Seychelles, the famous island nation in the Indian Ocean, is all set to welcome travellers from 25th March.
Travellers from across the globe, irrespective of their vaccination status, will be able to enter Seychelles from 25th March. Visitors from South Africa will still not be permitted to enter the country for the time being until further notice.
Negative COVID-19 test required
Travellers will have to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure. There will be no quarantine requirement as well as there will be no restrictions on movement upon entering the island nation.
Additionally , the minimum stay establishments upon arrival will no longer be applicable and travellers will be able to access a hotel’s common areas that include the bar, swimming pool, spa and the kids’ club. Of course, visitors will have to follow safety protocol such as wearing face masks, social distancing, and frequent sanitisation or washing of one’s hands.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde on Thursday in a press briefing at the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) conference room at Botanical House following the Tourism Task Force Committee meeting.
The minister said that the decision to review and relax the entry procedures has been made possible in view of the success registered in the aggressive vaccination campaign that the country embarked on earlier this year.
Sylvestre Radegonde said:
The vaccination campaign has been quite successful. The government has done everything in its power to make sure that the population is protected. We have now arrived at the point where opening our borders further is the next step to allow for our economic recovery. The measures being announced reflect broadly the recommendation of our tourism partners and have been done in full consultation with and the endorsement of our health authorities.
Commenting on the reopening of Seychelles’ borders, Lubaina Sheerazi, CEO, BRANDit, the Marketing and PR Office for Seychelles Tourism Board in India said:
As Indians are looking for more destination choices to travel internationally, Seychelles opening up to India without any restrictions comes at a great time when people are ready to emerge out of their COVID cocoons and plan trips abroad. Being a dynamic country with a lot to offer to tourists, we are excited to motivate the trade and consumers to plan their next getaway in Seychelles.
The government of Seychelles will continuously review the new entry measures to ensure that at all times the health and safety of the visitors and the local population are not compromised.
Air Seychelles opens booking for flights from India
Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has opened bookings for flights from Mumbai to Seychelles under the air travel bubble agreement signed between the Indian and Seychellois government. The service will resume from 8th April and will be served by a Airbus A320neo.
Flight schedule:
- Mahé-Mumbai
- Departure time- 23:10
- Arrival time- 04:15 (the next day)
- Flight time- 4 hours and 35 minutes
- Flight number- HM260
- Frequency – Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Mumbai-Mahé
- Departure time- 05:15
- Arrival time- 08:10
- Flight time- 4 hours and 25 minutes
- Flight number- HM261
- Frequency- Thursdays and Sundays
More information about the travel advisories from the government of Seychelles can be found here.