, bank account opening and working with Fideco.
Global Business Company (GBC)
Mauritius's primary vehicle for international holding, investment and treaty access.
A Global Business Company (GBC) is a Mauritius tax-resident company, licensed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) under the Financial Services Act 2007, used by individuals and businesses whose activity is conducted principally outside Mauritius.
It is Mauritius's primary vehicle for international holding, investment, and structuring, and, provided it meets the FSC's substance requirements, it can access the country's network of double taxation avoidance agreements.
A GBC is taxed at Mauritius's standard corporate rate of 15%, but qualifying foreign-source income can benefit from an 80% partial exemption, bringing the effective rate down to around 3%.
There is no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends to non-residents, and no exchange controls. The exact position depends on the type of income and the beneficial owner's circumstances, so we confirm the applicable rate with tax advice before incorporation rather than quoting a blanket figure.
A GBC must demonstrate genuine economic substance in Mauritius, covering four areas: local management, banking, accounting, and its core business activity.
- Management and control exercised from Mauritius, including board meetings held here
- Its principal bank account maintained in Mauritius
- Accounting records and audited financial statements kept locally
- Core income-generating activities carried out in or from Mauritius, with expenditure and staffing proportionate to the business
We design each client's substance programme around its actual activity rather than a generic template.
With a complete due diligence file, a straightforward GBC typically takes two to three weeks to incorporate and licence.
Where the company will also need a separate FSC financial services licence (for fund management or investment advisory activity, for example), this adds further weeks for licensing approval.
A GBC must maintain a defined set of governance and filing requirements to remain in good standing:
- At least two Mauritius-resident directors
- A resident company secretary
- A registered office
- Audited financial statements
- Annual FSC and tax filings
- Ongoing substance and beneficial ownership compliance
We manage this compliance calendar as part of ongoing administration, so directors are never caught out by a filing deadline.
Authorised Company (AC)
A lighter-governance Mauritius vehicle for international business that does not need local tax residence.
An Authorised Company (AC) is a Mauritius-incorporated company that is centrally managed, controlled, and operated principally outside Mauritius, so, unlike a GBC, it is treated as non-resident for Mauritius tax purposes.
It suits holding, trading, or consulting structures that don't require Mauritius tax residence or treaty access, and has lighter governance, with no requirement for Mauritius-resident directors. A GBC, by contrast, is Mauritius tax-resident and built for structures that need the benefit of Mauritius's tax treaty network.
An AC can be used for international trading, consultancy, and holding shares, intellectual property, or other assets.
It cannot carry out:
- Banking or other licensed financial services
- Collective investment scheme business
- Nominee services
Those require a licensed structure such as a GBC.
No. Because an AC is non-resident for tax purposes, it cannot obtain a Mauritius Tax Residence Certificate, which treaty relief is normally conditional on.
If treaty access matters to a structure, a GBC is usually the more appropriate vehicle. At Fideco we model both options against the client's objectives before recommending one.
An AC can typically be incorporated within about a week of receiving a complete due diligence file, making it one of the fastest structures to establish in Mauritius.
Mauritius Trusts
Succession planning, wealth preservation and asset protection under the Trusts Act 2001.
A Mauritius trust is a legal arrangement governed by the Trusts Act 2001, under which a settlor transfers assets to trustees to hold for named beneficiaries or a stated purpose.
Mauritius trusts are widely used for succession planning, wealth preservation, asset protection, and consolidating international assets under one professionally administered structure with strong statutory confidentiality.
No. The trust instrument is not filed on any public register; trustees are simply required to keep an internal register of the settlor and beneficiaries.
This keeps the structure itself confidential while remaining fully compliant with the anti-money laundering framework trustees operate under.
The Trusts Act imposes a strict statutory duty of confidentiality on trustees, and information can generally only be disclosed by court order or at the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions in connection with a serious offence such as money laundering.
This gives settlors and beneficiaries a high degree of privacy within a framework that still meets international standards on beneficial ownership transparency.
