How to Get to Seychelles – Flights, Entry Rules and Island Transfers

Oct 14, 2026

Getting to Seychelles means flying to Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) on Mahé, the only international airport in the country. Travelers from the Gulf, parts of Europe, East Africa and India can fly nonstop, while visitors from the UK, the Americas and Australia need one connection, most often in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul or Addis Ababa.

Seychelles does not require a tourist visa from nearly all nationalities. Every traveler, children included, needs an approved Seychelles Travel Authorization before boarding, along with a return or onward ticket and confirmed accommodation for the entire stay.

This guide walks through the full journey in the order you will plan it: the airlines and hubs that serve Mahé, the best routing from each part of the world, realistic flight times, the entry paperwork, the arrival on Mahé, and the three ways to continue to Praslin, La Digue and the smaller islands once you land.

Are There Direct Flights to Seychelles

Direct flights to Seychelles operate from a limited set of cities. Nonstop services link Mahé with Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Mumbai and several Indian Ocean islands, and some of these routes run only in certain seasons.

There are no nonstop flights from the UK, North or South America, or Australia. The archipelago lies in the western Indian Ocean, about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of mainland Africa, and passenger numbers from those markets are too small to support a dedicated long-haul route. British Airways once flew nonstop from London Heathrow, but that service has ended.

For a traveler without a nonstop option, the practical equivalent of a direct flight is a single connection booked on one ticket. A through ticket tags checked bags all the way to Mahé, and the airline is responsible for rebooking you if the first flight arrives late and the connection is missed.

Flight Routes to Seychelles

Almost every route to Mahé passes through one of four regions. Gulf carriers run the most frequent connections and serve the widest range of departure cities, European airlines operate nonstop flights from a few hubs, African carriers link the islands with the rest of the continent, and a handful of routes connect Mahé with India and the Indian Ocean. The table summarizes the main hubs as of late 2026.

Hub	Airline to Mahé	Frequency to Mahé	Approximate flying time to Mahé
Dubai	Emirates	Daily	4.5 hours
Doha	Qatar Airways	Several flights a week	4.5 hours
Abu Dhabi	Etihad Airways with Air Seychelles	Regular, partly codeshare	4.5 hours
Istanbul	Turkish Airlines	Seasonal, several flights a week	7 hours
Paris	Air Seychelles	Seasonal, up to three flights a week	10 hours
Rome	Air Seychelles	Seasonal, twice weekly with a technical stop	About 11 hours including the stop
Frankfurt	Condor, Discover Airlines	Weekly to twice weekly	9.5 to 10 hours
Zurich	Edelweiss	Weekly, paused in the northern summer	9.5 to 10 hours
Addis Ababa	Ethiopian Airlines	Daily, twice daily from December 1, 2026	4 hours
Nairobi	Kenya Airways	Regular	3 hours
Johannesburg	Air Seychelles	Several flights a week	4.5 hours
Mumbai	IndiGo	Regular	4.5 hours

Frequencies on the European, Turkish and regional routes change with the season, so check the schedule for your exact travel month before building an itinerary around them.

Connecting Through the Middle East – Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi

The Gulf hubs carry the largest share of visitors to Seychelles because they connect Mahé with cities across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia on one ticket. Emirates flies from Dubai to Mahé every day, Qatar Airways connects through Doha, and Etihad serves the route from Abu Dhabi.

Part of the Abu Dhabi to Mahé capacity is sold under Etihad flight numbers but flown by Air Seychelles. The booking page lists the operating carrier, and that detail matters for baggage rules, seat selection and check-in.

The Gulf carriers suspended or reduced service for several weeks during the regional airspace closures of 2026. Emirates has since restored its daily Mahé flight, and Qatar Airways resumed the route on June 16, 2026. Travelers booking through the Gulf should choose a fare that allows date changes and keep a European or African routing in mind as a fallback.

Nonstop and One-Stop Flights from Europe

Several European cities have nonstop flights to Mahé. Condor and Discover Airlines fly from Frankfurt, and Edelweiss flies from Zurich between autumn and late spring. Air Seychelles has operated nonstop flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle on a seasonal schedule in partnership with Etihad, and in 2026 it added a twice-weekly Rome service with a short technical stop in Hurghada, Egypt.

