Seychelles For Digital Nomads: Here’s Our Personal Experience
From The Authors: Gaelle was born and raised in the Seychelles while Viktor is a recovering digital nomad who has lived here for over a year. If you have any questions, we respond quickly to comments!
The Seychelles are a collection of beautiful islands, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. While they’re a no-brainer for any paradise-seeking traveler, working remotely from these islands can be a challenge.
Viktor would certainly know. He spent the previous 3 years, prior to moving to the Seychelles, as a digital nomad across multiple continents.
In this guide, we’ll detail what to expect when working online from the Seychelles, where to possibly work, and what visa options you have.
👉 Life as a DN in the Seychelles | Where To Work | Cost of Living for DNs | Visa Options
Life As A Digital Nomad In The Seychelles: What To Expect
The harsh reality first: the Seychelles, being a rather small set of 115 islands out in the Indian ocean, is naturally not equipped with city-level infrastructure.
So, if you’re coming here and expect to stream movies at 500 Mbps or be able to order food and taxis online, then you need to reset your expectations.
While the Seychelles have greatly modernized in the last few years, they still lack many of the conveniences Western nomads are used to.
For example, internet speeds remain painfully slow. We are currently subscribed to the most expensive Cable & Wireless plan, paying the equivalent of US$160 per month for around 60 Mbps of download speed.
And since Starlink won’t arrive anytime soon, I wouldn’t expect major improvements in the coming years (especially since the two local ISPs are government-supported).
Electricity can be another deterrent. You’ll have cutoffs whenever there’s a maintenance, which does occur at least once or twice a month where we live – sometimes right before a meeting Viktor has.
You also shouldn’t expect too many ongoing events on platforms like Meetup.com or via Facebook groups, so it can be tough making long-lasting connections (Viktor has been lucky enough to be able to tap into Gaelle’s social circle).
Debit/credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. That said, it’s advisable to keep some cash with you as not all shops and activities accept card payments.
Still keen on spending some time in the Seychelles? Great – in spite of the above-mentioned shortcomings, these islands remain a great destination for digital nomads wanting to enjoy beach life and oceanic nature.
Now, let’s get you prepped on where you should possibly stay, spots to work from, what all of this may cost, and the various visa options that exist.
Where To Work Remotely From The Seychelles
As we wrote before, the Seychelles is an archipelago that is comprised of 115 islands. However, most of them are not inhabited by people.
The majority of people either live on Mahé, Praslin, or La Digue, with Mahé being by far the biggest and busiest of the three.
So, as a digital nomad in need of the fastest possible internet and social connections, we do recommend that you base yourself on Mahé for the duration of your stay.
Area-wise, we do recommend to stay as close to Victoria as possible, especially if you don’t intend to rent a car and instead take the bus.
Do make sure to follow up with your host (e.g., if you choose Airbnb) prior to booking an accommodation. Many homes do rely on Wireless Broadband (via an LTE mobile network) connections.
If you stay in a wooden area and/or if it rains, the signal strength likely won’t be good enough to have online calls, let alone do data-intense work.
As far as co-working spaces, cafes, and other venues are concerned, there aren’t too many opportunities unfortunately.
On the co-working side, you have have blend, which is located in Providence (around 10 minutes by car from Victoria).
Viktor has worked out of blend a handful of times. A day pass costs SCR 500 (around USD 38) while the monthly pass will put you down SCR 5,000. Card payment is possible but they do prefer good old cash.
The internet speed is very good for Seychelles and you can expect around 60 – 80 Mbps down, which should be enough for almost all types of online work.
Coffee and water are freely available while the rooms all feature ACs as well as offer comfortable seating arrangements.
Another perk is the fact that blend is opened 24/7 as the place is guarded by security during nighttime.
One drawback, at least during the times Viktor visited, is that there isn’t much of a social scene. At best, there were two or three other people also working at blend.
