Seychelles passport holders will now be allowed to board any airline coming to Seychelles without having to fill in an electronic disembarkation form, said a top government official on Thursday.
The announcement was made by Vice President Ahmed Afif in a cabinet press briefing with reporters.
“The important change that we are making is that we are giving a directive to all airline operators in Seychelles and their control point outside of the country that for any person with a valid Seychelles passport checking in at those territories, it will no longer be necessary for them to have an authorisation from the Seychelles Electronic Border Systems (SEBS) before entering the country,” explained Afif.
Prior to the announcement Seychelles passport holders had to get an authorisation after filling out their electronic disembarkation form to be allowed to board any airline.
“What we are saying is that a person should not be refused entry into Seychelles simply because they have not filled out an electronic form. You will embark and when you reach Seychelles you will have to fill in your electronic form. A terminal will be placed at the airport to do the procedures. This will cause a short delay compared to passengers who had filled theirs before disembarkation,” he added.
Nevertheless, he encourages all Seychellois to fill in their electronic disembarkation form before they embark but if they have not done it that will not be a reason for any airline to stop them from embarking.
The Vice President told reporters that the cabinet of ministers also approved the change of the name of the Immigration Border Control System to Seychelles Electronic Border System (SEBS) and not Travizory.
“It was called travel authorisation because, at the time it was introduced, people needed an authorisation from the health authority to enter Seychelles during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Afif said that this is not relevant anymore for Seychellois. However, foreign travellers coming to Seychelles must have a valid passport, travel itinerary, proof of accommodation, and apply for their travel authorisation online on the SEBS. Foreign workers returning to the country also need to use the SEBS to provide their valid work permits and other relevant work information.