Turkish Airlines links Istanbul and Mahé on a seasonal timetable that is strongest between November and March. Istanbul works as a hub for travelers from across Europe and for those who prefer to avoid the Gulf. Aeroflot also runs seasonal flights from Moscow.

European flights to Mahé often run only once or twice a week. Missing one can mean a wait of several days, so an itinerary built from separate tickets needs a generous buffer, ideally an overnight stay at the hub before the flight to Seychelles.

Connecting Through Africa – Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Johannesburg

Ethiopian Airlines runs a daily nonstop flight from Addis Ababa to Mahé and is scheduled to move to twice-daily service on December 1, 2026. Addis Ababa connects with Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas, which makes it a strong alternative to the Gulf for many travelers.

Kenya Airways connects Nairobi with Mahé, and the routing pairs naturally with an East African safari before or after the islands. Air Seychelles flies to Johannesburg several times a week, and Air Tanzania has opened a direct route from Dar es Salaam.

African routings stayed largely unaffected during the 2026 Gulf disruptions, which made them the main backup for travelers whose connections through Dubai or Doha were cancelled.

Flights from Asia and the Indian Ocean

IndiGo flies between Mumbai and Mahé, giving India a nonstop link to the islands. Air Seychelles connects Mahé with Colombo in Sri Lanka and with Mauritius, which also opens one-stop routings from Western Australia and Southeast Asia.

Travelers from East Asia usually connect through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or Addis Ababa, since no airline flies from China, Japan, Korea or Singapore to Mahé on a regular schedule.

How to Get to Seychelles from Your Country

The best way to get to Seychelles depends on where the trip starts. The sections below show the usual routing from the main source markets, the airports that connect best and the total travel time to expect.

From the UK

There are no direct flights to Seychelles from the UK. The most common routing is one stop through Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, with Gulf carriers serving London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. A connection through Dubai or Doha brings the total journey from London to roughly 12.5 to 16 hours.

Alternatives run through Paris, Frankfurt or Zurich with a nonstop European flight to Mahé, through Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, or through Addis Ababa with Ethiopian. The European options suit travelers who want to avoid Gulf airspace or combine the trip with a short stay on the continent.

From Continental Europe

Travelers from Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy can fly nonstop or with a single technical stop when the seasonal schedules are running. The nonstop flights from Frankfurt, Zurich and Paris take about 9.5 to 10 hours.

From the rest of Europe, the shortest options are one stop through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or Istanbul, or a short positioning flight to Frankfurt, Zurich or Paris to join a nonstop flight to Mahé.

From the USA and Canada

Getting to Seychelles from the US takes one connection and roughly 19 to 27 hours of total travel time, depending on the departure coast and the length of the layover. Emirates connects to Mahé through Dubai from 12 US gateways: New York JFK, Newark, Boston, Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Qatar Airways connects through Doha from major US airports, including New York, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles. Etihad serves Abu Dhabi from New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta and Charlotte. On the return leg, Abu Dhabi has US Customs and Border Protection preclearance, so passengers complete US immigration before boarding and arrive at home as domestic travelers.

Other routings run through Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, which serves more than a dozen US airports, through Addis Ababa with Ethiopian from Washington Dulles, and through Nairobi with Kenya Airways from New York JFK. New York and Washington have the widest choice, since both connect to the Gulf, European and African hubs from a single airport.

In Canada, Emirates and Etihad serve Toronto, Qatar Airways serves Montreal, and Etihad adds Calgary from November 3, 2026. Travelers from smaller North American cities usually take a domestic flight to one of these gateways first. Booking that segment on the same ticket as the long-haul flight keeps the whole journey protected.

From Australia and Asia

Travelers from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide usually fly to Seychelles through Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, with total journeys of roughly 21 to 26 hours from the east coast. From Perth, a connection through Mauritius shortens the trip considerably, and some itineraries also run through Colombo.

From India, the IndiGo flight from Mumbai is the only nonstop option. Travelers from Southeast and East Asia connect through the Gulf hubs, Addis Ababa or Colombo.

