Traveling to Seychelles and need to apply for a Seychelle visa from India?
Not sure where to start or what the requirements are for Indian citizens?
No stress! Today I'll discuss the most important points of the Seychelles visa for Indians and how you can apply for one.
Do Indians Need A Visa For Seychelles?
No. Unlike most countries that require foreigners to have a visa to gain entry, Seychelles is actually a visa-free country.
This means that foreigners are not required to apply for Seychelles or carry a visa when traveling. Therefore a Seychelles Visa for Indians is not needed for a short stay.
However, upon reaching Seychelles you must get a visitor's permit. In this blog, we will try to stick to the 'Visitor Permit’ most of the time to not get confused.
An Overview Of The Seychelles Visa For Indians
Before we jump into the "how to," let's discuss the visa basics:
- Is There A Seychelles Visa For Indians?
- Is There A Seychelles Visa On Arrival Or eVisa For Indians?
- What Type Of Seychelles Visa Can Indians Apply for?
- What Are The Seychelles Visa Fees For Indians?
- What Is The Seychelles Visa Processing Time?
- How Long Can I Stay In Seychelles?
Is There A Seychelles Visa For Indians?
So at some point, you must have asked yourself do I even need a visa for Seychelles? Well, let's find out.
Seychelles is a visa-free country for Indian citizens meaning that no prior visa is required to enter the country.
But, as I said earlier, there is a visitor’s permit that you will get upon arrival in Seychelles.
You can get a visitor permit if you are visiting Seychelles for the purposes of a holiday, business, or visiting friends and family.
Keep in mind that your visitor permit is only valid for a limited time but can be extended if you find the Seychelles lifestyle to be just perfect for you.
Is There A Seychelles Visa On Arrival Or eVisa For Indians?
No, there is no eVisa or visa on arrival available as Seychelles is visa-free.
Instead, you will still need to apply for a Travel Authorization and Digital Passenger Declaration on the Seychelles government website before traveling.
And upon landing, you will get your visitor's permit from the port of entry.
Worry not, I will explain everything in this blog.
What Type Of Seychelles Visa Can Indians Apply for?
There are several Seychelles visas you can apply for as an Indian passport holder so let's take a look:
Seychelles Tourist/Visitor Permit:
This visitor permit is issued to Indian citizens who wish to enter Seychelles as a tourist, visiting friends and families. With this permit, you will not be allowed to work. The nice thing about this visitor permit is that you can get it on arrival.
Seychelles Residence Visa:
A Residence visa will be issued to you if you have a family member or domestic connection with a Seychelles citizen or will be investing in the country,
Seychelles Work Visa:
This visa is issued to Indian citizens who want to work or for business purposes. There are also subcategories for this visa, like cultural, sport, and various other reasons.
Seychelles Study Visa:
This visa is issued to Indian nationals who wish to pursue further education or are enrolled in a registered educational institution in Seychelles.
What Are The Seychelles Visa Fees For Indians?
There are no Seychelles visa or visitor permit fees for Indians or any other nation.
The visitor permit is granted free of charge for the first 3 months but if you wish to get an extension, you must pay the extension fee of Sr. 5,000 or approx. INR 30,000.
What Is The Seychelles Visa Processing Time?
There is no processing time involved as there is no visa that you need to apply for.
Also, you will get the visitor permit at the airport or seaport in Seychelles so there is no processing time involved.
How Long Can I Stay In Seychelles?
For tourism purposes, Indians can stay in Seychelles for a maximum of 30 days, yet this duration of stay can be extended for another 3 months.
What Are The Seychelles Visa Requirements For Indians?
There will always be visa requirements. I know it's a daunting task, but I will take you through the whole process, so let's get into it.
- What Are The Required Documents For A Seychelles Visitor Permit?
- What Are The Upload Requirements For The Seychelles Travel Authorisation?
- What Are The Passport Requirements To Travel To Seychelles From India?
- What Are The Photo requirements For A Seychelles Visa?
- What Are The Minimum Financial Requirements To Travel To Seychelles From India?
- What Are The Requirements For Minors Traveling To Seychelles?
What Are The Required Documents For A Seychelles Visitor Permit?
So as you know there is no Seychelles visa.
