Mauritius Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Mauritius Business

TL;DR. Mauritius operates a two-track corporate system: domestic companies registered with the Corporate and Business Registration Department (CBRD) and offshore Global Business Companies (GBC) licensed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Basic registry searches are free and accessible online. Certified extracts cost approximately MUR 100 (~USD 3). Mauritius was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2021 and has since been removed from EU and UK high-risk lists, making it one of the more internationally rehabilitated offshore centers in the Indian Ocean region.

What is the official Mauritius business registry?

The Corporate and Business Registration Department (CBRD), operating under the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, is Mauritius’s central company registrar. CBRD administers the Companies Act 2001, which governs all domestic companies and forms the base layer for Global Business Companies.

The CBRD online portal is accessible at companies.govmu.org and the online services platform at onlineservices.cbris.govmu.org. The registry covers private companies, public companies, global business companies (GBC), authorised companies, non-profit associations, and foreign company branches. Business registrations including sole traders and partnerships are also recorded via CBRD.

For the offshore and international financial services sector, a second regulatory layer applies. Global Business Companies must obtain a Global Business Licence from the Financial Services Commission (FSC) at fscmauritius.org. The CBRD handles incorporation; the FSC handles licensing and ongoing supervision. Both the CBRD register and the FSC register of licensees are relevant for a compliance search on a Mauritius GBC.

CBRD digital records extend to the enactment of the Companies Act 2001, with older incorporations also included in the registry.

What can you search?

CBRD’s online search allows lookups across:

• Company name (full or partial)
• Company registration number (Business Registration Number, BRN)
• Director or officer name (available for some entity types)
• Type of entity (company, association, sole trader, etc.)

Publicly available data per entity includes: registered name, BRN, entity type, registered address, date of incorporation, current status (active, struck off, in liquidation, wound up), and principal activities.

Director and shareholder data for private companies is treated as confidential under the Companies Act 2001 and is not made available to third parties without the company’s consent. This is a material limitation for compliance buyers: director confirmation for private Mauritius companies requires the entity itself to provide the extract, or you must use a licensed corporate service provider with access to the full register.

For GBCs, the FSC publishes a public register of licensees at fscmauritius.org/en/supervision/register-of-licensee. This confirms whether a GBC holds a current Global Business Licence, which is a key compliance check for counterparties operating in the GBC framework.

Data freshness is filing-event based. CBRD processes filings and updates the register typically within 1-3 business days of acceptance.

How much does it cost?

Prices sourced from CBRD’s published FAQ document at companies.govmu.org, verified May 2026. MUR/USD conversion used: 1 USD = approximately 44 MUR (verify at point of purchase; the Mauritius rupee trades in a managed float range). FSC licensing fees for GBCs are a separate and substantially higher cost and apply to incorporation, not to search.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Basic name and status searches on the CBRD public portal are free and do not require registration. For certified extracts and other paid services, you must register an account with the CBRD online services platform. Foreign buyers can register using an international email address and standard contact details. No Mauritius national identity document is required for account creation.

Payment for fee-bearing services is accepted online. International card payments are generally supported.

The FSC’s public licensee register is accessible without registration.

Is the website in English?

Yes. CBRD’s portal, the FSC website, and all official filings use English. Mauritius is bilingual (English and French) in government, but corporate law and the companies registry operate in English. Some subsidiary CBRD communications may appear in French, but the main search interface and document descriptions are in English.

What’s the turnaround time?

Free public searches on the CBRD portal are instant. Certified extract orders typically take 1-3 business days. CBRD does not currently offer instant e-certified documents through its public portal; documents are prepared after order submission.

For FSC licensee status checks, the public register is available instantly online and reflects the current licensing status.

Is there an API?

No. CBRD does not offer a public API for programmatic registry access. The FSC also does not currently publish an API for the licensee register. Compliance platforms requiring automated Mauritius registry lookups should contact CBRD directly.

What you legally cannot do

CBRD’s Terms of Use prohibit bulk scraping of the company registry. The Companies Act 2001 restricts access to private company director and shareholder data to parties with a legitimate interest or those authorised by the company.

Mauritius’s Data Protection Act 2017 governs personal data derived from registry records. Processing director or officer names for purposes beyond the stated compliance enquiry requires a lawful basis under the DPA. For a full framework on cross-border registry data use, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide. Compliance buyers assessing Indian Ocean offshore structures alongside Mauritius may also consult the Seychelles Company Search Guide for the parallel IBC framework.

FATF and international compliance status

This section deserves specific attention for Mauritius, given its history as an offshore center.

FATF: Mauritius was added to the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (the grey list) in February 2020, following deficiencies identified in its 2018 Mutual Evaluation. After implementing substantial AML/CFT reforms across legislation, supervision, and law enforcement, Mauritius was removed from the grey list in October 2021. As of May 2026, Mauritius is not on the FATF grey list. Source: FATF October 2021 plenary announcement and Bowmans Law briefing.

EU High-Risk Third Countries: Following the FATF grey listing, Mauritius was added to the EU list of high-risk third countries for AML purposes in May 2020. After the FATF removal in October 2021, Mauritius was removed from the EU high-risk list. It is not on the EU blacklist of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions (Annex I) as of May 2026.

OECD Global Forum: Mauritius is a signatory to the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and participates in automatic exchange of information. The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has assessed Mauritius positively on its exchange of information framework.

For compliance buyers, Mauritius’s removal from the FATF grey list means standard CDD applies rather than enhanced due diligence mandated by high-risk designation. However, the GBC framework itself (designed for international investment structures with treaty access) warrants additional scrutiny of substance and purpose for any counterparty using it.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Two separate registries for GBCs. A GBC appears on the CBRD company register and must also hold a valid FSC licence. Always check both: a company can be incorporated at CBRD but have its FSC licence revoked or suspended. The FSC register of licensees at fscmauritius.org is the definitive source for GBC licensing status.
• Business Registration Number (BRN) is the anchor. The BRN is assigned at incorporation and used across all Mauritius government systems including the tax authority (Mauritius Revenue Authority, MRA). Confirm the BRN on any document before relying on name matching.
• Private company director confidentiality. For private domestic companies, director and shareholder information is not publicly disclosed. A certified extract for compliance purposes requires the company’s cooperation or a licensed management company acting on its behalf.
• Authorised Companies. A separate entity type (Authorised Company, replacing former GBC2) is used for holding structures with no operations in Mauritius. Authorised Companies are not required to hold an FSC Global Business Licence but must use a licensed management company. Check which vehicle your counterparty is using.
• Substance requirements. Since 2019 reforms, GBCs must demonstrate economic substance in Mauritius (core income-generating activities, adequate staff, qualified management). For compliance purposes, substance claims should be verified against the FSC’s requirements rather than accepted at face value.
• UBO filings. Mauritius requires companies to file beneficial ownership information with CBRD. The BO register is maintained by CBRD but is not publicly searchable; it is accessible to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and law enforcement.

Alternatives if you cannot access CBRD directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes some Mauritius company filings but lags official data and may not cover GBCs fully. Useful for a quick name check; not for compliance-grade verification.
• FSC Register of Licensees (fscmauritius.org/en/supervision/register-of-licensee): free, instant, authoritative for GBC licensing status.

Local data suppliers

• Systemday (systemday.com/mauritius-company-search). Commercial search service providing Mauritius company search reports for compliance and due diligence purposes. Scope includes entity status, filing summaries, and director information where available. Useful when you need a formatted report faster than going through CBRD directly.

Use CBRD for the official filing record. Use the FSC register for GBC licence confirmation. Use a commercial data supplier when you need a formatted, aggregated compliance report.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Mauritius registry directly?

Yes. The CBRD public search is accessible to anyone globally without registration. For certified extracts, foreign users can create an account using an international email address. Director and shareholder data for private companies is confidential and not publicly disclosed; access requires company authorisation or engagement with a licensed management company.

What is the BRN in Mauritius?

The Business Registration Number (BRN) is a unique identifier assigned to every registered entity in Mauritius. It is used across the tax authority (MRA), the CBRD, and the FSC. Format is typically a 9-digit numeric code. Always use the BRN rather than the company name when cross-referencing Mauritius entities across systems.

What entity types are registered with CBRD?

CBRD registers private companies, public companies, Global Business Companies (GBC), Authorised Companies, branch offices of foreign companies, non-profit associations, and sole traders and partnerships. For the offshore sector, GBCs require a separate FSC licence in addition to CBRD incorporation.

Does Mauritius have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Yes. Mauritius’s Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act (FIAMLA) requires all companies to identify and file beneficial ownership information with CBRD. The beneficial ownership register is maintained by CBRD but is not publicly accessible; it is available to the Financial Intelligence Unit and law enforcement. Mauritius’s UBO framework aligns with FATF Recommendation 24 and the reforms implemented as part of its successful FATF grey list exit in 2021.

How current is the data in CBRD?

CBRD updates the register on a filing-event basis. Processing typically takes 1-3 business days. For GBCs, FSC licence status changes are reflected on the FSC register as they occur. For compliance workflows, obtain a certified extract directly from CBRD rather than relying on a cached public search result.

Is Mauritius on the FATF grey list?

No. Mauritius was removed from the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring in October 2021, following reforms to its AML/CFT framework. As of May 2026, Mauritius is not on the FATF grey list or black list. Standard CDD applies for Mauritius counterparties. For current FATF list status, refer to fatf-gafi.org.

What’s the difference between the CBRD registry and the FSC register?

CBRD handles company incorporation and corporate governance filings (directors, shares, annual returns) for all entities including GBCs. The FSC issues and monitors Global Business Licences for entities operating in the offshore/global business sector. For a GBC counterparty, a complete compliance check requires both the CBRD extract (confirming incorporation) and the FSC licence confirmation (confirming active licensing). The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) handles tax registration separately.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Corporate and Business Registration Department (companies.govmu.org); Financial Services Commission Mauritius (fscmauritius.org); FATF October 2021 plenary (fatf-gafi.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.