Yes. Mauritius courts will not vary, set aside, or otherwise recognise a claim against a validly constituted Mauritius trust on the grounds of a foreign forced heirship, matrimonial property, or succession law.
This makes Mauritius trusts an effective tool for cross-border succession planning, particularly for settlors from civil law jurisdictions.
The Trusts Act 2001 supports several trust types, so the structure can be matched to the client's objective:
- Discretionary trusts
- Fixed-interest trusts
- Purpose trusts (charitable and non-charitable)
- Protective / spendthrift trusts
- Charitable trusts
Trusts can also be combined with a Protected Cell Company for segregated multi-client or multi-asset arrangements. We help clients choose the structure that matches their succession, protection, or commercial objectives.
Bank Account Opening
What to expect when opening accounts for Mauritius structures and the individuals behind them.
With a complete, well-prepared file, account opening for a GBC, AC, or trust typically takes four to twelve weeks, depending on the bank, the complexity of the ownership structure, and the nature of the underlying business.
We manage the bank relationship directly and prepare the file to minimise the back-and-forth that usually causes delay.
Banks require full KYC on the structure and its underlying beneficial owners and directors before opening an account.
- Certified identification and proof of address
- A description of the business activity and expected transaction flows
- Evidence of source of funds and source of wealth
- The entity's constitutional documents
- For trusts: the trust deed and letter of wishes, where relevant
We prepare this file with clients in advance so it is complete on first submission.
Delays and declines are almost always down to one of a handful of recurring issues:
- Unclear beneficial ownership chains
- Source of funds that is difficult to evidence
- Business activity that doesn't match the structure's stated purpose
- Links to higher-risk jurisdictions or industries
Thorough preparation and transparent disclosure resolve most of these issues before they become a problem, which is why we front-load this work rather than leaving the bank to raise it later.
We work with Mauritius's main domestic and international banks, including AfrAsia Bank, ABSA, MCB, Investec Bank, Bank One, and MauBank.
We can also introduce clients to selected international banking relationships where a Mauritius-only account doesn't meet their needs, and recommend the bank based on the client's business profile, not a default choice.
Directly and unintroduced, it's genuinely difficult, but materially easier when the application is introduced through Fideco.
Most Mauritius banks have tightened their risk appetite for personal accounts held by individuals with no local nexus (no residence permit, no property held under an approved investment scheme, no existing relationship in Mauritius), and a cold application is frequently declined outright. Where the individual is introduced through Fideco, alongside a corporate or trust structure we administer, or as a private banking introduction, the position is very different, because we have already carried out the due diligence and the bank is opening the account on the strength of that relationship rather than a stranger's application. It isn't a guarantee, since banks retain final discretion in every case, but it's the practical reason most individuals in this position come to us rather than a branch counter.
Regulatory Standing & Working with Fideco
Mauritius's compliance status, transparency requirements and why clients choose Fideco.
No. Mauritius is not on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, and it was removed from the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring in October 2021.
This reflects Mauritius's ongoing alignment with international AML/CFT and tax transparency standards, and is one of the reasons the jurisdiction remains attractive for compliant international structuring.
Mauritius law requires companies and other structures, such as trusts and foundations, to identify and record their beneficial owners and report this information to the Registrar of Companies.
This isn't unique to Mauritius; it reflects a global transparency standard, and we handle the identification, documentation, and filing for every structure we administer.
Ongoing costs are itemised annually and typically fall into a handful of categories:
- The management company's annual administration fee
- FSC and Registrar filing fees
- Resident director and secretarial fees for a GBC
- Audit fees, where applicable
We provide a clear, itemised annual quote upfront so there are no surprises once the structure is live.
Fideco has more than 30 years of experience administering corporate, trust, and fiduciary structures from Mauritius.
As a boutique firm, we offer direct access to senior decision-makers rather than a call centre or a rotating account handler. Clients choose us for the technical rigour of a larger management company combined with the responsiveness and flexibility of a smaller, relationship-driven team.
Still have questions?
Speak with the team that designs and administers these structures every day. We'll give you a clear, objective answer.