But you would need to carry some travel documents to get your visitor’s permit:
- Valid passport
- Recent passport picture
- Confirmed accommodations you will be staying at
- Confirmed return flight ticket
- Vaccination certificate showing OR negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test certificate
- A valid travel insurance with full medical coverage for the duration of your entire stay in Seychelles
- Credit or debit card information
- Sufficient funds to cover your stay
- Travel authorization
- You can use the Flight itinerary Tool on Atlys: It creates your flight itinerary for free
- You can use the Hotel itinerary Tool on Atlys: It creates your hotel itinerary or accommodation for free.
- You can use the Visa photo Tool on Atlys: It creates a perfect visa photo for free.
And meet some requirements:
- Have your contact details (home address, telephone, email)
- Have your travel information (arrival flight or boat number, seat or cabin number, departure and arrival airports or ports, date of departure with initial flight in case of corresponding flights)
- You are not a prohibited immigrant in Seychelles
- You do not have a Seychelles permit that allows you to live in the country
What Are The Upload Requirements For The Seychelles Travel Authorisation?
When you are going to apply online. You will need to scan the following documents in digital format to be able to upload them online.
- Passport
- Photograph
- Contact information
- Trip Information
- Health Declaration
- Customs Declaration
- Insurance Information
What Are The Passport Requirements To Travel To Seychelles From India?
The passport requirements are quite simple.
- It must be valid for 6 months after your date of departer from Seychelles
- Must have 2 blank pages
- It cant be valid for more than 10 years
What Are The Photo requirements For A Seychelles Visa?
There are certain requirements that you will need to follow when taking photographs for your visa. You can use the Atlys visa photo tool to get a perfect photograph.
- The photographs should be between 35mm and 45mm in width and 45mm and 50mm in height.
- The picture should be in color.
- You should be looking straight ahead
- No Smiling
- White background
- Photograph should not be older than 6 months
- Your eyes should not be covered, so no glasses
- Should not have anything on your head, and girls' hair must be tied up.
- You should not wear a white shirt.
- You will need 2 photographs
What Are The Minimum Financial Requirements To Travel To Seychelles From India?
Well, you will need to have a minimum of USD 150 (approx. INR 12000) for each day you stay in Seychelles.
Apart from that and other expenses such as flight tickets and Permit fees, there are also the costs of food, transportation, and accommodation while you are in Seychelles.
On average, the daily cost for an Indian in Seychelles is INR 12,500, with one week in Seychelles amounting to INR 87,400 and a month being INR 750,000.
What Are The Requirements For Minors Traveling To Seychelles?
The requirements for miners are not all that different from the normal visa.
For all travelers aged 12-17
One of the following valid COVID-19 certificates:
- COVID-19 vaccination certificate (this must show completion of a primary series (2 doses typically)
- OR; negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure
- OR; negative Rapid Antigen test within 24 hours prior to departure
- Valid passport
- Selfie or passport-type photo
- Contact information
- Details of your arrival flight into Seychelles
For all travelers under 12 years of age
- Valid passport
- Selfie or passport-type photo
- Contact information
- Details of your arrival flight into Seychelles
How To Apply For the Seychelles Visa?
I can only assume you feel overwhelmed with soo much information. But finally, we are in the application process.
So let's go through everything you will need to know about how you will need to apply.
- How To Apply For Seychelles Travel Authorization?
- How To Check Seychelles Visa Status?
- What Happens When I Arrive In Seychelles?
How To Apply For Seychelles Travel Authorization?
Before you can travel to Seychelles you will need your travel authorization.
To start, visit the Seychelles government webpage.
Now that you are on the page, you will see in the center of the page an orange rectangle that says apply. Now click on it.
Now a square block will appear, and it will ask you if you are a Seychelle citizen or all other travelers.
You will need to select all other travelers to move to the next section.
This new square will tell you how to apply. You will need to read this section.
At the bottom of the square, you will see a green proceed button. Click on it after you have read the section.
In the next section in the square, you will have to read the declaration of consent. After you have read everything, you will have to select one of the small square blocks that asks you.
- I have read and agreed to the above.
- Opt-in to receive exclusive deals for your trip.
You will need to select one of them and then click on proceed.
The next square will ask you to select if you are:
An individual applicant or are you in a group applicant?
Click on the one you prefer.
The next square will ask you to select your nationality. Then you will need to click on the green proceed button to get to the next page.
This is the last page, and this is where you will need to fill in all your information like:
- Passport
- photograph
- contact information
- Trip Information
- Health Declaration
- Customs Declaration
- Insurance Information
After filling in all the information, click on continue, and then you are all done.
