Traveling to Seychelles

What to do before you leave, checked against official sources.

Country

Passport

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, apply for an e-visa online before you leave: it allows a stay of 90 days.

No visa, but a paid travel authorization (about €10) to obtain online before departure. Free permit on arrival.

Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even if the answer often comes sooner.

Entry and visa

Online authorization, permit on arrival

Entry requirements may depend on your nationality. Check them with the passport selector above or on the official portal seychelles.govtas.com.
Before boarding, you must apply online for a paid travel authorization, at seychelles.govtas.com or with the Seychelles Island Travel Authorization app. Without it, you may be charged a penalty on arrival.
The fee and processing time are not given on the official pages we consulted.
Our advice: apply one to two weeks before departure, even though the answer often comes faster. A rejected document or a blocked payment can hold everything up.
On arrival, the airport police issue a free visitor's permit for up to 3 months.
Have a valid passport, a hotel booking or proof of accommodation for your whole stay, a return or onward ticket, and enough funds to cover your expenses.
The permit can be extended in the country. The immigration service charges 5,000 rupees for each additional 3-month period.

No malaria, dengue in the rainy season

Yellow fever: the certificate is required from the age of 1 for travelers coming from a country at risk. A transit of less than 12 hours without leaving the airport exempts you. It is not required if you arrive directly from a country with no risk.
Reminder: since 2016, a single dose is valid for life for most adults, and so is the certificate (WHO). A second dose is recommended before a new trip if you were vaccinated before the age of 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow booklet (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center if in doubt.
There is no malaria in the Seychelles.
Dengue and chikungunya cause outbreaks during the rainy season, from December to February. Protect yourself from mosquitoes, and don't take anti-inflammatory drugs if you have a fever.
Update your routine vaccines. Hepatitis A is recommended for everyone. Typhoid and hepatitis B are worth discussing depending on your trip.
Drink bottled water, sealed drinks or treated water.
Basic healthcare is decent, with a hospital in Victoria. Serious cases are evacuated abroad or to Réunion: insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is essential.

Seychellois rupee, Visa everywhere, Mastercard at MCB

The currency is the Seychellois rupee (SCR). France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry's travel advice) gave 1 euro = 17.21 rupees as of June 3, 2026, as a guide.
You can change money at banks, at the airport, at licensed money changers or at hotel front desks.
With a Visa card, you can withdraw rupees from ATMs on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. Mastercard works only at MCB bank ATMs.
Many hotels, guesthouses and restaurants accept international cards.
Taxis have no meter: agree on the fare before you get in. The minimum fare is 35 rupees.

Inner islands safe, avoid the open sea to the north

According to the French foreign ministry (France Diplomatie), the open sea north of the archipelago is strongly advised against because of the risk of piracy. No area is advised against unless you have an essential reason.
Heightened vigilance applies in the sea and land area to the southwest, from Mahé to the Aldabra and Farquhar islands, because of illegal trafficking, and for recreational boating around the inner islands.
Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette remain relatively safe, but petty crime is rising: thefts on beaches and in town, and burglaries, sometimes in hotels. Use the safe.
People drown every year because of currents and reefs. Several shark attacks, some of them fatal, have occurred on Praslin: obey swimming bans.
Roads are narrow and winding, with landslides and falling trees. Drive with great care.
Useful numbers: Victoria police +248 4288000, Victoria hospital +248 438 80 00.
Also check the travel advice from your own government, which may be stricter.
For French travelers: French Embassy in the Seychelles, +248 422 55 13.

Creole, English, French, type G plugs, UTC+4

The official languages are Seychellois Creole, English and French.
Plugs are type G, as in the United Kingdom, at 240 V and 50 Hz: bring an adapter.
The Seychelles are on UTC+4 all year: 3 hours ahead of Paris in winter, 2 hours ahead in summer.
The country calling code is +248.
Traffic drives on the left. The international driving permit is recognized, as is the French license for French travelers. Pedestrians often walk on the road, even at night.
Drug offenses are severely punished, with up to 30 years in prison. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 2016, but same-sex marriage is not recognized.

Drier from March to October, cooler from June to September

It is hot all year. The hottest period runs from March to May, with about 31 °C during the day in April.
The wettest period runs from late October to mid-March. January is the wettest month, with about 176 mm.
The drier period runs from mid-March to late October, and the coolest from late June to early September. July is the driest and coolest month, with about 28 °C during the day and 25 °C at night.
The archipelago lies outside the cyclone belt, but torrential rain and strong winds are possible. Dengue and chikungunya circulate mainly from December to February.
The national holiday (Independence Day) is June 29.

Rules can change without notice: before you leave, always check with the embassy of Seychelles and your own government's travel advice.