The legal environment for the purchase of properties by non Seychellois is presently in the process to be changed. Please read the only official information available for the time being; we are now waiting for the law to be voted and to have the details on how to implement this new policy, it will be published on this page.

 

The President James Alix Michel was speaking on the 19th of February 2013 at the Seychelles National Assembly during the 9th State of the Nation,

 

Two extracts from the official publication:

Sale of Land [public or private land]

The Government will be amending the State Land and River Reserves Act in order to ensure that individuals who do not have Seychellois citizenship, cannot buy land on a ‘freehold’ basis. They will only be allowed to buy a long-term non-renewable lease of 70 years. The Government will offer amnesty to foreigners who have bought land through ‘nominee companies’ through transfer of shares, in order to regularize their situation within a year of the law coming into effect. If they do not do these, then the Government will repossess their land. The aim of the initiative is to eliminate the evasion of sanction procedures and unlawful acquisitions of land by foreign nationals. The only exemption to this land policy will be for development of villas in tourism resorts in order to be able to continue to attract foreign direct investment, and therefore maintain the investment and development policy for villa developments.

 

Citizenship

The President announced that new stricter laws would be put into place for the acquisition of Seychelles citizenship by foreign nationals. Applicants for citizenship will be expected to know, understand and appreciate Seychelles, its constitution, its people, its history, its culture, aspirations and heritage, and a period of residence and marriage will not suffice for citizenship. Persons applying for citizenship will need to be loyal and sincere towards Seychelles and show the contribution they have towards the development of their adoptive country. The new law will also outline the conditions for the revocation of citizenship when the national interest is threatened.

A new ‘permanent residency’ status will also be introduced which will allow foreign nationals to live in Seychelles on a permanent basis, who have the necessary financial means to do so, without enjoying the rights of full citizenship such as social security, pension, voting rights. They would however be able to work and invest in businesses in categories which are not reserved for Seychellois.