How To Check Seychelles Visa Status?
To check your Seychelles visa status, you will need to visit the Seychelles government webpage.
On the page, you will see a rectangle on the left that says Travelers, and in green, you see check status.
Click on check status.
On the next page, you will have to fill in your:
- Document Number
- Date Of Birth
- Reference Number
Once you have filled in all the information, you will just need to click on the green button that says check status.
What Happens When I Arrive In Seychelles?
The Immigration Seychelles process will start after you leave the plane and enter the terminal building. You should have all your travel documents with you. You will have to fill out an application for your Visiters permit.
After this, you will have to present yourself before the immigration Seychelles officer at the border entry when you arrive (either by air or sea). You will be asked questions regarding your visit to Seychelles and explain the purpose of your visit. You must take it upon yourself to ensure you have everything with you.
Once the immigration officer has all the information, they will stamp your passport and give your documents back to you.
What are the COVID-19 Entry Requirements
I'm sure by now you must be tired of all the COVID-19 regulations, but it is all a part of life now, so let's take a look.
- COVID-19 vaccination certificate (this must show completion of a primary series (2 doses typically)
- A booster dose if more than 6 months have passed from the completion of the primary series
- OR; negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure
- OR; negative Rapid Antigen test within 24 hours prior to departure
Things To Know About Seychelles
- Is Seychelles Safe?
- Some Laws To Keep In Mind
- What Is The Best Time To Travel To Seychelles From India?
- Must See Attractions In Seychelles
- Tips For Female Travelers In Seychelles
- 5 Must-Have Items to Pack For Your Trip To Seychelles
Is Seychelles Safe?
Yes. Most visits to Seychelles are trouble-free. However, there have been instances of break-ins, robberies, burglaries, and opportunist thefts against residents, expatriates, and tourists.
Crime is generally non-violent, but bags have been snatched, cars were broken into, and tourists robbed while walking at night. You should take sensible precautions to safeguard yourself and your possessions.
Some Laws To Keep In Mind
When traveling to Seychelles, you should also remember that each country has there own laws and regulations.
Taking Drugs or smuggling are serious offenses in Seychelles. Topless sunbathing is uncommon and not tolerated on some beaches. Nudism is not acceptable.
hom*osexuality is not illegal in Seychelles. However, local attitudes vary, so public displays of affection may be best avoided or at least discreet. Same-sex marriage is not currently permitted by law.
What Is The Best Time To Travel To Seychelles From India?
The best time to travel to Seychelles is between the months of December, January, July, and August. This is when the weather is at its best, and there are a lot of festivals happening, particularly in December and January.
Must See Attractions In Seychelles
As you can imagen, there are a lot of amazing attractions to discover in Seychelles, so I will list a couple for you:
- Anse Lazio, Praslin
- Anse Intendance, Mahé
- Baie Lazare, Mahé
- La Digue Island
- Curieuse Island Day Trip
- Morne Seychellois National Park
- Ste Anne Marine National Park
- Beau Vallon Beach
- Anse Volbert
- Vallée de Mai National Park, Praslin
- Cousin Island Day Trip
- Aride Island Nature Reserve Day Trip
- Silhouette Island
- Victoria, Mahé
- Bird Island
- Aldabra Atoll
Tips For Female Travelers In Seychelles
If you are a solo female traveling to Seychelles, you will not face any problems. But that said, you should always be visual and try avoiding late-night evenings to be on the safe side.
5 Must-Have Items to Pack For Your Trip To Seychelles
There are always items that you need to have when traveling. I think you know this, but just a reminder that these will be some of the most important items.
- Swimsuit: As you are traveling to Seychelles, you will definitely not want to forget your swimsuit.
- Sun hat: The sun in Seychelles can be very harsh, so a hat is important to protect yourself from the sun.
- Sunglasses: Sunglasses are not just an extra to make you look great, but they will also protect your eyes from the white sandy beaches.
- Sandals: Seychelles is a place to kick back and relax, so why would you want to wear shoes to the beach and have them fill up with sand? Just bring sandals.
- Sunscreen: I don't think I have to remind you about this, but sunscreen is a must-have to protect yourself from the Seychelles sun.
Get Ready To Travel
And now you know what about the requirements.
Since you do not need a visa, you can book your flight and start packing for your trip!
