Major airlines fly into Seychelles International Airport, and international shipping lines use Seychelles’ main port – one of the deepest in the region โ regularly, connecting mainland Africa and Asia. The port is now undergoing a massive expansion project that will include new shipping technologies as well as increased capacity. Seychelles is also protected from cyclones in the region, which adds to its natural beauty.
Seychelles is a 115-island archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius, the Maldives, and Madagascar are among the island states that share maritime real estate with them. Seychelles is likely to leave an indelible impact and experience on you, whether you’re flying in for a business meeting or a family holiday to play in the waves.
Citizenship is conferred by the government under its Constitution. The three ways to become a Seychelles citizen are through descent, naturalization, and registration by special circumstances.
By Descent
Citizenship is not automatically conferred on all children born in Seychelles. A husband and woman from New Zealand, for example, have special licenses to live and work in Seychelles. They have their first child after several years of lawful presence in the nation. The child is not a Seychelles citizen, according to Seychelles legislation. The parents will almost certainly go through the procedure of getting citizenship for their child in New Zealand.
By descent, a child born to a citizen qualifies to become a Seychelles citizen. To legally register the child as a Seychelles citizen, his or her parents must complete the necessary paperwork, receive a birth certificate, and pay the registration cost.
Even if a kid was born outside of the country or does not have a birth certificate, he or she can apply for citizenship by descent as an adult. That person must show that at least one of his or her parents or grandparents was born here.
By Naturalization
During the 1700s, East Africans, French, and South Indians were known to have settled in the islands of Seychelles. Marriages among today’s mixed population continue to enrich the nation’s cultural diversity. Non-Seychelles citizens can become citizens of the country by marrying a citizen.
Before applying to become a citizen by naturalization, you must have been married to a Seychelles citizen for at least ten years and have lived in the nation for at least five years. Indians have become the most naturalized citizens in recent years.
By Special Circumstances
The government enables those who meet specific criteria to become citizens. The following individuals belong to these groups:
- Married people
- Students
- Priority Workers
- Investors
If the spouse is deceased or the couple is no longer married, a person who married a Seychelles citizen is entitled to become a citizen under special circumstances registration.
The candidate must have spent at least 15 years in the country, with 13 of those years spent physically present in the nation. You can register as a Seychelles citizen if you have lived and studied in the country for five years and are a university graduate.
You must also have obtained a Gainful Occupation Permit for two years and a Permanent Residence Permit for more than five years.
Positive Contribution
You must have made a beneficial contribution to the development of Seychelles during your time there. By investing at least $1 million in a Seychelles enterprise, investors can become citizens of this country. Applicants for citizenship under the investor category must have spent at least 11 years there.
Aside from the precise conditions for becoming a citizen in the three categories of registration by descent, naturalization, and registration by special circumstances, each applicant’s criminal record must be clean. You cannot become a citizen if you have been convicted of a crime against one of the country’s laws that resulted in a sentence of more than a year in jail.
Applicants must additionally complete a citizenship test in Seychelles Creole, French, or English with an 80 percent passing mark.
Citizenship Exam
A government-led eligibility committee created 100 questions for the exam to become a citizen of Seychelles. The examination is a multiple-choice exam that covers history, politics, and culture.
Applicants are questioned by committee members after passing the exam and are then granted citizenship.