Ownership is open, activity is not
100% Foreign Ownership in Seychelles
Foreigners can own Seychelles companies outright. What is restricted is certain activities and the ownership of land.
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Two real restrictions, not one
There is no local shareholding requirement for a Seychelles company. But a list of activities is reserved for Seychellois, particularly in small-scale tourism, transport and retail, and acquiring immovable property requires government sanction. Those two restrictions, not the shareholding rule, are what shape most plans.
- Reserved activity list checked against your plan
- Property restriction explained before you commit
- Honest when the activity is closed to you
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Where the limits are
What foreigners can and cannot do
The restrictions are activity and property based.
| Area | Position for a foreign investor |
|---|---|
| Company shareholding | No local shareholding requirement. |
| Reserved activities | Certain activities are limited to Seychellois. |
| Immovable property | Government sanction required to acquire. |
| Trade licence | Required for domestic business, and assessed. |
| Employment of foreigners | Permit required, and justification assessed. |
| Financial services | Open, but licensed by the regulator. |
The reserved activity list, investment policy and property restrictions are set by the authorities and change. Your activity is checked before any application. An International Business Company must at all times have a registered agent licensed by the Financial Services Authority. That is a statutory requirement in Seychelles, not a commercial preference. We co-ordinate your engagement with a licensed Seychelles registered agent and manage the process end to end; the regulated filings are made by them.
How it works
Checking your position
Activity first, because it decides everything.
01
Check the activity
Whether what you intend to do is open to foreign investors, restricted, or reserved for Seychellois.
02
Choose the vehicle
International Business Company, domestic company or Special Licence Company, matched to where the business is actually done.
03
Establish and license
Company incorporated, trade licence pursued where the business is domestic, and permits applied for.
To assess this
What we need to know
A precise activity description is the whole assessment.
- Exactly what the business will do
- Whether customers are in Seychelles or abroad
- Whether premises in Seychelles are needed
- Whether land or property will be acquired
- Whether tourism activity is involved
- Whether transport or retail is involved
- Nationality of the shareholders
- Whether foreign staff will be employed
- Investment quantum
- Whether a licensable financial activity is involved
- Any local partner already identified
- Timeline
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Activity check against reserved and restricted lists
- Vehicle recommendation
- Guidance on the property restriction
- Incorporation
- Trade licence support where domestic
- Permit co-ordination for foreign staff
- Honest view where the activity is closed
- One adviser co-ordinating it
Not included, quoted separately
- Government fees, paid at cost
- Property acquisition sanction fees
- Local partner introductions
- Financial services licensing, quoted separately
- Policy decisions of the authorities
- Property purchase costs
- Regulated filings, made by the licensed registered agent
- Tax advice in your home country
Verify independently
Official Seychelles authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Financial Services AuthorityRegistrar of CompaniesSeychelles Revenue CommissionSeychelles Licensing AuthorityMinistry of InvestmentSeychelles Pension Fund
Questions
Seychelles foreign ownership — FAQs
Can a foreigner own 100% of a Seychelles company?
Yes. There is no local shareholding requirement.
What activities are reserved for Seychellois?
Certain small-scale tourism, transport and retail activities among others. The list is set by policy and changes, so we check your activity specifically.
Can I buy property in Seychelles?
Acquisition of immovable property by non-Seychellois requires government sanction. It is not freely available.
Do I need a local partner?
Not for shareholding. If the activity is reserved, a local partner does not necessarily solve it either — we will tell you what is actually possible.
Is an IBC subject to these restrictions?
An IBC is limited in what business it may do inside Seychelles, so the reserved activity question mainly arises for domestic companies.
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