Going to aux Seychelles: Formalities and administrative steps

Organize your stay aux Seychelles

Money aux Seychelles

The rupee fluctuates widely. Its rate is displayed daily in banks and exchange offices, varying from one to another (rate in September 2024: €1 = SR15.34).

Most banks and ATMs are located along Victoria's two main avenues. They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cash Plus exchange bureaus, the most reliable in the country, are located on the three main islands.

Budget & Tips aux Seychelles

In the Seychelles, you need to allow for a substantial budget, which can quickly swell. You'll need to budget between €110 and €160 for a double room in a guesthouse, €180 to €220 for a 2-star hotel, €200 to €320 for a 3-star, €350 to €600 for a 4-star, and €500 or (much) more for a 5-star. Meal prices range from €25 to €40 for a standard meal. Of course, here too, prices can quickly soar... Food trucks and takeaways have developed, and you can also eat on the go for around €4 to €7.

Don't forget the Sésame discount card, which costs just €19.90 for two months and can be installed on your smartphone. Ideal for lightening your vacation budget, it offers unlimited discounts of up to 50% in over 700 establishments. It is valid on Reunion Island, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Mayotte and the Seychelles. Discounts are available in all areas: accommodation, restaurants, leisure activities, or simply for your everyday purchases. The investment generally pays for itself as soon as the first expense is made. More info ✆ 02 62 32 26 26 - www.cartesesame.com (assistance 7j/7 de 8h à 20h).

Passport and visas aux Seychelles

To enter the country, a valid passport is required, along with a return ticket and a residence address. A visa valid for one month is issued on arrival. To stay longer, you'll need a residence permit.

Since December 2022, a Travel Authorization is required to enter the country. It costs €10 and must be applied for at least ten days before departure. Please note that it can take up to twelve hours for the application to be validated, and it will be required at baggage check-in. Before taking this step, remember to bring your passport, a "selfie" photo on your phone or computer, your plane ticket, a booking confirmation for each accommodation and a credit card for payment. Once you've received your travel authorization, remember to print it out or save it on your cell phone.

Driver's license aux Seychelles

You'll be asked for it when you collect your rental car. Please note: it's worth repeating that, as a former British colony, we drive on the left-hand side of the road, and the controls are reversed!

Health aux Seychelles

There is no malaria in the Seychelles and very little risk of tropical diseases, but as far as vaccinations are concerned, make sure you are up to date (DT Polio, etc.). A vaccine against hepatitis A is recommended, as are those against typhoid and hepatitis B for longer stays. A yellow fever certificate is required to enter the country if you are arriving from Africa.

Mosquitoes are particularly active after 5 p.m., so it's best to protect yourself. The best thing to do is to cover your arms and legs, and use a repellent on uncovered areas when going out, and a diffusible insecticide (which requires electricity) for the bedroom. Given the small number of pharmacies on the island, make sure you have everything you need, as the supply of medicines here is problematic (biafine, paracetamol, anti-seasickness pills, etc.). Finally, it's best to drink bottled mineral water.

Security aux Seychelles

Zero stress, or almost. Few countries on the planet are as safe as the Seychelles, both in terms of nature (no dangerous land animals) and in terms of people. Crime is limited to a few thefts on the beaches. It is therefore better to leave your valuables in your room safe and to keep an eye on your bag when you go swimming.

Time difference aux Seychelles

Compared to metropolitan France, the Seychelles have + 3 hours in winter and + 2 hours in summer. There is no difference with Reunion Island.

Spoken languages aux Seychelles

The three national languages of Seychelles are Creole, English and French. However, Creole is the only true language of internal communication, occupying a major place in the written press, radio and television. Widely used in administration, commerce and education, English is taught at school as a second national language, while French is taught as a foreign language.

Communication aux Seychelles

The larger hotels all offer an Internet service included in the price. Some smaller hotels and guesthouses also offer free Internet access. The best thing to do is pick up a chip on arrival at the airport. The basic rate is SR 199 (around €15), which will give you a few local phone calls and a 4G connection for a stay of around 10 days. The card can be recharged at any small convenience store in the country.

