Mauritius Nominee Shareholder Services
Ownership Confidentiality in Mauritius
Protect your identity as the ultimate beneficial owner in Mauritius with nominee shareholder arrangements that operate within the jurisdiction's regulatory framework.
Benefits of Mauritius Nominee Shareholder Services
Learn how nominee shareholding in Mauritius can reinforce ownership privacy and support your international business structure
Confidential Share Registry
The nominee appears as the shareholder on Mauritius's corporate register and all related documentation, shielding your identity from public view.
Internal Ownership Flexibility
Rearrange economic interests between parties through private agreements rather than formal registry amendments or public share transfer filings.
Structural Flexibility
Separate legal shareholding from economic control—a framework that accommodates Mauritius's role as a gateway for investments into Africa and Asia.
Investment Architecture
Structure nominee-held positions across GBC entities and investment funds to maintain clear, efficient group hierarchies in Mauritius.
Account Opening Support
Strengthen your banking applications with a well-structured shareholding profile, backed by transparent beneficial ownership disclosures through KYC.
Mauritius Nominee Shareholder Legality & Regulatory Framework
The Mauritius Companies Act permits nominee shareholding as a recognized corporate tool, governed by the Financial Services Commission's regulatory framework and beneficial ownership requirements.
Mauritius Legal Framework for Nominee Shareholding
Permitted Under Mauritius Companies Act
The Companies Act 2001 recognizes nominee shareholding arrangements in Mauritius, with beneficial ownership information disclosed to the Financial Services Commission as required by applicable regulations.
International Shareholder Flexibility
Mauritius entities welcome shareholders of any nationality. Nominee shareholders can be individuals or corporate entities, supporting the jurisdiction's role as an international financial centre.
Registered Share Format
All shares are issued in registered form, with the legal holder's details entered into the entity's share register as maintained by the company secretary or registered agent.
Nominee Agreement Framework
A Declaration of Trust underpins the nominee arrangement, documenting your economic ownership rights including dividends, capital distributions, and share transfer authority.
Public Exposure Without Nominee Shareholders
Ownership Details on File
Without a nominee, your name and personal details are recorded as the legal shareholder across all corporate filings, financial documentation, and regulatory submissions.
Registrar and FSC Access
The share register is accessible to the Registrar of Companies and the Financial Services Commission, as well as the entity's auditors and authorized officers.
Financial Sector Due Diligence
Mauritius-based and international banks conduct thorough shareholder identification during account opening, particularly for entities holding Global Business Licences.
Beneficial Ownership Disclosure
All entities must report beneficial ownership information to the relevant Mauritius authorities, irrespective of whether shares are held directly or through a nominee arrangement.
What a Nominee Shareholder Does
Placed on the entity's share register as the legal shareholder, with their details appearing in all regulatory submissions and business documentation.
Retains legal title to shares as nominee under a Declaration of Trust, while economic ownership and authority over share matters stay with the beneficial owner.
Completes the signing of share certificates, transfer forms, and resolutions as per the beneficial owner's written instructions.
Ensures the beneficial owner's identity remains absent from entity documents circulated to banks, the FSC, and commercial partners.
Acts on voting rights and dividend approvals at shareholder meetings exclusively based on the beneficial owner's documented directions.
Functions within an indemnity agreement that draws clear liability lines between the nominee's role and the beneficial owner's position.
What a Nominee Shareholder Does Not Do
Maintains no economic interest in the shares—the beneficial owner holds all rights to the financial value of the shareholding.
Cannot independently decide on dividends, share transfers, or any action that affects the economic standing of the shareholding.
Is not entitled to any dividends, distributions, or sale proceeds—all financial outcomes belong to the beneficial owner.
Does not vote, transfer shares, or act on any shareholder matter without the beneficial owner's prior written authorization.
Offers no tax advisory services and does not influence the beneficial owner's tax residency, obligations, or compliance status.
Will not be associated with any share arrangement that involves illegality, fraud, or conduct contrary to ethical standards.
Find the Right Nominee Shareholding Approach for Mauritius
Mauritius supports individual and corporate nominee shareholding—your selection should consider how the shareholding will appear to banks, the Financial Services Commission, and international counterparties.
Where Nominee Shareholders Add Value for Mauritius Entities
As an international financial centre bridging Africa and Asia, Mauritius sees nominee shareholding applied across investment, holding, and treaty-access structures.
Cross-Border Estate Planning
Families with Mauritius-registered GBC or authorized entities use nominee shareholding to coordinate estate transfers across multiple jurisdictions, minimizing the administrative burden of cross-border probate.
Pan-African & Asian Joint Ventures
Investors entering African and Asian markets through Mauritius joint ventures appoint nominees to present a unified shareholder profile to local regulators and banking institutions in target jurisdictions.
Treaty-Access Holding Vehicles
Mauritius's extensive double tax treaty network makes it a preferred conduit for investment into Africa and India—nominee shareholders keep beneficial ownership details off records exchanged with tax treaty partner administrations.
Entity Consolidation & Restructuring
International groups restructuring their Mauritius-based holding entities use nominees to manage share movements during consolidation exercises, ensuring regulatory filings reflect clean transitional ownership.
Annual Pricing for Mauritius Nominee Shareholder Services
Corporate body and natural person nominee options priced per annum—structured to support Mauritius GBC and authorized entity requirements.
