A private foundation in Mauritius is established under the Foundations Act 2012 and combines features of both a trust and a company. Unlike a trust, a foundation is a separate legal entity with its own legal personality — it can own assets, enter contracts, sue and be sued in its own name, and transact with third parties directly. Unlike a company, a foundation does not have shareholders: its assets are dedicated to defined objects for the benefit of specified beneficiaries or for a stated purpose.
Private foundations are particularly well suited for founders from civil law jurisdictions — such as France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and continental Europe — where the foundation concept is more familiar and more readily recognised than a common law trust. They are widely used for wealth management, succession planning, philanthropy, and as holding structures for family assets. The foundation is governed by a council (similar to a board of directors), which manages the foundation in accordance with its charter and by-laws.
A secretary must be appointed, and at least one council member must be a licensed management company in Mauritius. The charter is a public document registered with the Registrar of Foundations, while the by-laws — which contain detailed beneficiary information and governance provisions — remain private and confidential. Our experienced team manages the full setup process and provides ongoing administration, ensuring full compliance with the Foundations Act 2012 and FSC requirements.
Key Features of a Private Foundation in Mauritius
Separate Legal Personality
Unlike a trust, a foundation is a distinct legal person capable of owning assets, entering contracts, and transacting in its own name. This makes it more familiar to civil law counterparties and easier to deal with in jurisdictions that do not recognise trusts.
Foundations Act 2012
The Foundations Act 2012 provides a modern, dedicated legal framework specifically designed for foundation structures. It offers clear rules on formation, governance, amendment, and dissolution, providing legal certainty for founders and beneficiaries.
Civil Law Compatibility
Foundations are particularly well understood in civil law jurisdictions where trusts are not recognised. Mauritius foundations are an effective alternative for founders from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Latin America, and other civil law countries.
Wealth Succession Planning
Foundations are an effective tool for structuring the transfer of family wealth across generations, enabling the founder to define distribution rules, governance protocols, and succession arrangements in the by-laws without the complexities of probate.
Charitable & Philanthropic Use
A foundation can be established for charitable, humanitarian, or social purposes, with income and assets applied exclusively to the defined objects. This makes it suitable for structured philanthropy and social impact investing.
Flexible Governance Structure
The foundation council can be composed of family members, independent professionals, or a combination. The by-laws can prescribe voting rights, quorum requirements, advisory committees, and the role of a supervisory council.
Privacy of By-Laws
While the foundation charter is a public document registered with the Registrar of Foundations, the by-laws — which contain detailed provisions including beneficiary information, distribution rules, and governance details — are private and confidential.
No Shareholders
A foundation has no shareholders or members. Its assets are dedicated to its stated objects. This avoids the complexities of shareholder rights, dividend distribution, and ownership transfer that arise with company structures.
Asset Holding Capability
A foundation can hold any asset class directly in its own name, including shares in operating companies, real estate, bank accounts, investment portfolios, and intellectual property, making it a versatile vehicle for asset consolidation.
Endowment & Ongoing Contributions
The founder makes an initial endowment to establish the foundation and may make further contributions over time. Third parties may also contribute, making it suitable for family members or supporters to add assets to the foundation over its lifetime.
How to Establish a Private Foundation in Mauritius
Consultation & Structuring
We discuss your objectives, asset base, beneficiary profile, and jurisdiction considerations to determine whether a foundation is preferable to a trust or company structure and design the optimal governance framework.
Charter Drafting
We draft the foundation charter — the public constitutional document — specifying the foundation's name, objects, initial endowment, and the identity of the council members. This document is registered with the Registrar of Foundations.
By-Laws Preparation
We prepare the private by-laws, which contain detailed provisions on beneficiary entitlements, distribution rules, council governance, amendment procedures, and any supervisory arrangements. These remain confidential and are not publicly registered.
KYC & Due Diligence
We conduct KYC on the founder, all beneficiaries, and proposed council members in compliance with FSC AML/CFT requirements. We collect source of funds and source of wealth documentation and verify the identity of all parties.
Registration
We submit the foundation charter for registration with the Registrar of Foundations. Upon approval, the foundation is officially incorporated as a separate legal entity under the Foundations Act 2012.
Council Appointment & Asset Endowment
The council is formally appointed, and we facilitate the founder's endowment of assets to the foundation. This may involve transferring shares, cash, property, or other assets, with proper legal documentation in each relevant jurisdiction.
Bank Account & Operations
We assist with opening a bank account in the foundation's name, establishing investment management arrangements, and setting up accounting systems to track the foundation's assets, income, and distributions.
