Updated 2026-09 · NŌRÉA Realty
Generally, no. A foreigner cannot buy bare land in Mauritius for private use: the Non-Citizens (Property Restriction) Act makes any such transfer void without government approval, and since the Finance Act 2025 there is no residential exception outside the EDB schemes. The exceptions are land for a genuine business with an EDB certificate, serviced plots inside PDS or Smart City projects, and inheritance. This guide explains what land means here, in perches and toises, and how our land listings work.
Is a foreigner allowed to buy land in Mauritius?
Not for private use. Non-citizens cannot buy bare, agricultural or residential land to build their own house on, and cannot buy land to hold, subdivide or resell. Agricultural land, State Land and the Pas Géométriques along the coast are excluded outright. Any acquisition without the required approval is void under the Non-Citizens (Property Restriction) Act, and that includes indirect routes such as buying shares in a company that owns land or being made beneficiary of a trust holding it.
This is stricter than it was. From December 2023 to mid-2025, a non-citizen holding a residence permit could buy residential property, including land, anywhere on the island above USD 500,000 with Prime Minister's Office approval. The Finance Act 2025 abolished that route. Today the answer for a foreigner asking about a plot of land in Moka, Flic-en-Flac or Grand Baie is, in almost every case, that the plot is open to Mauritian citizens only.
What are the exceptions?
Three. First, land for business purposes: with an EDB Certificate of Approval a non-citizen or foreign-owned company may buy or lease land to develop a commercial building, a warehouse, a hotel, a factory or a Smart City or PDS project. There is no EDB processing fee for a business-purpose application, but the EDB definition of business expressly excludes buying bare or serviced land in order to resell or rent it, and the land must be used for the approved activity. Second, serviced plots or villas inside an approved PDS or Smart City development, where the developer's master approval covers foreign purchasers and the plot comes with a building obligation. Third, land acquired by inheritance or through marriage, which needs no certificate.
Leasing is the practical alternative. A non-citizen may lease commercial land for up to 30 years without any approval, and longer with an EDB certificate. Non-citizens with a permit may also hold agricultural land on lease for approved projects. Verify the current position with a notary or the EDB before committing, as each Finance Act adjusts it.
How is land measured in Mauritius: what are perches, toises and arpents?
Mauritian land is still measured in old French units. One perche is about 42.21 square metres, one toise is about 3.80 square metres (11.11 toises to a perche), and one arpent is 100 perches, about 4,221 square metres or 1.04 acres. So a typical residential plot of 10 perches is roughly 422 square metres, and 25 perches is just over 1,000 square metres.
Listings, title deeds and surveyor's plans quote perches for building plots and arpents for larger agricultural or development land; toises appear on older deeds. Because a plot's stated area comes from the seller's deed and may predate modern surveying, boundaries and areas should be confirmed by a sworn land surveyor before the compromis is signed. That report also feeds the notary's title search and the Registrar-General's valuation.
How do NŌRÉA's land listings work?
Around half of our catalogue is land: residential plots, agricultural parcels and commercial sites across Moka and the island. Each listing states the area in perches (with the metre equivalent), the location, the zoning we have been told, and the asking price, and each has a filmed walkthrough so you can see access, slope, neighbouring buildings and the view before you drive out. Areas and boundaries are supplied by the owner and are indicative until a surveyor confirms them.
For Mauritian buyers, the process is: WhatsApp us on +230 5770 9073, visit, agree a price, sign a compromis with a 10% deposit held by the notary, then the notary checks title, any servitudes and the morcellement permit if the plot was subdivided, and the acte de vente follows within about two to three months. First-time buyers pay no registration duty on the first Rs 3 million of bare land under the 2026-27 Budget. For foreign enquiries we say so plainly at the first message: unless it is a business project or a scheme plot, a bare-land listing is not something we can sell you, and we will point you to the apartments and villas you can buy.
Frequently asked
- Can a foreigner buy agricultural land in Mauritius?
- No. Agricultural land cannot be bought by non-citizens. A non-citizen with the right permit may lease agricultural land for an approved project, and a foreign-owned company may acquire land for an approved business with an EDB certificate, but not to farm privately or to resell.
- Can a foreigner with a residence permit buy land in Mauritius?
- Not since the Finance Act 2025. The route that let residence-permit holders buy residential property, including land, above USD 500,000 has been abolished. Permit holders may still buy units in PDS, Smart City, IRS, RES or G+2 buildings, and land for business purposes with EDB approval.
- How many square metres is a perche?
- One perche is about 42.21 square metres. One toise is about 3.80 square metres, and there are 11.11 toises in a perche. One arpent is 100 perches, about 4,221 square metres.
- Can a foreigner buy a plot in a PDS or Smart City project?
- Yes, where the developer's EDB approval includes serviced plots for non-citizens, usually with an obligation to build within a set period. This is the only realistic way for a private foreign buyer to own a plot in Mauritius today.
Sources
- https://edbmauritius.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/aop-guidelines.pdf
- https://lawsofmauritius.govmu.org/portal/viewlegislationdocument/web/?doctitle=Tm9uLWNpdGl6ZW5zIChQcm9wZXJ0eSBSZXN0cmljdGlvbikgQWN0&docnumber=&doctype=act
- https://www.villa-vie.com/en/2025/08/mauritius-finance-bill-2025-key-real-estate-and-residency-amendments/
- https://tropicalriviera.com/foreigners-buy-property-mauritius-rules/
- https://www.villa-vie.com/en/2024/01/how-is-land-measured-in-mauritius/
- https://www.propertycloud.mu/blog/mauritius-real-estate-terms-explained
- https://real-estate-mauritius.mu/en/mauritius-budget-2026-2027/
General information, not legal advice. Verify figures with a notary or the EDB at the time of purchase.
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