Professional Intermediaries

Mauritius Trust, Foundation & Holding Services for Wealth Managers and Family Offices

Partner-led support for trusts, foundations and holding companies, with Mauritius formation and administration handled by an FSC-licensed management company.

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Wealth managers and family offices increasingly look to Mauritius as a jurisdiction for holding structures, trusts and foundations that sit alongside investments made elsewhere. The Company Mauritius team, a brand of Sunibel Corporate Services Ltd, is a management company licensed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius, and works with wealth managers and family offices on a partner-led basis. The adviser or family office can remain the family's primary point of contact, while Mauritius-side formation, administration and compliance are handled on the ground. Structures supported include discretionary trusts, private trust companies, foundations and holding companies, used to consolidate family assets, hold shareholdings in operating businesses, or support succession planning across generations. Mauritius offers no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends and no inheritance tax, and has 45 double taxation agreements in force (MRA, 2026). Bank account opening support can be provided as part of a structure's setup, without any guarantee of outcome, since this depends on the bank's own due diligence. Governance and reporting are organised around the family's existing advisers: financial statements, trustee or foundation council minutes, and compliance filings are prepared and shared on an agreed basis, rather than replacing the family office's own oversight. As with any Mauritius structure, the management company must carry out its own customer due diligence and identify beneficial owners under Mauritius's Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act, independently of the introducing adviser. Terms of collaboration, including the working model, are agreed case by case.

Structures and Support for Wealth Managers and Family Offices

Discretionary Trusts and Private Trust Companies

We support the establishment and ongoing administration of discretionary trusts, including trustee services under Mauritius law, for families seeking succession planning and asset protection. Where a family prefers a formal governance role, a private trust company (PTC) can be established instead, with trusteeship exercised through the PTC's own board. Both structures are administered in coordination with the family office or wealth manager, who typically remains the family's primary contact.

Mauritius Foundations

Mauritius foundations combine features of trusts and companies and are used by some families for asset holding, succession or philanthropic purposes. We support the incorporation of a foundation, drafting of its charter and by-laws in coordination with the family's advisers, and its ongoing administration, including council meetings, financial statements and filings with the Mauritius authorities.

Holding Company Structures

A Mauritius holding company (domestic company or Global Business Licence company, depending on the activity) can sit above operating businesses or investment portfolios, consolidating family assets under a single structure. Where the GBC's substance conditions are met, a partial exemption applies to specified categories of foreign income; this is assessed on a case-by-case basis and is never assumed at the outset.

Bank Account Opening Support

We assist with the preparation and submission of bank account opening applications for Mauritius structures, coordinating documentation between the family office, the beneficial owners and the bank. Account opening remains subject to the bank's own due diligence and internal approval process, and no outcome or timing can be guaranteed at any stage.

Governance and Reporting to the Family's Advisers

Trustee minutes, foundation council resolutions, financial statements and compliance filings are prepared for each structure and shared with the family office or wealth manager on an agreed schedule. Reporting is designed to support, not replace, the family's existing governance framework, keeping the family's own advisers informed of the structure's position at each stage.

Confidentiality Under Mauritius Law

Information relating to a family's structures is handled under Mauritius law and applicable professional confidentiality standards, and is shared only with those directly involved in the structure's administration. As the licensed management company, we must still carry out our own customer due diligence and identify beneficial owners under Mauritius's Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act, independently of the introducing wealth manager or family office.

Structures We Support

Discretionary Trust

A discretionary trust separates legal ownership of assets, held by the trustee, from the interests of beneficiaries, whose entitlement depends on the trustee's discretion under the trust deed. It is commonly used for succession planning, consolidating family assets held in different jurisdictions, and protecting assets from being tied to a single beneficiary's personal circumstances. We act as, or work alongside, the trustee, handling trust administration, accounting and Mauritius compliance obligations, while investment decisions and beneficiary matters continue to be discussed with the family's own advisers, who typically retain the primary relationship with the family.

Private Trust Company (PTC)

A private trust company is a company established specifically to act as trustee of one family's trust or trusts, rather than using a professional trustee acting for multiple unrelated families. It gives family members or their advisers a formal seat on the PTC's board, allowing more direct participation in trust decisions while the day-to-day administration, filings and compliance of the PTC itself are still handled by an FSC-licensed management company. A PTC is generally considered for families with more complex or long-term structures, where ongoing board-level involvement is a priority alongside professional administration.

Foundation

A Mauritius foundation is a separate legal entity that holds and manages assets according to its charter, rather than distributing beneficial ownership among beneficiaries in the way a trust does. It can be used for asset holding, succession, or philanthropic purposes, and offers a council-based governance structure that some families find more familiar than a trust relationship. We support the drafting of a foundation's charter and by-laws in coordination with the family's advisers, its incorporation, and its ongoing administration, including council meetings, financial statements and filings with the relevant Mauritius authorities.