Ongoing Administration
We provide ongoing council secretarial services, annual accounting, regulatory filings, CRS/FATCA reporting where applicable, and periodic review of the foundation's charter and by-laws to ensure continued compliance and relevance.
Requirements for a Private Foundation in Mauritius
- Full details of the founder, including certified passport and proof of address
- Details of all intended beneficiaries (names, nationalities, relationship to founder)
- 評議会メンバー候補のKYC書類
- 初期財産拠出に関する資金源および資産源の申告書
- 財団に拠出予定の全資産の説明と評価額
- 財団名の候補（3案を推奨）
- 設立者の目的、分配規則、ガバナンスに関する指示（付則作成用）
- 設立者が任命を希望する諮問委員会または監督委員会の詳細
- 調整目的のための関連組織（信託、会社）に関する情報
- 設立者の銀行参照書（一部の銀行で必要となる場合があります）
モーリシャスにおけるプライベート財団の概算費用
| 項目 | 概算範囲 |
|---|---|
| 財団設立（定款および付則） | USD 3,000 – 6,000 |
| 登録手数料（政府） | USD 300 – 500 |
| KYCおよびデューデリジェンス（関係者1名あたり） | USD 300 – 600 |
| 年次管理・評議会事務局業務 | USD 3,500 – 8,000 |
| 年次会計・財務諸表作成 | USD 1,500 – 4,000 |
| 資産移転調整 | USD 500 – 2,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions About モーリシャスのプライベート財団
財団と信託の違いは何ですか？
財団は独自の法人格を持つ独立した法的主体であり、自己名義で資産を保有し、直接取引を行うことができます。信託は独立した法的主体ではなく、受託者が受益者のために資産を保有する信任関係です。財団は大陸法の法域においてより馴染み深い概念であり、信託はコモン・ロー上の概念です。いずれも機密性と相続計画上のメリットを提供します。
財団を慈善目的に使用することはできますか？
はい。モーリシャスの財団は、慈善、慈善活動、または社会的目的のために設立することができます。定款には慈善目的とガバナンスの枠組みが定められます。慈善目的に使用される財団は、モーリシャスの税法の適用規定とMRA（モーリシャス歳入庁）の承認を条件として、その目的のみに充当された収益に対して税免除の資格を得る場合があります。
財団の定款は公開されますか？
財団定款は財団登録官に登録され、財団名、目的、基本的なガバナンス情報を含む公開書類となります。一方、付則はプライベートな書類であり、公開登録されません。受益者情報、分配規則、詳細なガバナンス規定は付則において機密として保持されます。
設立者は財団への影響力を維持できますか？
はい、一定の範囲内で可能です。設立者は評議会に参加し、特定の権限（付則の改正権や評議会メンバーの任命権など）を留保し、付則や付随文書を通じて指針を示すことができます。ただし、過度な支配権の留保は、財団が資産を独立して保有しているかどうかという点に疑問を生じさせる可能性があるため、構造化に関するアドバイスが重要です。
モーリシャスは財団収益に課税しますか？
税務上の居住資格を有するモーリシャスの財団は、モーリシャス源泉収益に対して15%の法人税率が適用される場合があります。慈善目的のみに充当された収益は免除される場合があります。財団の税務上の取り扱いは、居住資格、収益の性質、および適用される租税条約の規定によって異なります。各状況に応じた専門的な税務アドバイスをお勧めします。
財団はGBCの株式を保有できますか？
はい。モーリシャスの財団は、グローバル・ビジネス・カンパニー（GBC）またはその他のモーリシャスもしくは外国法人の株式を保有することができます。財団がGBCの株式を保有し、そのGBCが一族の投資ポートフォリオや事業権益を保有するという構造は、一族の資産統合においてよく見られます。
財団の設立にはどのくらいの期間がかかりますか？
書類が全て揃い次第、モーリシャス財団の登録は通常2〜4週間で完了します（定款の起草、KYCの完了、財団登録官への提出を含む）。ガバナンス構造が複雑である場合や、複数の法域にある資産の移転が必要な場合は、期間が長くなる可能性があります。
継続的なコンプライアンス要件は何ですか？
財団は適切な会計記録を維持し、年次財務諸表を作成し、登録官への年次報告書を提出し、FSCのAML/CFT要件を遵守しなければなりません。保有する金融口座によっては、CRSおよびFATCA報告が適用される場合があります。評議会は少なくとも年1回の会合を開催し、議事録を維持しなければなりません。弊社は管理サービスの一環として、継続的なコンプライアンス業務を全て代行いたします。