From Africa and the Middle East

Travelers from the Gulf have the shortest trip, with nonstop flights of about 4.5 hours from Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam each have nonstop flights of three to five hours, and these hubs also connect onward to West, Central and Southern Africa.

Flight Time, Layovers and Jet Lag

The total journey depends on three things: where you start, which hub you connect through and how long you spend between flights. The sections below give realistic ranges for the main departure cities and explain how the time difference affects your first days on the islands.

Typical Travel Times by Region

The table shows approximate total travel times, including a layover of two to four hours where a connection is needed.

Departure city	Usual routing	Approximate total travel time
Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi	Nonstop	4.5 hours
Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg	Nonstop	3 to 4.5 hours
Mumbai	Nonstop	4.5 hours
Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris	Nonstop, seasonal	9.5 to 10 hours
London	One stop through the Gulf	12.5 to 16 hours
Perth	One stop through Mauritius	12 to 15 hours
New York, Washington, Toronto	One stop through the Gulf	19 to 23 hours
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane	One stop through the Gulf	21 to 26 hours
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle	One stop through the Gulf	23 to 27 hours

A connection of two to three hours on a single ticket is a practical target. Shorter layovers leave little margin for delays at a busy hub, and much longer ones add hours without adding rest. An itinerary with an overnight stop at the hub stretches the journey to two days but breaks it into two manageable flights.

Time Difference and Adjusting on Arrival

Seychelles uses Seychelles Time, which is UTC+4 all year with no daylight saving time. The gap with Europe, North America and Australia therefore changes by one hour when clocks change in those regions.

City	Time difference with Seychelles
London	Seychelles is 3 hours ahead in UK summer time and 4 hours ahead in UK winter time
Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Rome	Seychelles is 2 hours ahead in European summer time and 3 hours ahead in winter
Moscow, Nairobi, Addis Ababa	Seychelles is 1 hour ahead
Dubai, Abu Dhabi	Same time
Johannesburg	Seychelles is 2 hours ahead
Mumbai	Seychelles is 1.5 hours behind
Sydney, Melbourne	Seychelles is 6 hours behind in Australian winter and 7 hours behind in Australian summer
New York, Toronto	Seychelles is 8 hours ahead in US summer time and 9 hours ahead in winter
Los Angeles	Seychelles is 11 hours ahead in US summer time and 12 hours ahead in winter

Visitors from Europe, Africa and the Middle East cross only a few time zones and adjust within a day. Travelers from the Americas and Australia cross eight or more, and that jet lag usually takes several days to fade. Seychelles sits close to the equator, so daylight runs roughly from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. throughout the year, and getting outside in the morning light on the first days helps reset the body clock faster.

After a long-haul journey, plan the first day on Mahé as a rest day. A long boat crossing or a dawn ferry straight after 20 hours of travel is hard on most people, and the islands reward visitors who arrive with energy for the water.

Arriving at Seychelles International Airport on Mahé

Every international flight lands at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) at Pointe Larue, on the east coast of Mahé, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the capital, Victoria. The runway sits on reclaimed land between the mountains and the lagoon, so the approach gives a first view of the granite hills and reef.

At immigration, officers check your passport, the QR code of your approved Travel Authorization, your return ticket and your accommodation details before issuing a visitor's permit. Keep digital and printed copies of all four documents in your carry-on.

The domestic terminal stands a two-minute walk from the international terminal. Air Seychelles times its domestic flights to Praslin to connect with international arrivals and departures, with a usual transit time of 30 minutes to an hour.

For onward travel by road, travelers use taxis, rental cars, hotel transfers and public buses. Traffic drives on the left. The drive to Victoria and its Inter-Island Quay, where the ferries to Praslin and La Digue depart, takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Eden Island and its marina, which are connected to Mahé by a short bridge, are about 10 to 15 minutes away by car.

Seychelles Entry Requirements

Seychelles is a visa-free destination for tourists of nearly all nationalities, but entry depends on three things: an online Travel Authorization approved before departure, a set of supporting documents, and a visitor's permit issued at the airport. Airlines check the Travel Authorization at check-in and can refuse boarding without it.

Travel Authorization – When and How to Apply

Travelers apply through the official Seychelles Electronic Border System website or the Seychelles E-Border app. The application can be submitted up to 30 days before the flight.

