The Seychelles is a perfect tropical island holiday destination. The Seychelles consists of an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa.
The islands comprise numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as the giant Aldabra tortoises.
Most people visit the island of Mahé, and it has the capital Victoria. It also has the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park and beaches, including Beau Vallon and Anse Takamaka.
The official languages spoken are Creole, English, and French.
Seychelles history goes right back to 200-300AD. The Arab seafarers first reported seeing the Aldabra atoll of the Seychelles in the 9th century. Later in the 15th century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama passed the islands on this route around Africa and Asia.
But many islands remained deserted until the French explorer Lazaré Picault and his men first permanently settled on Mahé Island in 1770. The British arrived in 1814 and from then on, the population on the islands grew.
Victoria, the main settlement on Mahé, was an exile for many troublemakers from the British mainland’s and became the capital and is named in honour of Queen Victoria.
Farms, and estates, were established and produced coconuts, exotic fruits as well as cotton and sugar cane. From around the mid-20th century, the people struggled to become their own country and in 1976, the Seychelles finally became an independent nation within the Commonwealth nations.
The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to about 75 common plant species. There are a further 25 or so species in the Aldabra group. Especially well-known to the area is the Coco de Mer, a species of palm that grows only on the islands of Praslin and neighbouring Curieuse.
The jellyfish tree can only be discovered in only a few locations on Mahe. This bizarre and ancient plant is in a genus of its own (Medusagynaceae). Other unique plant species include the Wright’s Gardenia Rothmannia annae found only on Aride Island Special Reserve.
The freshwater crab genus Seychellum is widespread to the Seychelles. There are a further 26 species of crabs and five species of hermit crabs that live on the islands.
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise now lives on many of the islands of the Seychelles. The Aldabra population is the largest in the world. These distinctive reptiles can be found even in captive herds.
The marine life around the islands, particularly the more remote coral islands, can be spectacular. More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded. Since the use of spear guns and dynamite for fishing was banned in the 1960s, the wildlife is not afraid of snorkelers and divers.
The main natural resources of the Seychelles are fish, copra, cinnamon, coconuts, salt and iron. The Seychelles islands are named after King Louis XV’s finance minister whose name was Jean Moreau de Séchelles.
This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements for visiting Seychelles. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these legal requirements of entry before your visit, in particular if you are travelling with minors.
Visa requirements are governed by Seychelles and are subject to change without prior notice. Rather check the country’s official website or enquire from a reputable travelling agency or tour operator like MoAfrika Tours what the latest updates or changes to the requirements for a visa application may be.
WHAT IS A VISA?
Visas can be issued as Transit Visas, normal tourist visas or work and/or business visas. The following is a short description, clarifying the difference between these kinds of visas:
A transit visa is a document showing that a traveller has permission to pass through Seychelles but not to stay there. Transit visas often come up when a traveller’s itinerary includes a layover in a certain country on the way to their final destination.
The traveller often won’t leave the airport, but still needs permission to be there during the layover. Visa rules are complex and may vary due to factors including the country you’re visiting, which country you’re a citizen of and how long you will spend in transit in a country.
For example, if a layover is less than 24 hours, and the traveller never leaves the airport, a transit visa may not be needed in some countries while others still require it.
A basic rule of thumb is that if the country you’re traveling through does not require citizens of your country to have a visa to visit for a longer period, it won’t require you to have a visa to transit through.
However, if the country you’re traveling through does require citizens of your country to have a visa to visit for a longer period, it may or may not require you to obtain a visa to transit through.
While some countries allow you to obtain a visa upon arrival, others require that you apply for and receive the visa before you arrive in the country.
Tourist or travel visas allow the bearer to enter Seychelles for touristic and leisure purposes only and stay for a predetermined amount of time. These visas do not entitle the holder to work or engage in any business activities in Seychelles.
A business visa generally permits a traveller to engage in normal business-related activities in Seychelles. Business visas are usually harder to get, since you will need an official business letter of invitation from your foreign business partner or from a professional organisation.
On a business visa you can attend business conferences, conventions, meetings, and other business-related events. You will also be allowed to negotiate contracts, do trade, and carry out business purchases. You may even be allowed to interview and hire staff during your stay while on a business visa.
Business visas are in general also more expensive.
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting a country for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons. Visas are normally issued for a maximum 30 or 90 days, depending on your country of residence.
A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified in your visa.
Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING SEYCHELLES
A visa is not required for Seychelles, visitors should nevertheless have in their possession a valid passport or other travel documents recognized by the government of Seychelles in order to gain entry.
