Seychelles

Is Seychelles safe to visit?

Yes. The US keeps Seychelles at Level 1, its lowest advisory, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says there is no recent history of terrorism. Most visitors stay on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, where the realistic dangers are a swim on the wrong beach in the wrong season, a crash on a steep mountain road, and a break-in at a guesthouse. We score Seychelles 77, just below Mauritius and below the Maldives, mainly because crime is less rare than on those islands.

The sea changes with the season

The most useful thing to know about Seychelles is which coast is safe when. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the west coast is unsafe for swimming during the north-west monsoon, roughly December to March, and the east coast during the south-east trade winds, roughly May to September. Beaches at the southern tip of Mahé are not suitable for swimming at any time. Beau Vallon, the main resort beach, can have dangerous rip currents when the sea is rough.

Lifeguards are few, and beaches often have no warning signs, so a quiet, empty cove is not a safe one. Ask your hotel each day, swim with someone else, and if a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore before heading in. On island-hopping trips and smaller excursion boats, check there are life jackets for everyone.

Crime, and the heroin problem behind it

Seychelles' homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary jumps around because the population is so small, about 123,000 people. UNODC recorded 8.0 per 100,000 in 2022 and 4.1 in 2021, which means somewhere between five and ten killings a year. Visitors are rarely involved.

Theft is the real issue. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists break-ins, burglaries and opportunistic thefts, with bags snatched, cars and boats broken into, and people robbed while walking at night. Criminals target parked cars, guesthouses, hotels, beaches and walking trails. It singles out Beau Vallon and the back streets of Victoria.

In the background is a heroin problem that is very large for a country this size. The national drug agency estimated in 2018 that about 5,000 people used heroin, out of a population then of about 95,000. In an Afrobarometer survey published in July 2026, Seychellois ranked drug abuse as the second most important problem for the government, behind only the cost of living, and 57% of those who knew the methadone programme said it was not at all effective. For visitors, this mostly shows up as property crime, not violence.

Self-catering villas and small guesthouses are the most exposed. The FCDO advises choosing places with outside lighting, window grilles and an overnight guard, and using the safe for passports and cash.

Roads on Mahé

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 6.6 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, above the EU average and down from its 2019 estimate of 11.3. The figure for a country this small swings from year to year, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's description of the roads explains the risk. Mahé is mountainous, with narrow, winding roads, hairpin bends and sheer drops, often without barriers. Deep, uncovered storm drains run along many roads, and a wheel in one can wreck a hire car. Drink-driving is common, and sudden downpours bring potholes that make drivers swerve across lanes.

Drive slowly, avoid the mountain passes after dark, and leave room for buses, which take the bends fast. Buses are cheap but most stop after 8pm; taxis are a good standard, and you should agree the fare first if there is no meter. On La Digue most people cycle, which is far safer.

Health and medical care

There is no malaria, but CDC lists dengue, chikungunya and Zika, all spread by day-biting mosquitoes, so use repellent. Pregnant travellers should read CDC's Zika advice. A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk.

Victoria Hospital on Mahé has an emergency department and scanners, and there are private GP clinics. Other islands have only small health centres, and tourists pay for all treatment. Serious cases may need a flight to another country, so take insurance that covers evacuation, especially if you plan to dive.

How to stay safe in Seychelles

• Swim on the sheltered coast for the season and follow local advice.
• Lock your car and never leave valuables in it, even at a beach car park.
• Choose accommodation with outside lighting and secure windows.
• Do not walk alone in Beau Vallon or Victoria's back streets late at night.
• Carry no drugs of any kind; sentences can reach life imprisonment.
• Call 999 for police, ambulance or fire.

How we scored it

Conflict (90) is the strongest factor: there is no terrorism history and piracy is far below its peak. Natural hazards (78) are also good, since cyclones rarely reach these latitudes, though the seasonal surf is a real risk. Petty crime (68) is the weakest factor; road safety (80) uses WHO's 2021 estimate of 6.6 deaths per 100,000, though Mahé's mountain roads need care. Confidence is medium because homicide figures for a country of 123,000 swing widely and the heroin estimate is from 2018.