We have run this process many times for international features, broadcast documentaries, and commercials, including blue-chip natural history productions filming sperm whales off the west coast. We know which departments to approach, in which order, and what each one needs, so the clearances are handled smoothly while your team stays focused on the shoot.
Who Issues Your Filming Permit in Mauritius
Your filming permit comes through one of two bodies, depending on your route. If your production is approved on the Mauritius Film Rebate Scheme, the permit is issued through the Economic Development Board (EDB) as part of the approved-production process. If you are not using the rebate, the permit is issued by the Mauritius Film Development Corporation (MFDC), the central coordinating body for filming in Mauritius.
Either way, for a marine or underwater shoot the final permit sits on top of separate no-objection clearances from each department whose remit your shoot touches. Those departmental approvals are gathered, their conditions are accepted in writing, and the permit is issued once everything is in place.
The practical point for a foreign producer: the permit is one document, but behind it sit six or seven separate departmental approvals. We open and manage all of them in parallel so the timeline collapses from months into weeks.
Two Routes to Your Permit
Here is how each route works in practice, so you know which one fits your production and what it involves.
Route 1. Through the EDB Film Rebate Scheme. If your production is approved on the Mauritius Film Rebate Scheme, your project is registered with the Economic Development Board (EDB), and the filming permit is handled as part of that approved-production process. This is the cleaner route for features, TV series, and documentaries that qualify, because the rebate approval and the permit run on the same track. It also means you recover a cash rebate on qualifying spend at the same time. See our Mauritius Film Rebate guide.
Route 2. Directly through MFDC. If your production is not using the rebate, for example a short commercial shoot or a unit that does not meet the rebate thresholds, the filming permit is applied for directly through MFDC. This route has become noticeably more demanding to navigate in recent times, with departments asking for more detail and tighter conditions. This is exactly where having a local agent who manages the file daily makes the difference between a shoot that proceeds and one that slips.
Either route still requires the underlying departmental no-objections for marine and underwater work. We handle that layer in both cases.
What Are You Filming Underwater?
The two routes above, EDB or MFDC, are how you reach a filming permit. What you are filming then decides what sits on top of that permit. There are three distinct types of underwater shoot in Mauritius, and we handle all three. This is the first thing to tell us, because it determines exactly which departments come into play.
1. Underwater filming, general. Wrecks, reefs, divers, snorkellers, actors performing underwater, scripted scenes, commercials, and product or lifestyle work where no protected marine life is involved. Your filming permit comes through whichever route you chose above, EDB or MFDC, plus maritime clearance for at-sea work. This is the most straightforward path. See marine filming services.
2. Sperm whale and cetacean filming. This uses the same permit route as general filming, EDB or MFDC, with extra clearances added on top: the Tourism Authority (Dolphin and Whale Watching) Regulations 2012 and a named-personnel authorisation. We make that clear to you up front, so there are no surprises later. We have filmed the resident sperm whale pods off the west coast for broadcast clients for a decade. See sperm whale filming in Mauritius.
3. Marine scientific research with filming. This one is different. It does not run through the EDB or MFDC filming route. It is a research consent under the Maritime Zones Act, administered by CSMZAE under the Prime Minister’s Office, with any filming added as a secondary component of the approved science. See marine scientific research in Mauritius.
Tell us which one fits your project, and we map the exact route and clearances from there.
The Departments Involved in a Marine or Underwater Shoot
For work on or under the water, a Mauritius filming permit typically draws no-objection clearances from the following authorities. The exact mix depends on your locations, your subject, and whether you are working near protected marine life.
- Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), including the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (CSMZAE). Prior approval from the PMO is required for the project. The maritime side sits here too: CSMZAE, which operates under the PMO, administers Mauritius’s maritime zones and authorises filming activity within those waters, issuing a no-objection with detailed operating conditions for any at-sea work. Where in-water work involves specific named personnel, the clearance applies to those individuals.
- Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, through its Blue Economy and Fisheries Division, including the Fisheries Protection Service. Covers marine wildlife, fisheries, and any activity affecting the marine environment.
- Ministry of Tourism. Issues its own no-objection and, for marine wildlife work, can require an enforcement authority representative to be present during shooting.
- Tourism Authority. Operates the Tourism Authority (Dolphin and Whale Watching) Regulations 2012, the governing law for any swimming with or filming of cetaceans. Any whale or dolphin interaction is regulated here in detail.
- Mauritius Police Force, Office of the Commissioner of Police. Responsible for maritime policing and for security and personnel aspects of a shoot at sea. In practice it delegates the at-sea operational side to the National Coast Guard, which is a unit of the Police Force.
- National Coast Guard. The operational maritime monitoring body, part of the Mauritius Police Force. Must be informed of every trip at sea, with crew lists and responsibilities, and sets its own day-of procedures.
- Department of Civil Aviation. Required separately if any drone or aerial element is used over the water. We run this through our existing drone permits workflow.
We file with the correct current titles and the right contact at each department, so your application is read and processed smoothly.
