Mauritius, or the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean located off the eastern coast of Africa, and covers an area of 2,007 km2. Its outlying territories are the Rodrigues Island (situated about 550 km eastward), the Cargados Carajos Shoals (400 km northeastward), and the Agalega Islands (930 km northward from the main island). Mauritius has a mixed developing economy based on manufactured exports, agriculture, tourism, and financial services.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Mauritius.
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Capital :
Port Louis
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Currency :
Mauritian Rupee (MUR, Rs)
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Languages spoken :
English
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Population :
1.27 million (2021 est.)
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Minimum wage 2023 :
MUR 11,575 (Monthly)
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Cost of Living index :
$$ (72 of 139 nations)
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Payroll Frequency :
Monthly
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VAT - standard rate :
15%
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GDP - real growth rate :
4% (2021 est.)
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Employees in Mauritius are entitled to 15 public holidays.
The holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2024.
The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Mauritius is 14 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.
NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.
The normal working hours are 45 hours per week (excluding meal time and tea breaks), consisting of:
For employees, the overtime payment can be agreed upon contractually. A worker and an employer may agree on the number of hours of work to be performed in excess of the stipulated hours where the exigencies of an enterprise so require. No employer can require a worker to perform work in excess of the stipulated hours unless they have given at least 24 hours’ notice to the worker of the extra work to be performed.
There is no maximum probationary period prescribed by law. However, it is standard practice for companies to give probationary periods of one to three months.
Fixed-term contracts terminate on the last day of the period agreed upon by both parties. Indefinite contracts require verbal or written notice at least 30 days prior to termination.
Any employee, other than those who work part-time, who remains in continuous employment with the same employer for a period of 12 consecutive months is entitled, during each subsequent period of 12 months while they remain in continuous employment, to 20 working days’ annual leave. The leave is paid by the employer.
Any employee, other than those who work part-time, who remain in continuous employment with the same employer for a period of 12 consecutive months is entitled to 15 working days sick leave on full pay, during each subsequent period of 12 months while they remain in continuous employment.
There is no statutory parental leave in Mauritius.
A female employee should, on the production of a medical certificate, be entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave on full pay, provided that at least seven weeks are taken immediately following confinement or after confinement.
If the spouse of a full-time male employee has been in continuous employment for 12 consecutive months and gives birth to a child, the male employee is entitled to five continuous working days of paternity leave on full pay by the employer, upon production of a medical certificate to that effect and a written statement signed by them stating themselves and their spouse live under the same roof.
Employees, excluding migrant employees who remain in continuous employment with the same employer for a period of at least five consecutive years, are entitled to 30 days of vacation leave, whether taken consecutively or otherwise, for every period of five consecutive years, to be spent abroad, locally or partly abroad and partly locally.
Where an employee remains in continuous employment with the same employer for a period of 12 consecutive months, they are entitled to three working days’ special leave on full pay on the death of their spouse, child, father, mother, brother, or sister. The leave is paid by the employer.
The employer may authorize leave without pay as necessary.
Mauritius has a multi-tiered social security system in which those who make mandatory contributions over their working lives can enjoy higher rate benefits through the pension schemes, including protection in cases of disability, survivorship, unemployment, and old age.
Employers contribute a total of 11.5% or 14.5% to the Mauritian social security system as follows:
| Benefits | Employer Contribution Rates |
| Generalized Social Contributions (Contribution Sociale Généralisée, CSG) |
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| National Training Fund Levy (NTF) | 1.5% |
| National Savings Fund (NSF) | 2.5% |
| Portable Retirement Gratuity Fund (PRGF) | 4.5% |
| Total | 11.5% or 14.5% |
Employers are not required to purchase health insurance for employees in Mauritius as the government offers free health care totally funded by tax revenue. The Mauritian public healthcare system covers about 73% of health care costs, while the private sector covers about 27%.
For the first two weeks, the employer should, upon receiving medical evidence of incapacity, pay the employee compensation for the whole period of the incapacity at the same rate that they are being remunerated when the industrial injury occurs.
After two weeks, the social security pays the injured employee an industrial injury allowance representing 100% of the basic wages or salary.
Employer contributions of 1% for the WPF are already included in the NSF as part of social security.
The Workfare Programme Fund (WPF) is the main unemployment benefits program in Mauritius, and is financed by both the National Savings Fund (NSF) and the State.
Mauritius’ pension system consists of several pillars, including a basic retirement pension scheme, mandatory contributory lump sums, mandatory contributory income streams, and voluntary pension schemes. The standard retirement age is 65 years old. Employer contribution rates to the pension scheme are presented as follows:
| Mandatory Pension Schemes | Employer Contributions |
| Generalized Social Contributions (Contribution Sociale Généralisée, CSG) | 3% or 6% depending on employee earnings. |
| National Savings Fund (NSF) | 2.5% |
| Portable Retirement Gratuity Fund (PRGF) | 4.5% |
Employers must contribute a levy of 1.5% to employees’ NTF per month.
Under the NTF, various training incentives are offered to employers in order to allow them to meet part of the training cost of their employees and to support other training initiatives both at enterprise and national levels.
Where a worker who has been in continuous employment with the same employer for no less than 12 consecutive months dies, the employer should pay a death grant of MUR 5,000 to their spouse on the production of a written statement stating they were living under a common roof upon the worker’s time of death.
The information contained in this Country Guide is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this Country Guide contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this Country Guide without seeking the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content included in this Country Guide.
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