This excludes Kosovo passport holders; everyone is welcome visa-free. You are allowed to stay for up to three months, but you can get multiple extensions. However, the time you spend there cannot exceed 12 months.
A visa is authorised and issued upon application by a representative of a country’s embassy, mission or consulate after it has been determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.
Visitors holding passports from countries that are classified as ‘exempt’ do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in Seychelles. Instead, they are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING SEYCHELLES
The World Health Organisation recommends the following vaccinations for Seychelles: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza. Shot lasts two years.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is often required for a foreign visitor who is travelling from or transiting through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Seychelles. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Seychelles within the 10-day waiting period.
There are some health threats you should be aware of before embarking on your trip to Seychelles.
Make sure you apply sunscreen as the sun’s rays are strong as the islands are close to the equator. You can get seriously sunburnt.  Make sure you bring insect repellent with you.
There are some horrid insect-borne diseases on the island, such as chikungunya, which causes ailments resembling flu-like joint pain. The virus can cause death, and symptoms can last for months.
Another illness in Seychelles is leptospirosis, a bacterial infection which is caused by contaminated water.
Cercarial dermatitis also known as swimmer’s itch can infect swimmers.
Chikungunya is a disease transmitted by mosquito bites. It was rare until there was an epidemic in 2005, which affected Seychelles and some surrounding islands. Symptoms are joint pains, rashes, high fever and flu. Chikungunya is hardly ever fatal, but it is not a good experience.
The best way to avoid it is to prevent getting bitten by mosquitos. Use lots of insect repellent and luckily most hotels do have mosquito nets.
Heat exhaustion is a common problem, especially among tourists that have come from cooler climates.
OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN VISITING SEYCHELLES
Strict regulations may be enforced on the temporary import or export of particular items, including firearms, spear-fishing equipment and fruits and vegetables.
Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines.
The currency is the Seychellois rupee (SR).
Outside of resorts, the economy is primarily cash based. ATMs are available at the airport and major tourist destinations. You may pay for goods and services either in rupees or in US dollars. It is prohibited to exchange foreign currencies at rates other than the official rate. Banks, casinos, hotels and the international airport are licensed to exchange currencies.
Strong currents along the coastline can strike beaches due to seasonal changes, especially on Beau Vallon beach. There have been reports of drownings.
Sharks are present in the waters off Seychelles. Most beaches do not have a regular lifeguard present.
Follow the instructions and warnings of local authorities, especially to know on which beaches swimming is safe at the time of you stay. Beaches that offer safe swimming conditions from May to September, during the east monsoon period, may not be safe from December to March during the north-east monsoon.
The rainy season extends from December to March. During this period, even small tropical storms can quickly develop into major cyclones.
These severe storms can put you at risk and hamper the provision of essential services. Be prepared to change your travel plans on short notice, including cutting short or cancelling your trip
Many of the islands around Seychelles are still isolated today. Â To visit them you have to travel by ship to the outer islands, such as Amirantes, Cosmoledo and Aldabra which requires the approval of the Seychelles Maritime Safety authority.
You can travel to the inner islands by boat or ferry and it is accessible as there are many day trips available to tourists.
If you do plan to do any maritime excursions, leave identification, travel documents and an itinerary with your hotel reception desk to assist the coast guard and police in the event of a problem and always carry your cell phone with you.
VISITING SEYCHELLES WITH MINORS
If you are travelling to Seychelles with a minor, please take note of the additional documents you will need per child:
There must be a complete visa application for each child and certified copy of their birth certificate.
If the child is only traveling with one parent, a letter of consent or affidavit from the other parent consenting to such travel is required.
If the child is traveling alone then a letter of consent or affidavit from both parents consenting to such travel is required.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS IN SEYCHELLES
Foreign visitors who overstay are normally declared ‘undesirable persons’ and may incur a ban from Seychelles for a time period, which prevents them from applying for re-entering Seychelles for a prescribed period of time.
You may also be charged a fine for each day that you overstay on your trip. There may even be legal action taken against you.
Individuals who have been affected by the overstay regulations of a country can usually lodge an overstay appeal.
ENJOY A SAFE HOLIDAY IN SEYCHELLES WITH A REPUTABLE TOUR OPERATOR
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Seychelles. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Seychelles who make safety a priority.
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MoAfrika tours and the Kruger Safari Co. are destination management companies (DMC) and are not entities of the South African National Parks Board (SANparks).