Travellers to Seychelles who are “fully vaccinated,” according to the ministry’s advisory, are adults who have had two vaccine doses, typically, and one booster as well, only “if 6 months have passed from receiving the first two doses.” For those aged 12 to 18 years, only two vaccine doses are needed, the advisory says.

Such vaccinated visitors will still need to submit a travel authorisation form online and have valid travel and health insurance.

The same relaxed entry requirement applies to people who had “a recent past COVID-19 infection – between 2 to 12 weeks prior to travel – proof of infection and completion of isolation is required for exemption from pre-travel COVID-19 testing,” said the health ministry.

Those who are not vaccinated under the conditions set by the advisory can still enter the country with a negative PCR test, as was previously the case.

The negative PCR test for visitors travelling to Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, was put in place in August 2020 when the island nation re-opened its borders to commercial passenger flights.

After registering its first 10 positive cases of COVID-19 in April 2020, Seychelles closed its borders to curb the spread of the virus. When it re-opened in August of the same year, travellers needed a mandatory PCR test, which started at 48 hours before departure to Seychelles and then extended to 72 hours.

Seychelles closed its borders again to some visitors in December 2020 after a spike in cases and after recording its first COVID-19 related death.

Seychelles sees significant drop in COVID cases

The island nation became the first African country to roll out its vaccination campaign in January 2021 as a crucial step in responding to the pandemic and an added layer of protection in addition to wearing masks, physical and social distance.

This allowed the island nation to re-opened its borders to all visitors in March to relaunch its tourism industry, the top pillar of its economy.

Seychelles has to date a cumulative total of 39,761 cases and recorded 163 COVID-related deaths. There are now 231 active cases.