3 mo Tourist Visa, leaving, coming back for another 3 mo Tourist Visa

Hello

You are allowed 2*3 months to stay on a tourist visa in any calendar year but you can't go in and out ad infinitum to bypass that requirement.

The only one opportune time that  you can proceed in that manner is the following scenario:

start your stay in July (yr #1) , make a request for an extension for another 3 months before the end of September for a n October -December .
Get out of the country  and come back in the first week of January(yr #2) for a 3 month stay , repeat that request for an extension before March for an April to June stay .
Note: After  June (yr#2) if your retiree permit has not materialized you won't be able to came back until the following year in January (yr #3).

Check the BOI site for all the  conditions for your stay on a tourist visa and eligibility for a retiree residence permit.

Excellent information. Thanks so much.

I'm not anticipating any problems getting the Retirement Permit. Do they take a long time? As far as I know, from the checklist, I don't have any issues that would disqualify me.

Thanks again.

Sue

sue_ring wrote:

Excellent information. Thanks so much.

I'm not anticipating any problems getting the Retirement Permit. Do they take a long time? As far as I know, from the checklist, I don't have any issues that would disqualify me.

Thanks again.

Sue

AFA the govt is concerned, as long as you are 50+ and can bring in USD 40K per yr for your living and stay on the island  I don't see any issue.
Can't say much wrt how long it will take - depends on the resources at BOI

Please can I just confirm that I'm understanding correctly as the BOI website is a little confusing- the limit of 2*3month stays on a tourist visa is renewed every January as the start of a new calendar year?
Also as sue_ring asked- do you know if there is a minimum time that you have to out of Mauritius before re entering to get a new tourist visa?
Thank you very much for any help

Fiona25 wrote:

Please can I just confirm that I'm understanding correctly as the BOI website is a little confusing- the limit of 2*3month stays on a tourist visa is renewed every January as the start of a new calendar year?
You can come anytime you want but a tourist visa may be issued for up to 6 months per calendar year.
In the case of Sue , she wanted an extension just in case her retiree resident permit takes longer than 6 months and I was explaining a scenario whereby she can prolong that stay w/o having to return home in SFCal. If you do come in January you will have to ask for an extension of another 3 months  before the first 3 months elapse and if that's the case , come July you will have to leave the island and come back ONLY the following year. You can't spend MORE than 183 days in a calendar yr on a Tourist Visa.

Also as sue_ring asked- do you know if there is a minimum time that you have to out of Mauritius before re entering to get a new tourist visa?
Thank you very much for any help

Quite a few people go and spend 2 or 3 days on Reunion Island - leave at  the end of December and come back during the first week of January in the scenario I explained initially to Sue.

Very helpful! Thanks! Quite a fun little puzzle to put together...

You are so helpful. Thanks so much. So many questions, I have...

I don't think I can afford to do a second and third USD 40,000 deposit so I'm thinking, after the first year, I will take the money out and leave Mauritius for a little while and then come back and do the Retirement Permit all over again, and get another year in paradise (using the same USD 40,000). Have you heard of any problems with that approach? I'm assuming the government doesn't care, as long as I show I can support myself/bring money into the country...

I think if I stayed for a consecutive second year without leaving, I would have to deposit another, new USD 40,000 cash.

Thanks again.

Sue

Dear Sue,

The $40,000 should not go back to the source. Basically, you get the permit each year for bringing in $40,000. So, three years = $120,000. After that, you can apply for permanent residency for 10 years.

Unfortunately, that's the price to pay to live in Paradise. Don't forget Mauritius is the 23rd most peaceful country in the world and 1st in Africa (refer to Global Peace Index Report 2016).

If you don't have $120,000 for three years, I will advise coming as tourist for a limited time each year.

Regards
GJ

Thank you for your help

Thanks gawesh. I assume that if I leave Mauritius after one year, I can take my money with me?

Yes, you can take your money out if you are leaving the country.

Good info Gawesh.

External wrote:

Fiona25 wrote:

Please can I just confirm that I'm understanding correctly as the BOI website is a little confusing- the limit of 2*3month stays on a tourist visa is renewed every January as the start of a new calendar year?
You can come anytime you want but a tourist visa may be issued for up to 6 months per calendar year.
In the case of Sue , she wanted an extension just in case her retiree resident permit takes longer than 6 months and I was explaining a scenario whereby she can prolong that stay w/o having to return home in SFCal. If you do come in January you will have to ask for an extension of another 3 months  before the first 3 months elapse and if that's the case , come July you will have to leave the island and come back ONLY the following year. You can't spend MORE than 183 days in a calendar yr on a Tourist Visa.

Also as sue_ring asked- do you know if there is a minimum time that you have to out of Mauritius before re entering to get a new tourist visa?
Thank you very much for any help

Quite a few people go and spend 2 or 3 days on Reunion Island - leave at  the end of December and come back during the first week of January in the scenario I explained initially to Sue.

... and some just go out on the first morning plane to Reunion and have lunch in St. Denis, and then fly back to Mauritius on same day.

External wrote:

Fiona25 wrote:

You can come anytime you want but a tourist visa may be issued for up to 6 months per calendar year...
... come July you will have to leave the island and come back ONLY the following year. You can't spend MORE than 183 days in a calendar yr on a Tourist Visa.

Would it mean one could stay a full year if one arrived in July i.e. 183 days in one calendar year and another 183 days, back to back, for the second calendar year?

Be prepared for a different answer each time you visit the passport office, as the staff there seem to either get very confused with their own legislation, or just seem to make it up as they go along. Also, just to re-enforce how difficult it is for overseas residents to retire to Mauritius, my wife, although UK born, is the holder of Mauritian Citizenship, a Mauritian Passport and Mauritian I/D card...her parents are both Mauritian born and bred, hence her having her documents. However, we are not permitted to live in Mauritius due to the fact that she is UK-born, not Mauritius-born ( I'm UK born too ). Very frustrating as eventually we had planned to retire there, or maybe 6 months there, 6 months in England, but thats a no-go unfortunately.

When you say "retire there", why were you not qualified for the Retirement Permit? It doesn't say anywhere in the documentation that you need to be born in a certain place...