Travelers can visit the Seychelles - if they've gotten the vaccine

International travelers who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are now permitted to visit the Seychelles without having to quarantine.

The 115-island nation in the Indian Ocean will welcome travelers who provide a certificate of vaccination and proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of their departure. They are also only eligible for entry two weeks after receiving their second vaccine dose. These travelers are required to upload their certificate of vaccination and proof of a negative PCR test to the Seychelles’ Travel Authorization application portal prior to departure, along with their passport information and flight and accommodation details.

Travel to the Seychelles if you’ve got the vaccine © Jenny Sturm/Shutterstock

Travelers from countries on the Seychelles’ Category 1 and 2 lists and those arriving by private jet must present a negative PCR result taken within 72 hours of arrival. Visitors that are not vaccinated are still unable to enter, and this rule will remain in place until mid-March when it expects to have just under three quarters of the local adult population vaccinated.

The Seychelles' beaches are its main attraction, and visitors are lured by its turquoise waters and palm trees. Beyond the beach, diving and snorkeling are big attractions amid abundant marine life. The reopening of the Seychelles is important to the island nation as travel and tourism contributes around 65% of its GDP.

"We hope that this will open up the tourism industry for the locals, primarily for the small hotels who are struggling on La Digue, Praslin and also on Mahe," says the Seychelles' tourism and foreign affairs minister, Sylvestre Radegonde. "And also provide the kick that our economy desperately needs."