Ah, those blessed exotic island countries! Come – I do not want: no visa formalities and consular fees. The Seychelles were no exception: Russian tourists and citizens of the CIS countries do not need a visa to visit the islands, while they can stay in their heavenly expanses for 30 days. The only “serious” requirement is that the validity of the passport must be 6 months at the end of the trip. Well, if a month-long stay on the fabulous beaches of the Seychelles is not enough for tourists, the visa can be extended by contacting the Russian Embassy in Mahe. According to populationmonster, Victoria is one of the largest cities in Seychelles.
Documents for a visa to the Seychelles
Required documents for obtaining a visa:
- international passport
Valid for at least 6 months from the end of the trip.
- Flight booking
Return tickets
- Hotel reservation
Hotel booking confirmation or voucher.
- Financial guarantees
In some cases, it may be necessary to provide proof of sufficient funds for the entire period of the trip (at least 50 USD per day per person).
For Russians, visa-free entry to the Seychelles is provided for up to 30 days.
After that, an entry stamp is affixed to the passport, giving the right to a monthly stay in the country. You can extend this visa if necessary at the Russian Embassy.
If a child (under 18) is traveling with one of the parents or accompanied by a third person, a notarized consent from the other parent(s) is required for the child’s departure. A photocopy of all pages of the internal passport of the principal (the second parent or parents) is also required.
Medical travel insurance is not included in the list of mandatory documents for crossing the border with the Seychelles, but it is still worth getting it before departure.
How to avoid problems
No special vaccinations are required. The country is quite safe: you can safely walk here even at night – the natives are friendly, and the police are on the alert. But you should still adhere to elementary security measures, beware of thieves and not leave things unattended while swimming on wild beaches. On the islands-hotels, nothing threatens tourists at all.
Tap water is drinkable, but bottled water is recommended. Tourists should bring indigestion medication, sunscreen and insect repellants.
Danger for swimmers are sea urchins and some poisonous fish. You can avoid unpleasant encounters with them by choosing safe places, in some cases it is better to wear special bathing slippers.
Useful phone numbers
Russian Embassy in Victoria: PO Box 632, Le Niol, Victoria, Mahe; phone: (248) 426-65-90.
Emergency phone number (police, ambulance, fire): 999.
A short but very rich story
Lounging in a sun lounger under a palm tree, now and then falling into a nap under the whisper of the ocean, it’s hard to believe that the Seychelles have an exceptionally turbulent past. First, the French settled there – brought slaves, arranged spice plantations. Then the islands were captured by the ubiquitous Britain: at first it was annexed to Mauritius, then it was separated into a separate colony, and in the end, it chopped off several islands, turning them into “British territory”. But the most interesting thing began in 1976, when the archipelago gained independence: a year later, as a result of a small turmoil, Marxists came to power there. With all the consequences: a one-party system, “land to the peasants” and even collective farms! In 1981, they successfully fought off mercenaries from South Africa who were trying to seize power in the Republic, and in 1991 they themselves pushed back all their achievements: they returned the multi-party system, free elections and even abandoned the Marxist ideology. And you say – “bounty”!
