How to Buy Property in Seychelles: Step by Step

The steps in order

1. 1

   Get your money and papers ready Do this first

   Before you view anything, line up proof of funds, a clean passport, recent utility bills and a police clearance. A foreign purchase lives or dies on a clean source-of-funds file, so start here.

2. 2

   Find the property and agree a price Days to weeks

   Search the market, view what fits, and agree terms with the seller or their agency. Every listing here links back to the agency that holds it.

3. 3

   Appoint a notary Once terms agreed

   The buyer picks the notary, and just one handles the sale. The notary drafts the agreement, runs the checks and lodges the transfer. Many foreign buyers add an attorney to prepare the sanction file.

4. 4

   Sign a conditional agreement Same stage

   You and the seller sign a sale agreement made conditional on the sanction. If approval does not come, you walk away without losing the property price.

5. 5

   File the sanction application Foreign buyers

   The file goes to the Lands Department with the SCR 3,000 fee. This is the step that sets the clock, so submit a complete application to avoid a bounce.

6. 6

   Wait out the review About 3 months

   The government checks you and the property against the criteria. Around three months is normal for a clean file.

7. 7

   Complete and pay On approval

   On approval, the deed is signed before the notary and the duties fall due, the 5 percent stamp duty and, for a foreigner, the sanction duty. The sanction is valid for a year, so complete inside it.

8. 8

   Register the title and the tax Final step

   The notary registers the transfer at the Land Registry, and a foreign owner registers for the annual property tax. The home is now yours.