Seychelles

Seychelles is visa-free for every nationality. But from 10 days before your flight you apply for a Travel Authorisation at seychelles.govtas.com or in the Seychelles E-Border app, entering your passport, return ticket and hotel booking. The standard decision comes within 24 hours and costs about €12 in total in 2026 (€10 plus extra charges); 6-hour and 1-hour express options cost more. Each child needs their own.

Tip: 'Seychelles e-visa' agent sites charge far more — use only .govtas.com.

On arrival you get a free Visitor's Permit — initially for up to 3 months. The officer may ask for a valid passport, a return or onward ticket, confirmed accommodation and enough money for your stay (card or cash) — have them printed or on your phone.

Medium and large hotels charge the Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy of SCR 75–100 per person per night (from January 2026); small guesthouses with fewer than 25 rooms are exempt and children 12 and under are free. It is usually not in the booking price and is paid at the hotel. Hospitals are few, so insurance with evacuation cover is a must.

There is a taxi rank outside the terminal; taxis have no meters, so agree the fare before getting in and pay cash in rupees. To Beau Vallon expect roughly SCR 500–800. Many hotels offer transfers — with a night arrival, booking ahead is the safe choice.

Public SPTC buses stop on the main road 100 m from the terminal and reach Victoria in 20–30 minutes. No cash is accepted — you need a visitor card (1, 4 or 8 days). Drivers only allow bags you can hold on your lap, so with a suitcase take a taxi.

Many travellers skip a night on Mahé and go straight to Praslin: about 15 minutes on an Air Seychelles small plane from the domestic terminal, or about 1 h 15 min on the Cat Cocos ferry from Victoria harbour. Cat Cocos runs a shuttle bus from the airport to the port.

Cable & Wireless and Airtel have counters in the arrivals hall. Airtel's tourist pack is 5 GB plus local calls for 7 days at SCR 271; the Cable & Wireless Traveller Plan is 10 GB for 7 days at €19.99. Bring your passport.

If your phone supports eSIM, install a Seychelles plan from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave and it works on landing. Hotel Wi-Fi is often slow; coverage is weak on La Digue and remote beaches, so download your maps for offline use.

Tip: Save the Travel Authorisation QR and hotel booking on your phone — you may have no internet on arrival.

Public buses on Mahé and Praslin are cheap but cashless: a visitor card costs SCR 100 for 1 day, SCR 198 for 4 days or SCR 363 for 8 days — buy it at the airport or through the E-Border app. Buses mostly run 5:30–19:00, with few in the evening.

Cat Cocos: Mahé–Praslin about 1 h 15 min, adults from €56 one way (cheaper for ages 2–12), plus a €2 port fee from Mahé. Praslin–La Digue by Cat Rose / Inter Island Ferry about 15 minutes, around €15. In the south-east trades (June–September) the sea is rough — take seasickness tablets.

A hire car is the most flexible way to hop between beaches on Mahé and Praslin — they drive on the left, on narrow mountain roads. La Digue has almost no cars: rent a bicycle by the jetty for about SCR 150 a day and ride to Anse Source d'Argent and Grand Anse.

The official currency is the Seychelles rupee. Big hotels, tours, ferries and car hire often price in euros or dollars, and cards are widely accepted. Small shops, taxis, takeaways and markets want rupees in cash — use bank ATMs in Victoria, on Praslin and on La Digue.

Seychelles is very expensive: dinner for two in a restaurant is upwards of ~€60. Creole takeaways (fish curry and rice) at €5–8, cooking in a self-catering guesthouse, public buses and free beaches save the most. Service is usually included in the bill.

Grilled fresh fish (red snapper, tuna), fish or octopus curry in coconut milk, salted fish, fruit chutneys, breadfruit chips, ladob (plantain in coconut milk). For children, grilled fish and rice are everywhere.

Tip: Fruit-bat curry is a Seychelles 'speciality' — ask before you order.

Local takeaway windows serve cheap, generous Creole plates at lunchtime — most close early in the evening. Get fresh fruit and fish at Victoria market; on Wednesday evenings a local food market sets up on Beau Vallon beach.

Tap water meets drinking standards in most places, but visitors tend to prefer bottled. Supermarkets (STC, Market Place) are good on Mahé; small shops on Praslin and La Digue have less choice, higher prices and close early on Sundays.

Police and fire 999 (police also on 112), ambulance 151. Seychelles Hospital (Victoria) +248 438 8000; for emergencies at sea, the Coast Guard on +248 429 0900.

Many beaches have no lifeguard, and some have strong currents and surf (especially Anse Intendance and Takamaka in the south-east trade season). Stay out when the red flag is up, never swim alone and don't stand on coral. Check the tides before snorkelling.

Tip: Bring reef shoes — rocks and sea urchins.

The equatorial sun is fierce — high-SPF sunscreen, a hat and shade after midday. Use repellent against the mosquitoes that carry dengue. Don't leave belongings unattended on the beach or valuables in a hire car.

Swimwear is fine on the beach, but cover shoulders and thighs in Victoria, in shops and in churches and temples. Nude sunbathing is against the law.

Coco de mer nuts may not leave the country without a licence — buy only from official certified shops. Don't touch coral, shells or turtles, and follow the guide's lead when feeding giant tortoises. Take your rubbish with you.

People are friendly and easy-going and love a 'Bonzour' (hello) and 'Mersi'. Shops and service can be slow; most places close on Sundays. Ask before photographing people.

Seychelles E-Border — the Travel Authorisation and the visitor bus card. Park tickets can be bought online on the SPGA site; book inter-island travel on the Cat Cocos and Air Seychelles sites.

Download Mahé, Praslin and La Digue in Google Maps for offline use — trails, beaches and bus stops. Windy or a similar app shows waves and wind, which helps you choose snorkelling and ferry days.

Go back to Mahé from Praslin or La Digue the day before your international flight, not the same day — weather and ferry cancellations happen. Plan to be at the airport 3 hours before an international departure. The Turkish flight leaves at 7:40 in the morning.

If you buy a coco de mer nut, it must come with a Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) export certificate and receipt — uncertified nuts are confiscated at customs. Spend leftover rupees in the airport shops or change them at a bank.