Two separate documents are involved, and confusing them is where most first-time questions start. The Travel Authorisation is a pre-screening you complete online before you fly. The visitor's permit is what the immigration officer grants on arrival, and the Travel Authorisation is where you prove, in advance, that you meet its conditions.
Who needs a Seychelles Travel Authorisation?
Everyone arriving as a visitor. The Immigration and Civil Status Department says all of Seychelles' border formalities have been digitised and routes travellers to the Electronic Border System. The portal itself says "all travelers to the Seychelles are required to complete" it before departure, and that failure to comply "may lead to a penalty fee upon arrival." It did not state the amount of that penalty on the pages we could read.
Being visa-free does not remove the step. The US State Department (page updated 9 December 2025) says "Seychelles is a visa-free country" and in the same breath that all travellers must apply for a Travel Authorisation. Canada's advice says a digital travel authorisation must be obtained before departure.
What to prepare before you apply
The application asks for evidence of the same conditions the officer will check on arrival. Gather these first; the list combines the US State Department's document list with Immigration's visitor conditions.
We could not confirm whether the portal sells faster processing at a higher price, or how long a standard application takes: its fee and FAQ pages are delivered by an app that we could not read. Check the options and any processing time on the payment screen before you pay, and apply well before your flight rather than at the airport. The 30-day earliest-application window comes from the UK FCDO (updated 21 January 2026) and the US State Department.
How much money do you need to show?
Immigration sets a figure: "sufficient funds for the duration of the stay (minimum of US$150 or equivalent per day)." It applies per stay, so it scales quickly:
| Length of stay | Minimum at US$150 per day |
|---|---|
| 7 days | US$1,050 |
| 10 days | US$1,500 |
| 14 days | US$2,100 |
Immigration's page does not say how funds must be evidenced (cash, cards or bank statements), and the FCDO simply says "sufficient funds". Carry a way to show the amount if asked.
The visitor's permit you receive on arrival
The visitor's permit page says the permit is granted for holiday, business or visiting friends and family, initially for up to three months. The FCDO adds that the first three months are free.
To stay longer, you can extend in steps of up to three months, to a maximum of twelve months. Each extension costs SCR 5,000 "for each additional three-month period or part thereof", a figure repeated in Immigration's fee list. You can apply online at permits.ics.gov.sc or in person at Independence House in Victoria. Because a part-period is charged as a full one, a visitor staying four months pays the same SCR 5,000 as one staying six.
Health: the yellow fever certificate
The three governments we checked word the yellow fever rule differently, so read the one that matches your route:
- UK FCDO: a certificate is required if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
- US State Department: required for travellers under 60 who live in or have recently visited a yellow fever country, including anyone who spent more than 12 hours in such a destination on the way.
- Canada: proof is required if you are coming from, or have transited through an airport of, a country where yellow fever occurs.
A typical case this catches: a connection of more than 12 hours in an airport of a yellow fever country, which the US State Department counts as spending time there. None of the pages we read listed any other entry health form.
The hotel levy (TESL) on your bill
Separately from entry, hotels add the Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy per guest per night. It began on 1 August 2023 under S.I. 52 of 2023, which sorts accommodation by room count, makes the establishment collect it from the guest, and exempts citizens, residents, airline cabin crew, yacht crew and children aged 12 and below.
The rates changed on 1 January 2026. The 2025 amendment removed small establishments (1 to 24 rooms), which had charged SCR 25, from the levy:
| Establishment | Rooms | Levy per person per night |
|---|---|---|
| Small (guesthouse, small hotel) | 1 to 24 | None since 1 January 2026 (was SCR 25) |
| Medium | 25 to 50 | SCR 75 |
| Large, yachts, island resorts | Over 50 | SCR 100 |
Two worked examples, using the 2026 schedule:
- Two adults, 7 nights, 60-room hotel: 2 × 7 × SCR 100 = SCR 1,400.
- Two adults with children aged 10 and 14, 5 nights, 40-room hotel: the 10-year-old is exempt, so 3 × 5 × SCR 75 = SCR 1,125.
If you are also planning a Praslin day and a souvenir nut, our coco de mer and Vallée de Mai guide covers the paperwork that has to leave the country with it. Before you pay for the Travel Authorisation, check that the booking you upload shows the same arrival and departure dates as your ticket; if either changes, contact the border system through the Contact Us link on its portal before you fly.