Seychelles · Business / Startup
Seychelles Investor GOP
Gainful Occupation Permit for investors and business owners (via Seychelles Investment Board)
Checked against official sources on Record corrected 12 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Investor GOP is a business / startup route for Seychelles. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- SCR 500/mo ≈ $35 · SCR 1,000 ≈ $69
- Processing
- 1–5 days
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; decision: 1–5 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesSCR 500/mo ≈ $35 · SCR 1,000 ≈ $69
- SCR 500 a month (≈ $35)GOP permit fee per month or part of a month, payable for the whole period applied for when the application is submitted.
- SCR 1,000 (≈ $69)Processing fee for the application.
RenewalRenewable
A permit can be extended by a new application at the immigration office, following the same procedure as the first application.
Permanent residenceAfter 1 year of residence
You may apply for permanent residence if you have invested at least USD 1 million and been a legal resident for at least one year, or have invested that amount and had a business link with Seychelles for at least 5 years.
CitizenshipAfter 15 years of residence
Naturalisation generally needs 15 years of residence in total, a pass mark of at least 80% in the citizenship exam, and no continuous absence of a year or more without the Minister's permission.
Processing1–5 days
The immigration office says permits can be collected 1 to 5 days after the application is submitted. Submit the application at least one week before the work start date.
Where to applyWhere to apply
First submit a project memorandum to the Seychelles Investment Board. Once the project is approved, apply for the permit at the immigration office.
Immigration and Civil Status, SeychellesSeychelles Investment Board
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- 100 percent foreign ownership is allowed.
- There is no nationality restriction on directors or shareholders.
What you must show2
- Property acquisition by non-citizens carries a processing fee of 1.5 percent of market value.
- A sanction duty of 11 percent applies for a holiday home or residential development outside the Villas Policy.
Documents1
- A project memorandum is submitted to the Seychelles Investment Board for approval.
What happens at day 183
How Seychelles decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in any 12-month period commencing or ending during the tax yearIndividual is a resident person if present 183 days or more (also if resident or domiciled in Seychelles); for DTAA-country non-citizens it also unlocks citizen rates.
- Income tax
Employed persons pay progressive monthly tax on emoluments from 1 June 2018; a non-citizen pays 15 percent from the first rupee while a citizen has a 0 percent first bracket, except that a non-citizen from a double-taxation-agreement country present 183 days or more pays the citizen rates.
All tax rules for Seychelles Tax records checked
Full official text
A person setting up a business submits a project memorandum to the Seychelles Investment Board and, once the project is approved, applies for a GOP to live and work in Seychelles; there is no minimum investment capital. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of SCR 500 a month (≈ $35) · GOP permit fee per month or part of a month, payable for the whole period applied for when the application is submitted. 1 2
- A fee of SCR 1,000 (≈ $69) · Processing fee for the application. 2
Requirements
- 100 percent foreign ownership is allowed. 1
- There is no nationality restriction on directors or shareholders. 1
- Property acquisition by non-citizens carries a processing fee of 1.5 percent of market value. 1
- A sanction duty of 11 percent applies for a holiday home or residential development outside the Villas Policy. 1
- A project memorandum is submitted to the Seychelles Investment Board for approval. 1
Stay
- For the period applied for; the page states no maximum.
Work
Live and work in the approved business.
Family
Spouse and children are endorsed on the permit or take dependent and student permits.
Official sources
- Investor's Guide FAQ · Seychelles Investment Board · checked 2026-10-10
- Gainful Occupation Permit · Immigration and Civil Status, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-12
- Residence Permit · Immigration and Civil Status, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-12
- Application for Permanent Residence Permit (Form IMM-15 notes and instructions) · Immigration and Civil Status Department, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-11
- FAQ: Permanent Resident and Citizenship · Immigration and Civil Status Department, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-11
Investor GOP and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor GOP | – | – | Limited |
| Self-employed card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | Limited |
| PR · Business South Africa | Needs an investment of ZAR 5M+ ≈ $302k | – | Yes |
| Innovator Occupation Permit Mauritius | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Freelancer residence Cabo Verde | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Investor GOP?
A fee of SCR 500 a month (≈ $35). GOP permit fee per month or part of a month, payable for the whole period applied for when the application is submitted. A fee of SCR 1,000 (≈ $69). Processing fee for the application.
How long can I stay on the Investor GOP?
For the period applied for; the page states no maximum.
How long does the Investor GOP take to process?
The immigration office says permits can be collected 1 to 5 days after the application is submitted.
Can I work on the Investor GOP?
Limited. Live and work in the approved business.
Can I bring my family on the Investor GOP?
Spouse and children are endorsed on the permit or take dependent and student permits.
Does the Investor GOP lead to permanent residence in Seychelles?
Time on the Investor GOP counts toward permanent residence in Seychelles, which the rules allow after 1 year of residence. Time on the Investor GOP counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 15 years of residence.
How are Investor GOP holders taxed in Seychelles?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Investor GOP. The standard rules apply: Employed persons pay progressive monthly tax on emoluments from 1 June 2018; a non-citizen pays 15 percent from the first rupee while a citizen has a 0 percent first bracket, except that a non-citizen from a double-taxation-agreement country present 183 days or more pays the citizen rates.
More in Seychelles
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Investor's Guide FAQ · Seychelles Investment Board · checked 2026-10-10
- Gainful Occupation Permit · Immigration and Civil Status, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-12
- Residence Permit · Immigration and Civil Status, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-12
- Application for Permanent Residence Permit (Form IMM-15 notes and instructions) · Immigration and Civil Status Department, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-11
- FAQ: Permanent Resident and Citizenship · Immigration and Civil Status Department, Seychelles · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.