Corporate Entity
Nominee Shareholder Service by a Corporate Body
A Mauritius-registered company is recorded as the legal shareholder—optimized for international holding vehicles, treaty-access structures, and entities with cross-border operations.
Natural Person
Nominee Shareholder Service by a Natural Person
A Mauritius-based individual acts as nominee shareholder—selected where the Financial Services Commission framework or banking partners require an identifiable person on the share register.
Comparing Natural Person and Corporate Nominee Shareholders
Understand how individual and corporate nominee shareholders differ in Mauritius—considering FSC requirements, documentation, and practical suitability.
Individual Nominee
Corporate Entity Nominee
Arrangement Description
Register of Shareholders
Shareholder Presentation
Documentation Requirements
Fiduciary Structure
Transfer Formalities
Banking Perception
When an Individual Nominee Works Best
Recommended in cases where:
- Mauritius-based banks require personal shareholder details for account opening
- Financial Services Commission compliance procedures expect natural person records
- Commercial counterparties in the Africa-Asia corridor prefer named shareholders
- Simple single-owner structures without complex holding layers
When a Corporate Nominee Works Best
Recommended in cases where:
- GBC or authorized company structures require corporate shareholders by convention
- Treaty-access holding vehicles need a Mauritius corporate entity on the register
- Cross-border investment structures benefit from institutional-level ownership
- Multi-jurisdictional groups routing through Mauritius as a regional hub
4 Steps to Arrange a Nominee Shareholder
Whether driven by privacy considerations or operational requirements, here is how nominee shareholding is established for your Mauritian company.
Requirement Mapping
We begin by mapping your corporate objectives, the rationale behind the nominee arrangement, and any conditions imposed by banks or business partners.
Due Diligence & Agreement Preparation
Comprehensive due diligence is carried out on the beneficial owner, followed by the preparation of a Declaration of Trust that governs the nominee arrangement.
Shareholding Transfer
The designated shares are transferred into the nominee's name, with the company's Register of Members updated to reflect the revised ownership structure.
Trust Administration
The nominee administers the shares strictly within the bounds of the trust—executing any transfers, voting actions, or dividend handling only when authorised by you in writing.
Partner with Expanship for Nominee Shareholding in Mauritius
From identifying the right nominee to finalizing every agreement, we handle the full scope of your Mauritian nominee shareholder arrangement so you can focus on running your business.
Qualified Mauritian Nominees
We match your company with experienced individuals and corporate nominees based in Mauritius who meet the professional standards required for nominee shareholding engagements.
Professional Paperwork
Each arrangement is formalized through a Declaration of Trust alongside supporting agreements that clearly define the nominee relationship, your economic rights, and the scope of the nominee's authority.
Compliance Confidence
We keep pace with Mauritian corporate and beneficial ownership regulations, helping ensure your nominee structure satisfies the jurisdiction's reporting and transparency requirements.
Hands-On Management
Whether it involves share registry updates, dividend handling, or voting coordination—we oversee every interaction between you and your nominee from day one onward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about nominee holding structures for Mauritius companies, including share custodianship arrangements, ownership documentation, and how the regulatory framework supports these services.
Share custodianship through a nominee serves multiple strategic purposes. It provides an additional degree of privacy in dealings with banks and commercial partners, supports efficient structuring for cross-border investment — particularly along the Africa and Asia corridors where Mauritius serves as a leading financial hub — and offers practical advantages for estate and succession planning.
Mauritian corporate legislation permits the appointment of either a natural person or a corporate entity as nominee shareholder. A corporate nominee may be preferred for its institutional continuity and structured governance, while an individual nominee can be suitable where a simpler arrangement is desired. Due diligence obligations apply equally to both forms.
The two roles address entirely separate aspects of your company. A nominee shareholder is recorded on the share register and relates solely to the ownership documentation layer. A nominee director, on the other hand, holds a governance position and is responsible for management decisions. Mauritius company law treats these as independent functions, and engaging one does not require engaging the other.
Not at all. The ownership documentation — centered on the Declaration of Trust — ensures that all economic entitlements remain with you. Dividends, capital gains, and any other financial benefits arising from the shares belong exclusively to you as the beneficial owner, regardless of who appears on the share register.
The Declaration of Trust is the cornerstone of the nominee holding structure. It is a formal legal instrument in which the nominee confirms that shares are held purely for your benefit and subject to your instructions. This document provides robust ownership documentation, creating an enforceable record of the beneficial ownership relationship recognized under Mauritian law.
Following the submission of all required identification and compliance documentation, the nominee appointment can typically be finalized within 2 to 4 business days. This period accounts for the due diligence procedures required under the regulatory framework, preparation of the Declaration of Trust, and registration of the share custodianship on the company's records.
Absolutely. The nominee holding structure is designed for flexibility. You may replace the nominee shareholder or transfer the underlying shares at any point by providing the appropriate instructions. Updated ownership documentation, including a revised Declaration of Trust, will be prepared to reflect the new arrangement.
Get in Touch About Mauritian Nominee Shareholder Services
Have questions about setting up a nominee shareholding arrangement in Mauritius? Reach out to our team for detailed guidance on structuring, compliance, and next steps.
