Investment property: Seychelles
Seychelles is a small resort market with limited supply and strict control of purchases by foreigners.
A foreigner can buy property only with government sanction, and after a temporary ban on home purchases by foreigners the government reopened the market in January 2025, with conditions: a minimum price, permitted areas and approved projects. It is a purchase for living, holidays and capital preservation, not a quick income investment.
What a foreigner can do
| Question | How it works |
|---|---|
| Permission | a government sanction under the property transfer restriction law is required; it is valid for one year and the processing fee is non-refundable |
| Minimum home price | about 10 million rupees, ~$693,600 |
| Minimum price of bare land | about 4,000 rupees per square metre, ~$278 |
| Sanction duty | 12% of market value, with reduced rates in some approved projects |
| What you cannot buy | state land, subsidised housing, freehold land on outlying islands, where only long-term leases are possible |
| Residence | a purchase does not give it; permanent residence is granted for investing at least $1,000,000 in a business in Seychelles |
Dollar amounts are converted at about 14.42 rupees per dollar on 4 October 2026 and rounded up. Besides the sanction duty, the buyer pays for registration, the notary and a lawyer, so we budget the total costs in advance.
We will calculate online the full purchase cost for your budget: taxes, fees and transaction costs.
Where people buy
Most often foreigners buy in projects designed for foreign buyers from the start, such as the artificial Eden Island near Mahé: there the sanction procedure is well established and some costs are agreed in advance. Individual villas on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are sold less often and need closer checks of the plot and the seller's title.
How a purchase works
- Choice of property for the goal: a family home, holidays, rental, capital preservation.
- Check of title, plot boundaries and building permits.
- Preliminary agreement with the seller.
- Application for government sanction: police certificate, proof of source of funds, buyer details.
- Payment of the duty after approval, deed before a notary and registration in the land register.
The government sanction takes from a few weeks to several months, so we agree the dates in the preliminary agreement with a margin.
Buying through a company or trust
A company owned by foreigners is also treated as a foreign buyer under these rules and obtains government sanction just like an individual. Ownership through a company or trust is chosen for inheritance and confidentiality, but it adds annual costs and accounting requirements, so we discuss the structure before the sanction application.
Letting and upkeep
Letting to tourists is possible only with tourism authority permits, and the income is taxed in Seychelles. In approved projects letting is often handled by a management company. The upkeep of a seaside villa, security and gardening cost noticeably more than an ordinary home, which matters for yield calculations.
Risks to know about
- Rules for foreigners change: the temporary ban on home purchases, lifted only in January 2025, showed that the market can be closed.
- The 12% duty significantly raises the entry cost.
- The market is small, and resale can take a long time.
- There is no deposit insurance in Seychelles, so the purchase money is best kept where it is protected until the deal itself.
What we do
Murblz specialists select a property for your goal, check the title and plot, prepare the sanction application with proof of source of funds, support the notary deed and registration, open a local bank account and, if needed, structure ownership through a company or trust. We fix the estimate in writing.
What we do
- Property shortlist for your investment goal
- Legal due diligence on the property
- End-to-end transaction support
- Ownership structuring (company, trust)
- Property management and letting
See also
Company formation · Business account · Personal account · All country programs
FAQ
Can a foreigner buy property in Seychelles?
How much does the purchase sanction cost?
Does buying property give residence in Seychelles?
How long does a purchase take?
Where to start buying property in Seychelles?
How much does deal support cost?
Which property in the Seychelles suits you?
We explain how to obtain the Seychelles government approval for a foreign buyer, shortlist properties and review the documents. Every country is in the searchable catalogue.
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