Seychelles

About Seychelles  Citizenship and Residency

Seychelles offers a citizenship by investment program available to an investor who has undertaken an investment of over USD 1 million or more in the country towards starting or expanding a business.

Investment options available to acquire the citizenship and passport of Seychelles. 

• Permanent Residence

An investor is eligible to apply for Permanent Residence by meeting all the requirements below:

– Have made an investment of USD 1 million or more in a business in Seychelles.

– Have the means of supporting him/herself during 1 year of his/her residence in Seychelles upon receipt of the Permanent Residence Permit.

– Have at least 5 years of business association or affiliation as a result of his/her direct investment.

– Have resided in Seychelles for not less than 5 years on a Dependent Permit or a Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP).

– Have not been absent from Seychelles for a continuous period of one year or more, without consent from the Minister of Internal Affairs.

– Have not been sentenced to imprisonment for more than 1 year under any laws of Seychelles and isn’t prohibited immigrant.

The Permanent Residence Permit allows the holder:

– To  work without a GOP (Gainful Occupation Permit)

– To be exempt from any other permit to live or work

– Can buy land and residential property with Government sanction, with only 50% of the Sanction Fee payment

• Naturalized Citizen

You may apply for citizenship by naturalisation if you fall under the following criteria:

– You have been married to a Seychelles citizen (For marriages from 29th June 1976 and after) for a period of at least 10 years

– Has been a legal resident in Seychelles for a period of 5 years or more immediately before making this application

– You have obtained at least 80% marks in 1 of the 3 national languages in the citizenship qualifying examination

– You have not been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 1 year or more for an offence punishable under any laws of Seychelles

– You have not been absent from Seychelles for a continuous period of one year or more without the written permission of the Minister.

• Parental Decent

There are some criteria that one should fulfill to get citizenship this way:

– You did not automatically become a citizen of Seychelles

– And any of your parent or grandparent was born in Seychelles

– You have not been sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding 1 year or more for an offence punishable under any laws of Seychelles

– You have obtained at least 80% marks in 1 of the 3 national languages in the citizenship qualifying examination

Seychelles Residency Requirements And Qualifications

A Residence Permit may be granted to a person who:

• is not a prohibited immigrant
• has a family or domestic connection with Seychelles
• has made or will make a special contribution to the economic, social, or cultural life of Seychelles

A Residence Permit does not allow the holder to be gainfully occupied in Seychelles. The applicant will be required to produce documentary evidence of his/her financial status (including the Banker’s confirmation).

Condition of the Permit

• The holder of a residence permit must during the validity of the permit reside in Seychelles for at least five days every twelve months of the terms of the permit.
• The permit holder shall provide a bank guarantee to the Chief Immigration Officer, of not less than SCR 20,000 and allow the Chief Immigration Officer to draw money required to meet expenditure incurred by the Government in connection with care, treatment, maintenance within or removal from Seychelles of the permit holder and his/her dependents.
• The permit holder shall not be entitled to free medical service in Seychelles or any social security benefit under the Social Security Act 1987 or other similar legislation.
• During the term of the Residence Permit, the permit holder must explore opportunities for contributing to Seychelles’s economic, social, or cultural life.

There are certain other types of permits as well that can be considered important :

• Gainful Occupation Permit

1. It is required for a permit holder, who wishes to set up a business.
2. There is a fee of SCR 1,000 for processing the application
3. The Permit fee is SCR 150,000 for the main applicant for 5 years
4. SCR 75,000 for the spouse if applied at the same time
5. Endorsement of each child on a permit SCR 25,000

• Dependent Permit

It is issued to a spouse or a minor child of a citizen of Seychelles, who is not:

• a prohibited immigrant; or
• the holder of a Residence Permit or a Gainful Occupation Permit.

There is a fee of SCR 1,000/- for the processing of the application. The fee for a Dependent’s Permit is SCR 1,000/- per year.

A Dependents  Permit does not allow the holder to work in Seychelles. If the Permit holder wishes to do so, a Gainful Occupation Permit should be applied. The permit ceases to be valid if the holder:

• Fails to enter Seychelles within twelve months from the date of issue or is absent from Seychelles for any period over twelve months
• is in breach of the conditions of the Permit
• is convicted of an offense against the Immigration Laws
• is deported from Seychelles

• Student Permit

• A Student’s Permit may be granted to a non-Seychellois not being a visitor, who has been accepted to follow a course of study in an approved educational institution in Seychelles.
• Child who is a Dependent of his/her parent in Seychelles or has attained the age of 18 years may also apply to continue to follow his course of study:
• A Students permit does not allow its holder to work in Seychelles.
• On approval of the application the permit fee of SCR. 1,500/- is payable for one year or part thereof.

• Visitors Permit

A visitor’s permit is issued on arrival in Seychelles to a person who comes for the purpose of holiday, pleasure, business, visit friends or family and who –

1. is not a prohibited immigrant;
2. is not the holder of a valid permit which entitles the holder to reside in Seychelles.
3. holds a valid return or onward ticket for duration of visit;
4. has confirmed accommodation;
5. has sufficient funds for duration of the stay.

