Landing a job in the Seychelles

An increase awaited since 2020

The Cabinet meeting of 13 March 2025 approved a 7% rise in the national minimum wage from 1 April 2025, the first since January 2020. The hourly rate now ranges from 38.27 to 40.95 Seychelles rupees.

The case of casual workers

Employees hired on a casual basis receive a higher hourly rate, between SCR 44.10 and SCR 47.19. If you work by the task or on short assignments, check that this higher rate appears on every payslip.

The legal basis of the minimum wage

The system rests on the Employment (National Minimum Wage) Regulations 2007, last amended before 2025 by a 2019 text that came into force on 1 January 2020. The 2025 increase is made through a new amendment to these regulations.

The main texts of Seychellois labour law

The Employment Act 1995 governs the employment relationship. It is complemented by the Conditions of Employment Regulations 1991, the 1991 decree on occupational health and safety and the Industrial Relations Act 1994, which governs collective relations.

Up to 60 hours a week

The Conditions of Employment Regulations cap working time at 60 hours a week, and at 72 hours for security guards. Normal working hours have not been verified; the monthly minimum is calculated on the basis of a 35-hour week.

A ministry that publishes vacancies

The Ministry of Employment and Human Resource Planning, based in Victoria on Mahé, offers two sections of adverts: the ministry's own posts and national vacancies. It is a useful starting point for anyone looking for a job locally.

The Gainful Occupation Permit

Every foreign employee must hold a Gainful Occupation Permit, issued by the Immigration Authority under the Immigration Decree 1979 and the Employment Act. The contract must be fixed-term, and its attestation costs SCR 750.

Proving that no Seychellois is available

Before recruiting a foreigner, the employer advertises the vacancy locally, demonstrates that no Seychellois candidate is available and files the application with the Director for Labour Migration. A decision is made within three to nine working days; each day of delay costs SCR 400.

Deterrent fines

Employing a foreigner without following the procedure exposes the employer to a fine of SCR 20,000. Helping someone work without authorisation is punishable by SCR 40,000. These penalties are a reminder that no job should start before the permit is issued.

A framework revised in favour of nationals

The ministry has published a revised GOP framework designed to bring more Seychellois into the local market. Its detailed content has not been verified, but its direction confirms a national preference to factor into any plan to work there as an expatriate.

Tourism and regional comparisons

Candidates drawn to hospitality should read our page hotel and tourism careers. For comparison, see employment in Mauritius and employment in the Comoros, two neighbouring island markets with different rules and pay levels.

Statistics still incomplete

A figure for the unemployment rate has not been verified, nor has the breakdown of jobs by sector or the private job boards. The National Bureau of Statistics publishes its surveys; for a wider search, see African job boards.

Seychellois authorities and sources

• Ministry of Employment and Human Resource Planning: Ministry of Employment in Victoria, with legal answers to common questions and sections for ministry and national vacancies.
• Director for Labour Migration: Ministry department that receives applications to recruit foreigners and explains the GOP procedure.
• Immigration Authority – FAQ GOP: Official questions and answers on the Gainful Occupation Permit issued by the immigration services.
• National Bureau of Statistics: National statistics institute, which publishes censuses and surveys, including labour force data.

Steps to work in the archipelago

1. Check the national and ministry vacancy sections published by the Ministry of Employment.
2. If you are a foreigner, focus on skills that are scarce locally, the only ones likely to justify a permit.
3. Obtain a firm offer and a fixed-term contract from the employer.
4. Let the employer advertise the post locally, then file the application with the Director for Labour Migration.
5. Wait for the decision, usually given within three to nine working days.
6. Only start work once the Gainful Occupation Permit has been issued.

Amounts and rules in force

Application file contents

• CV in English
• Valid passport
• Legalised degrees and professional certificates
• Fixed-term employment contract
• Criminal record certificate
• Gainful Occupation Permit for any foreign employee

What not to do

• Paying a recruiter who promises a job in a Seychelles hotel: the GOP application is handled by the employer, not bought by the candidate.
• Arriving as a visitor and looking for work on the spot: working without a permit exposes the employer to heavy fines and the employee to deportation.
• Accepting an open-ended contract as a foreigner, when the permit requires a fixed-term contract.
• Ignoring the national preference: a post that a Seychellois can fill will not justify a permit.
• Overlooking the permit's expiry date, as a late filing triggers a penalty of SCR 400 per day.

Information up to date as of October 2026. AfriqueJob.com does not recruit and never asks for money: beware of offers that demand fees.