What These Permits Typically Require
Marine and underwater clearances in Mauritius come with binding operating conditions. These are not negotiable, and we build your shoot plan around them from the start so nothing surprises you on the water. Common conditions across departments include:
- GPS coordinates of every shooting area, supplied in advance
- A minimum safe distance from marine animals (commonly 100 metres) until specific interaction is separately authorised
- No marine animal to be harmed, stressed, harassed, captured, sampled, or physically interfered with
- At-sea operating windows (commonly 07:00 to 16:30, with tighter windows for whale watching)
- Limits on the number of swimmers in the water at once under the Dolphin and Whale Watching Regulations
- Vessel handling rules near whales: no-wake speed, parallel approach from the side, never head-on, never circling
- No discharge or dumping of any waste at sea
- Proper acknowledgement of the Government of Mauritius in credits and promotional material
- A provision that intellectual property rights in certain material vest in the Government of Mauritius
- The option for a government official to embark on the expedition
- Submission of a report, and a copy of the finished production, to each ministry that issued a no-objection
- Content must not portray Mauritius or its Government in a negative manner
- Authorisation lapses the moment any condition is breached
We brief your producer and crew on all of this before you travel, and we keep the relevant authority informed throughout the shoot.
How Identical Media Manages the Process
We manage the marine and underwater permit workflow end to end:
- Pre-application review. We assess your shoot, locations, and subject, and tell you exactly which clearances apply before you commit to dates.
- Parallel filing. We open the file with each relevant department at the same time, rather than one after another, which is how we compress the timeline.
- MFDC and EDB coordination. We act as the local point of contact, channel the departmental responses back through MFDC or the EDB depending on your route, and accept the composite conditions on the agreed terms.
- Personnel authorisation. We prepare and submit the named-personnel list to the Prime Minister’s Office so your in-water team is individually cleared.
- On-the-water compliance. We coordinate Coast Guard notifications, any required enforcement-authority presence, and day-of procedures so the permit stays valid.
- Aerial add-on. If you are flying a drone over the water, we fold the Civil Aviation clearance into the same plan.
You arrive with a permit in place, a crew that knows the rules, and a local team that has done this before.
Beyond the Permit: Full Marine Production
Permits are the gateway. Once you are cleared, Identical Media can deliver the entire shoot: certified marine crew, specialist filming vessels, underwater cinematography, safety divers, and camera and lighting equipment through MediaVision Ltd, ARRI Certified and Sony Pro Partner. We have been delivering marine filming across the Indian Ocean since 2009, with sperm whale credits for Paramount, Disney+, BBC, National Geographic, and Underdog Films.
- Marine filming services, the full marine and underwater capability
- Sperm whale filming in Mauritius, our deep-water wildlife work
- Mauritius Film Rebate, up to 40% cash back on qualifying spend
- Film fixer services, permits, customs, crew, and logistics across the board
Regional Reach
We manage marine and underwater filming, and the permits that go with them, across Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Réunion, and the Maldives. Mauritius is the most production-ready base in the region, with direct Emirates A380 connectivity from Dubai three times daily and onward access across the Indian Ocean. Each territory has its own clearance process, and we map the right one to your shoot.
Talk to Us Before You Lock Dates
Marine permits reward an early start. The sooner we open the files, the cleaner and faster the clearance. Send a short brief: your subject, your locations, your in-water requirements, and your prep window.
Email: contactmauritius@identicalpictures.com
Direct: ah@identicalpictures.com (Andreas Habermeyer)
We respond inside one working day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to film underwater in Mauritius?
Yes. Any filming on or under the water in Mauritius requires a filming permit, issued through the EDB on the rebate route or by the MFDC on the direct route, sitting on top of no-objection clearances from the maritime, fisheries, tourism, and other relevant authorities. Identical Media manages the whole process for foreign productions.
Who issues filming permits in Mauritius?
It depends on your route. If your production is approved on the Mauritius Film Rebate Scheme, the permit is issued through the Economic Development Board (EDB). If you are not using the rebate, it is issued by the Mauritius Film Development Corporation (MFDC). In both cases, marine and underwater work requires separate no-objection clearances from the Prime Minister’s Office and its Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration, the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Authority, the Mauritius Police Force (Commissioner of Police), and the National Coast Guard.
How do I get a permit to film sperm whales in Mauritius?
Filming sperm whales is regulated under the Tourism Authority (Dolphin and Whale Watching) Regulations 2012 and requires clearances from several departments plus a named-personnel authorisation. Identical Media secures these clearances and manages the shoot in line with the conditions attached.
How long does it take to get a marine filming permit in Mauritius?
It depends on the shoot, but the key variable is how early the files are opened. Because we file with every relevant department in parallel, we routinely compress what would take a cold applicant months into a matter of weeks.
Can you also handle drone filming over the water?
Yes. Aerial work over the water needs a separate Department of Civil Aviation authorisation, which we fold into the same plan through our drone permits workflow.
