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Doing business
Doing business in Seychelles
The official bodies a foreign company, investor or professional deals with in Seychelles – linked to their own websites – plus the treaties that matter for contracts and disputes, and law firms there that list business work.
Key facts
Key facts for business in Seychelles
The short answer
Company registry in Seychelles: Seychelles Business Register – Search Business and Company (Government of Seychelles). Tax authority: Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Seychelles before you act.
| Legal system | Mixed (French civil law and English common law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Seychellois Creole, English, French |
| Currency | Seychellois rupee (SCR) |
| Regional blocs | SADC, COMESA |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 2020 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1978 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 31 Mar 1979 |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Seychelles
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Seychelles Business Register – Search Business and Company (Government of Seychelles) | registry.gov.sc |
| Investment promotion | Seychelles Investment Board (SIB) | investinseychelles.com |
| Tax | Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC) | src.gov.sc |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) | cbs.sc |
| Work and residence permits | Immigration and Civil Status Seychelles | ics.gov.sc |
| Courts and justice | The Judiciary of Seychelles | judiciary.sc |
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Seychelles Business Register – Search Business and Company (Government of Seychelles).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Seychelles Investment Board (SIB).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Immigration and Civil Status Seychelles.
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Seychelles is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Seychelles for business matters
Appleby (Seychelles)
Mahé
1 firm in Seychelles list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Seychelles.
Checking a lawyer in Seychelles
Who admits lawyers: Supreme Court of Seychelles / Chief Justice (admission and licensing under the Legal Practitioners Act), with the Bar Association of Seychelles
Professional title: Attorney-at-Law
Official roll: judiciary.sc
Check the Judiciary of Seychelles' published list of licensed lawyers (judiciary.sc, Legal Practitioners > Licensed Lawyers), updated each year.
Sources: judiciary.sc, judiciary.sc. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Seychelles: questions
Where do you register a company in Seychelles?
With Seychelles Business Register – Search Business and Company (Government of Seychelles) (registry.gov.sc). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Seychelles.
Is Seychelles a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 2020 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Seychelles accept apostilles?
Yes – Seychelles is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 31 Mar 1979 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in Seychelles?
Seychellois rupee (SCR).