- The Seychelles is allowing visitors with the Covid-19 vaccine to visit the country, regardless of where they come from
- South Africans were banned from the beginning of 2021.
- If you haven't received both doses of a vaccine, and waited two weeks, you'll need a private jet to visit.
- Or you can wait until mid March, by which time the country hopes to have its own population sufficiently vaccinated to allow tourists from anywhere again.
South Africans will be able to visit the Seychelles again – after two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, and a two-week waiting period.
The collection of islands removed South Africa from its list of countries from which visitors are welcome with effect from 1 January. But it has now announced plans to jumpstart tourism this year, which gives South Africans a couple of routes back to its paradise beaches.
The updated travel guidelines were announced shortly after the archipelagic country unveiled its "immunisation campaign," which includes vaccinating almost 70% of local adults by mid-March.
The Seychelles' updated travel protocols now welcome travellers – from any country – who have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. In order to visit, the vaccinated travellers must wait two weeks after receiving the last dose and are required to provide proof of the vaccination from their home country's health authorities.
However, visitors with the vaccine are still required to show a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours of boarding the flight.
Failing a vaccine, South Africans will be eligible to fly in by private jet, as long as the can show a negative PCR test/
If you're a visitor who isn't taking a private jet, you'll have to wait a bit longer until the majority of adults in Seychelles are vaccinated. By then, mid-March as projected, the country will allow all travellers to enter, so long as they've tested negative within 72 hours.
An increasing number of countries, most recently the United States, have specifically banned visitors from South Africa for fear of the more easily spread 501Y.V2 coronavirus variant first detected here.
(Additional reporting by Phillip de Wet)