Each traveler needs their own authorization, including infants and children, and a new application is required for every visit. A processing fee applies to each application.

Several unofficial websites resell the same authorization with an added service charge. Apply only through the official government portal or app, and submit the application at least several days before departure so that a request for extra information does not put the flight at risk.

Passport, Return Ticket and Proof of Accommodation

The Travel Authorization form and the immigration desk ask for the same core documents.

• A passport valid for the whole stay, with at least one blank page for the entry stamp
• A confirmed return ticket, or an onward ticket to another country
• Confirmed accommodation for every night in Seychelles, such as a hotel, guesthouse or villa booking
• Evidence of sufficient funds for the length of the stay

Seychelles requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travelers arriving from countries with yellow fever risk. Ethiopia and Kenya are on that list, so travelers who live in a risk country or plan to leave the airport in Addis Ababa or Nairobi should check the current rule before booking.

Some visitors spend part of the trip sleeping aboard a chartered yacht. In that case, keep the charter confirmation together with the hotel bookings and use the support channel of the official portal to confirm how to list those nights in the application.

Visitor's Permit on Arrival

The visitor's permit is stamped into the passport at the immigration desk once the officer has checked the documents. Officers may ask about the purpose of the visit and where you are staying, so have the addresses ready.

Visitors who want to stay longer than the period granted can apply for an extension through the Immigration Department in Victoria before the permit expires.

Getting Between the Islands After You Land

Most visitors split their time between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, the three largest inhabited islands of the inner group. Once on Mahé, there are three ways to move between them: a domestic flight, an inter-island ferry or a private yacht charter. Each option suits a different traveler, as the comparison shows.

Option	Typical time	Schedule	Luggage	Where it goes
Domestic flight	15 to 20 minutes, Mahé to Praslin	Frequent fixed departures every day	Limited by the size of small aircraft	Praslin, plus charter flights to private islands
Inter-island ferry	About 1 to 1.25 hours to Praslin, about 1.75 hours to La Digue	Several fixed departures a day	Weight limits by ticket class	Mahé, Praslin and La Digue
Private yacht charter	About 1.5 to 4 hours to Praslin, depending on boat and sea state	Set by your group	Stowed aboard	Any anchorage in the inner islands, including those without public transport

Domestic Flights to Praslin and Other Islands

Air Seychelles flies between Mahé and Praslin many times a day, with well over 100 scheduled flights a week. The flight takes 15 to 20 minutes on a Twin Otter, a small propeller aircraft that carries fewer than 20 passengers and flies low enough for a clear view of the reefs.

Passengers holding a through ticket from an international flight keep the baggage allowance of their original ticket on the domestic leg. Soft bags fit the small cargo hold more easily than large hard-shell suitcases.

Air Seychelles also runs charter flights to private resort islands such as Bird, Denis and Frégate. These are normally arranged through the island's resort together with the accommodation booking.

Inter-Island Ferries to Praslin and La Digue

Cat Cocos, the fast ferry operator, sails from the Inter-Island Quay in Victoria to Praslin in about an hour to an hour and a quarter. It continues to La Digue, and the full trip from Mahé to La Digue takes about an hour and three quarters. A separate local ferry crosses between Praslin and La Digue in roughly 15 minutes.

The timetable has several departures a day, and the last sailing from Mahé leaves in the late afternoon. Travelers whose international flight lands in the evening should spend the first night on Mahé and take a morning ferry.

The Mahé to Praslin crossing runs through open water. During the southeast trade winds, roughly June to September, the swell can make the ride uncomfortable for passengers prone to seasickness, and a seat on the lower deck near the middle of the boat moves least. Book ahead in the December holiday period and around Easter, when the most popular sailings fill.

Private Yacht Charter Between Islands

A private charter turns the transfer between islands into part of the holiday. CharterClick runs crewed catamarans and motor yachts from Eden Island Marina on Mahé, about 10 to 15 minutes by road from the airport, and every charter reserves the whole boat for one group.

Mahé and Praslin are about 44 kilometers (27 miles) apart. A motor yacht covers the distance in around an hour and a half in calm conditions, and a sailing catamaran takes three to four hours, with time to stop on the way.