Apart from blend, you could also check out the Seychelles National Library, located in the heart of Victoria. In fact, Gaelle helped to design the interior of the library, so all the more reasons to check it out.
There is no cost of admission and even the internet is free to use. And what digital nomad doesn’t love free internet?
Only real drawback are the seating options. It can get quite uncomfortable after a while, especially if you have back issues like Viktor.
The last option we can recommend is Chatterbox Cafe, which is located on Eden Island.
The free Wi-Fi is decent enough to work. However, there’s no privacy, so it can be a little too noisy if you need to take calls.
Cost Of Living For Digital Nomads In The Seychelles
First and most importantly: the Seychelles is not a cheap country to be a nomad in. Viktor should know best: he has lived in 15 different countries as an expat, nomad, and international student.
Certainly, your biggest costs will be accommodation. Expect to spend at least US$2,000 per month for a decent monthly Airbnb (particularly during high season from April to October).
For getting around on Mahé, you should either use the bus (SCR 14 per ride) or rent a car.
Renting a car is certainly much more expensive and will cost you around US$50 per day when using services such as Kreol Cars.
If you don’t work too much (20 – 30hrs/week), then the bus is sufficient. Plus, riding a bus in the Seychelles is quite the experience (we leave it at that to not spoil the fun 🤫).
Naturally, the same applies to Praslin since it’s much smaller than MahĂ©. And on La Digue, renting a bike is the preferred mode of transport.
Food and drinks are also quite pricey, which is little surprising considering that most ingredients and groceries are shipped in from abroad.
On the lower end, expect to pay the equivalent of US$8 for a meal plus drink. On average, we tend to spend between US$20 – 40 per meal and person, depending on the type of restaurant we chose.
If you are curious about where to dine, we have separate guides for the best restaurants on Mahé and Praslin published on our website.
Going out for drinks and enjoying the Seychelles’ nightlife scene also doesn’t come cheap. Expect to pay between US$10 to US$15 for a cocktail.
For those on a budget, it’s advisable to cook at home. Hypermarket has the best prices on the island. Some of the smaller local shops can be decently priced as well, so just out the ones nearest to you.
Another key component of nomad life is mobile internet. The best provider on the island is Cable & Wireless. Here are the options that are available to travelers:
You can procure SIM cards at the airport when you land or in one of C&W’s many shops on the island.
Other than that, do plan in a sufficient budget for all the various activities and islands that the Seychelles has to offer.
Non-residents often have to pay entry fees (e.g., SCR 450 for Vallée de Mai on Praslin) for sites and even hikes. Plus, both Cat Cocos and Air Seychelles, if you travel to Praslin or La Digue, are also costlier for tourists.
All in all, I would plan in USD 3,500 (excluding flight costs) at the very minimum for a month as a single person in the Seychelles.
For reference, Viktor currently spends around USD 3,000 per month on – and that’s after sharing an apartment with Gaelle.
Visa Options For Digital Nomads in Seychelles
Seychelles is a visa-free country, meaning almost any passport holder can enter the country on a tourist visa. However, you need to meet a few prerequisites, including:
- A booked accommodation for the duration of your stay
- A return/outbound ticket
Before boarding your plane, you need to hand in all of those required documents via the Seychelles e-Border app. You’ll then receive a QR code that you have to show at the airport during boarding.
Travelers in the Seychelles can stay on a tourist visa for up to 90 days. You can extend the your stay by another 90 days, which will cost SCR 5,000 (USD 373).
If you plan on extending your visa, fill out the Visitors permit extension Application Form and bring it, alongside your passport and the required cash, to the Immigration Office in Victoria.
Back in April 2021, the Seychelles also introduced a digital nomad visa, called the Workation Retreat Program, to rejuvenate travel after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The visa allowed travelers to stay in the Seychelles for up to a year. Unfortunately, it has since been abandoned as tourism numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
As such, your best bet is to visit on a tourist visa and just extend if you plan on staying longer.