The Visitor’s Permit may be granted for a period of visit of up to three months upon arrival. It can be extended for successive periods not exceeding three months at a time to a maximum period of twelve months, provided that the person still meets the criteria of a bona fide visitor.

The visitor’s permit is issued free of charge for the first three months after which, a fee of Sr. 5,000/‐ is applicable for extension covering each period of three months or any part thereof.

Extension of Visitor’s Permit is also subject to (a) ‐ (e) above.

Benefits Of Seychelles Citizenship By Investment Program

• World’s best beaches made up of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean truly beach paradise with deep blue waters and white beaches.
• Excellent air connectivity to major hubs in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• Temperature ranges from 25-32 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
• Highest 96% literacy rate with an increasingly educated and skilled workforce.
• Politically and economically stable environment.
• World-class financial center with no foreign exchange restrictions.
• Scores high in the Human development index of Africa.
• No tax on IBCs and corporations conducting business activities offshore.
• Powerful African passport (27th strongest worldwide) with visa-free access to EU, Russia, China, UK, etc.

Seychelles Citizenship Requirements And Qualifications

Eligibility

An investor is eligible to apply for citizenship by the investment by meeting all the requirements below:

• Have made an investment of USD 1 million or more in a business in Seychelles.
• Have resided in Seychelles for an aggregate period of 11 years as a legal resident.
• Have not been absent from Seychelles for a continuous period of one year or more, without consent from the Minister of Internal Affairs.
• Have not been sentenced with imprisonment of more than 1 year or more under any laws of Seychelles.
• Score a minimum mark of 80% in one of the three national languages (Creole, English, or French) in the citizenship qualifying examination.
• Is not a prohibited immigrant.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• A police character Certificate not more than six months
• A copy of the passport’s bio-data page
• One recent passport-size photograph
• Documentary evidence of investment
• A copy of the Birth Certificate
• A copy of the Marriage Certificate

Steps And Timeline

• STEP #1: Assessing one’s eligibility as an investor to apply for Citizenship by Investment.
• STEP #2: Taking the citizenship qualifying examination
• STEP #3: Obtaining the application form
• STEP #4: Gathering the required documents
• STEP #5: Getting the documents signed and stamped
• STEP #6: Publicly advertising one’s intention to apply for Seychelles citizenship
• STEP #7: Submitting the application
• STEP #8: Giving the interview
• STEP #9: Waiting for the application outcome

The first step is to Assess your eligibility as an investor to apply for Citizenship by Investment.

After that, the investor must pass the examination where he/she will have to answer 25 out of 100 questions in one of the three national languages (Creole, English, or French). The examination has a pass mark of 80% and is scheduled by the Department of Immigration and Civil Status every two months.

Thereafter, the application form must be personally collected from the Department of Immigration and Civil Status.  One should then gather all their required documents, all birth and marriage certificates must be translated into English or French.

After this step you should get your documents signed and stamped, by either three of the following sponsors :

• A Judge
• A Magistrate
• Senior Government Official (either a Principal Secretary of a Government Ministry or Director-General in a Ministry or Department)
• Head Teacher of a School
• Ambassador or High Commissioner of Seychelles who is a Seychelles citizen by birth
• A Medical Practitioner

The next step is to advertise one’s intention to apply for Seychelles citizenship Publicly, this must be done for two consecutive days in a daily newspaper with high readership and once in the Official Gazette. A copy of the two adverts must be submitted along with your application.

After this, submission of one’s application takes place at the Immigration Office along with all supporting documents and the non-refundable processing fee of SCR 1,000 in cash.

The next step is to give the interview. The applicant must sit for an interview with the Citizenship Committee. The interview will be scheduled by the Department of Immigration and Civil Status.

In the end, one should wait for their application outcome. The Department of Immigration and Civil Status will inform you of the outcome of your Citizenship application. An application fee of SCR 350,000 must be paid upon approval of citizenship. If your application is denied, the department will inform you of the reason.

Our Services

Privacy World offers its services to anyone, not only looking to obtain residency and/or citizenship processes but our experts figure out legal ways to:

• Find the best solution for your needs.
• Identify and deploy a strategy to help you accomplish your goals.
• Activate our network of people in the country where you need help without having you search for the best solution or lawyer. We only work with licensed people in every country whom we carefully vet and pass the guidelines and principles of privacy we stand for.
• Focus on cutting through the red tape and expedite your process.
• Provide proper communication with you about your case.
  …. and above all: Offer you legal strategies to provide additional layers of privacy for your identity, while obtaining your residency or citizenship!

Privacy World can also help you with incorporating your company in Seychelles, assisting in getting you settled in the country, and coordinating with you so that this experience will be less of a hassle.

Want Privacy World to handle your case? Have any questions? Contact us!

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