The route can include a swim stop in Sainte Anne Marine National Park, a landing at Moyenne Island or an afternoon anchored off a beach that has no road access. Snorkeling, fishing from the deck and turtle sightings are all possible along the way, depending on the season and the conditions on the day.

On a multi-day charter, guests sleep aboard and move between Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse and Cousin without packing and unpacking at each hotel. The crew knows which bays stay sheltered under each wind direction, which matters most during the trade wind months. For a closer look at the shorelines that can be reached from the water, see our guide to the best beaches.

Can You Reach Seychelles by Sea

Reaching Seychelles by sea is possible only aboard a cruise ship or a private vessel. No scheduled passenger ferry links the islands with Africa, Asia or other Indian Ocean nations. Since December 1, 2024, every international passenger arriving by sea, on a cruise ship or a private yacht, has needed a Maritime Travel Authorization, which mirrors the process for air arrivals.

Cruise Ship Port Calls

Cruise ships call at Port Victoria on Mahé, the country's only international commercial and cruise port. The season runs from October to June. In 2025 and 2026, it opened on October 12 and closed on June 27 after 41 ship calls.

The authorities now favor smaller premium and expedition ships, which fit the size of the islands and their anchorages better than large liners. Many cruise passengers still fly to Mahé to start or end their voyage, so the flight planning above applies to them too.

Cruise passengers apply for the Maritime Travel Authorization online, up to 30 days before arrival or at the last port of call before Seychelles.

Arriving on a Private Yacht

Private vessels arriving from abroad must clear in at Port Victoria, the only port of entry and exit for yachts. Skippers contact Port Control on VHF channel 12 about two hours before arrival, fly the Q flag and wait at anchor while health, customs, immigration and security officers come aboard to complete clearance.

Everyone aboard needs a Maritime Travel Authorization. Crew members who fly in to join a yacht need the standard air authorization, and the captain must notify the Immigration Department in writing before they arrive.

An ocean passage to Seychelles takes many days across open water, and very few visitors arrive this way. Most people who want a holiday at sea fly to Mahé and start a charter there. A charter that begins and ends in Seychelles involves no entry by sea, so guests need only the standard Travel Authorization for their flight.

When to Book and Travel

Seychelles is warm all year, and the best month depends on what you plan to do. The northwest monsoon, from December to March, brings humid air and heavier showers. The southeast trade winds, from about June to September, bring drier weather, cooler nights and rougher water on exposed coasts. The transition months of April, May, October and November usually have the lightest winds and the calmest seas. Our guide to Seychelles weather covers each season in detail, and the monthly guides for July and October show how two contrasting months compare.

Flight demand peaks over Christmas and New Year, around Easter and during the European summer school holidays in July and August. North American travel adds a further peak around Thanksgiving. Gulf and European connections fill early in those periods, so booking four to six months ahead gives the widest choice of flights and connection times.

Because the Travel Authorization can only be submitted within 30 days of the flight, set a reminder for that window as soon as the tickets are booked. Travelers routing through the Gulf should also choose fares that allow changes, given how quickly schedules shifted during 2026.

Sample Arrival Plan for a First Visit

The plan below fits a first visit of about a week. It builds in a rest day after the flight and returns to Mahé early, so a delayed ferry or a short weather hold cannot cost you the flight home.

1. Day 1. Land at Seychelles International Airport, clear immigration and spend the night on Mahé, near Eden Island or on the northwest coast at Beau Vallon.
2. Day 2. Spend a slow day around Sainte Anne Marine National Park, either on a short day charter from Eden Island or on the beaches close to the hotel.
3. Day 3. Move to Praslin by domestic flight, by morning ferry or aboard a chartered yacht with swim stops along the way.
4. Days 4 to 6. Explore Praslin and La Digue, using the 15-minute local ferry between the two or a multi-day charter that anchors in a different bay each night.
5. Day 7. Return to Mahé at least one day before the international departure, since small planes and ferries can be delayed by weather.

Travelers who have not yet decided which island to base themselves on can compare the options in our guide to which island suits each kind of trip, and our list of places to visit helps fill the days. CharterClick day and multi-day charters start at Eden Island Marina, so a charter can begin the morning after landing without a further transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions