Economic Development Board (EDB)

Definition

The Economic Development Board (EDB) is the Mauritian public body responsible for promoting foreign investment and issuing the main occupation, residence and retirement permits granted to foreign nationals. It is the administrative gateway for anyone wishing to settle, invest or carry on a professional activity in Mauritius, acting both as the economic promotion agency and as the economic immigration authority.

Framework in Mauritius

The EDB acts as the competent authority for processing and issuing the Occupation Permit (investor, self-employed and professional categories), the Permanent Residence Permit, the Retired Non-Citizen Residence Permit and the Premium Visa. It also intervenes in connection with property schemes open to foreigners (the Property Development Scheme, the Integrated Resort Scheme and related schemes), which may in turn give access to a residence permit. The permit regime is regularly revised through the annual budget; eligibility conditions, categories and applicable thresholds must therefore always be verified as at the date of the application with the EDB, the only body authorised to confirm their exact content.

In practice

Any permit application is filed with the EDB, together with evidence of investment, income or activity according to the category applied for. Some permits are subject to ongoing compliance monitoring: the permit's continuation may depend on meeting turnover or income targets, and renewal is never automatic. The EDB may re-examine a file, request further information or reconsider a decision if the conditions are no longer met. Processing times vary from case to case and cannot be the subject of any commitment on our part; the same applies to the outcome of the application, which remains subject to the EDB's sole discretion. Each situation must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, subject to eligibility and to changes in the regulations in force.

Related terms

The EDB's role is closely linked to the Occupation Permit and the Resident Permit, which set the conditions under which foreigners may reside and work in Mauritius, as well as to property schemes such as the Property Development Scheme and the Integrated Resort Scheme, often used as a pathway to residence. It is distinct from the role of the Financial Services Commission, which regulates structures such as the Global Business Company and the Authorised Company.

Related terms