Holding Company

A Mauritius holding company sits above operating businesses, investment portfolios or other structures, consolidating family assets under a single entity and simplifying reporting. Depending on the activity, it can be set up as a domestic company or as a Global Business Licence (GBC) company; a GBC that meets substance conditions may qualify for a partial exemption on specified categories of foreign income, assessed case by case. We support the incorporation, registered office, company secretarial and accounting functions of the holding structure, and its ongoing compliance with the Financial Services Commission and the Mauritius Revenue Authority.

How a Collaboration Typically Proceeds

Initial discussion

An initial discussion with the wealth manager or family office to understand the family's objectives, the assets to be held, and which type of structure (trust, foundation or holding company) may be appropriate.

Review of the family structure

Review of the family's existing structure, the intended role of the wealth manager or family office, and the working model for the collaboration.

KYC and onboarding

Customer due diligence and identification of beneficial owners, settlors and relevant family members, carried out directly by the management company under Mauritius's anti-money laundering framework.

Structure formation

Incorporation of the trust, foundation or holding company, including drafting of the trust deed or charter, registered office and appointment of officers or trustees.

Ongoing administration and reporting

Ongoing administration, accounting, compliance filings and periodic reporting to the family's advisers, on the schedule agreed at the outset.

What a Wealth Manager or Family Office Typically Prepares

An overview of the family's objectives and the intended purpose of the structure (succession, asset holding, philanthropy, or a combination)
Details of the assets or businesses to be held or contributed
Source of wealth / source of funds information for the settlor, founder or contributing family members
Identification documents for beneficial owners, settlors, foundation founders and, where relevant, family members
Any existing trust deed, foundation charter or governance documents already drafted or under discussion
The intended working model (introduction, or partner-led / white label) for the collaboration

Frequently asked questions

Can our firm remain the family's primary adviser?

Yes. The relationship can be structured so that your firm remains the family's principal point of contact, while the FSC-licensed management company handles formation, administration and Mauritius compliance for the trust, foundation or holding company in the background. Certain steps cannot be delegated: the management company must carry out its own customer due diligence and identify beneficial owners directly, as required under Mauritius's anti-money laundering framework. The exact working model, and the extent of direct contact this requires, is agreed case by case at the start of the collaboration.

Will you contact the family or the beneficial owners directly?

Some direct contact is generally required. Mauritius's Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act requires the management company to carry out its own customer due diligence and identify beneficial owners, which cannot be fully delegated to an introducing wealth manager or family office. Outside of KYC and onboarding, day-to-day communication is typically organised through the wealth manager or family office, so the family experiences a single, coordinated relationship rather than two separate points of contact.

What is the difference between a discretionary trust and a private trust company?

A discretionary trust uses a trustee, which can be the management company or a dedicated trust entity, to hold and manage assets on behalf of beneficiaries under the terms of a trust deed. A private trust company (PTC) is instead set up to act as trustee of that one family's trust, giving family members or their advisers a formal seat on its board. The PTC still relies on an FSC-licensed management company for its administration and Mauritius compliance; the choice between the two depends on the family's preference for direct board-level involvement.

Can a foundation be used instead of a trust?

In some cases, yes. A Mauritius foundation is a separate legal entity governed by a charter and a council, rather than a trustee-beneficiary relationship, which some families and advisers find more straightforward for asset holding, succession or philanthropic purposes. Whether a trust, a foundation or a holding company is the better fit depends on the family's objectives, the underlying assets and how the family wishes governance to be structured; this is discussed and confirmed on a case-by-case basis before any structure is set up.

Do you guarantee that a bank account will be opened?

No. We support the preparation and submission of bank account opening applications and coordinate the documentation required by the bank, but the decision itself is made by the bank following its own due diligence and internal approval process. No outcome, and no timeframe, can be guaranteed for any bank account application, whether in Mauritius or elsewhere.

What languages do you work in?

We work in English and French, which covers communication with most wealth managers, family offices and their underlying clients across our core markets. Documentation for Mauritius structures, filings with the Financial Services Commission and the Mauritius Revenue Authority, and correspondence with local banks are handled in English. Where a family's advisers or documentation are in another language, this is discussed at the outset of the collaboration.

How are the terms of a collaboration agreed?

Terms are agreed case by case with each wealth manager or family office, reflecting the structures involved, the working model (introduction, or partner-led / white label), and the scope of ongoing administration required. This is discussed directly rather than set out in a standard published schedule, since family structures and objectives vary considerably from one relationship to the next.

The information on this page is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, tax or regulatory advice. Always seek professional advice specific to your situation.