Electricity and measurements aux Seychelles

Electricity. The electric current is 240 volts AC, but, heritage of the British colonization, the English plugs require an adapter, which the big hotels propose. As for the others... It is better to have it ready if you want to recharge your phone or computer battery. However, you will be able to find adapters in some stores, especially in Victoria.

Weights and measures. Again a legacy of the British era: 8 ounces is 227 g, a pound is 454 g; for liquids, a pint is 0.57 l, a gallon 4.55 l. Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit: 32 for 0°C, 85 for 30°C. Distances are in miles: one mile is 1.61 km.

Luggage aux Seychelles

Whatever the season, there's no need to pack a jacket or woollen jacket, unless you're planning to hike in the high forests. One or two light, long-sleeved garments may be useful to protect you from mosquitoes in the evening. During the rainy season (in theory, from early December to early February), a light K-way is always useful if it rains all day. In the big hotels, no jacket or tie, just light pants. A hat and sunglasses are also essential and, for those who like to hike, walking shoes or even plastic sandals to get around the rocks by the sea. And don't forget a high-protection sunscreen - the sun's beating down!

Daily life aux Seychelles

Hello? aux Seychelles

To call from France to Seychelles, dial 00 248 followed by the number of your correspondent.

To call from Seychelles to France, dial 00 33 followed by the number of your correspondent, without the initial 0.

Codes for Reunion: 262; Mayotte: 269; Belgium: 32; Switzerland: 41; Canada: 1.

Accessibility aux Seychelles

Some hotels are accessible to the disabled, and some have good ratings on the Internet. But it must be admitted that the country is unfortunately not very well adapted in general.

Health aux Seychelles

No particular danger. Mosquitoes are particularly active after 5 pm and it is therefore better to protect yourself from them. Otherwise, it is better to drink bottled mineral water.

Emergency numbers aux Seychelles

For emergencies, fire, police or ambulance calls, dial 999.

Securty aux Seychelles

Zero stress, or almost. Few countries on the planet are as safe as the Seychelles, both in terms of nature (no dangerous land animals) and in terms of people. Crime is limited to a few thefts on the beaches. It is therefore better to leave your valuables in your room safe and to keep an eye on your bag when you go swimming.

LGBTQ aux Seychelles

No problem for this community, well received, the Seychellois not being moralists, far from it. Freedom of morals is allowed in this matriarchal stronghold. However, there is no establishment specifically for the gay community.

Embassies and consulates aux Seychelles

The French Embassy (https://sc.ambafrance.org) is located in Victoria, on the second floor of the La Ciotat building in Mont-Fleuri (+248 4 225 513). It is open Monday to Thursday, 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm, and Friday, 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 3:30pm. Please note that the consular service has been transferred to the French Embassy in Mauritius.

Mail aux Seychelles

The post office is open on Saturday morning. Mail is collected at 3 p.m. on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays. Letters and postcards usually take around a week to arrive in France, but it is not uncommon for them to take twice or even three times as long..

Local media aux Seychelles

Newspapers. TheSeychelles Nation daily carries a motto that we've read somewhere before: Liberté-Égalité-Fraternité. This tabloid-format newspaper, published in three languages (Creole, French and, above all, English), claims to embody the voice of the nation, or rather of the government, all the more so as the State makes a substantial contribution to its funding. It's no less true, however, that under the multiparty system, journalists are less complacent than they were under the revolution. Along with Today (a daily) and The People (a weekly with a glossy cover), it is one of the publications considered to be pro-government, the opposition papers being Le Seychellois and Seychelles Weekly, both weeklies.

Radio. SBC Radio broadcasts from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. at weekends. French-language news bulletins are broadcast at 7.30am, 12.30pm and 5pm. Paradise FM, a local music radio station featuring Anglo-Saxon music, broadcasts continuously on 93.6 FM, with four DJs sharing the airwaves. You can also listen to Radio France Internationale in the Seychelles, on FM 103.8, and the BBC on 106.2.

Television. The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) broadcasts daily and deferred CNN, BBC and France 24 news. Every day, France 2's 13-Hours is broadcast live at 3pm (during French summer time) or 4pm (during winter time), with programs continuing until around 11:30pm. Programs stop around midnight, but you can switch to the French-language channel TV5, a veritable second channel, which many Seychellois now watch more than their national channel, except for the sacrosanct 8 p.m. zournal.