SEYCHELLES Law and Practice Contributed by: Tamara Christen, Christen Chambers
1. General 1.1 Main Sources of Law
2. Sale and Purchase 2.1 Categories of Property Rights
The main sources of real estate law in Seychelles are the Land Registration Act, the Mortgage and Registra - tion Act, the Condominium Act, the Code Civil and the Immovable Property (Transfer Restriction) Act. 1.2 Main Market Trends and Deals Over the past 12 months, evolving legislation has driven shifts in real estate trends across Seychelles. The most notable trend is a growing emphasis on con - dominium developments, catering to both tourism and freehold ownership, often combined with rental pool arrangements. Revised 2025 regulations now allow non-Seychellois to acquire high-end residential prop - erties valued at a minimum of SCR10 million, encour - aging foreign investment while protecting affordable housing opportunities for locals. Significant real estate transactions during this period include the sale of a 60+ key hotel on Praslin and sev - eral high-value residential property transfers. Rising inflation has increased construction costs, prompting developers to adopt smaller building footprints and prioritise condominium projects. Disruptive technologies have yet to make a substantial impact on the Seychelles property market, contribut - ing to a stable investment environment underpinned by steady GDP growth – largely driven by tourism and fisheries. With a small commercial sector and an economy centred on tourism, demand for office con - versions remains limited. Instead, mixed-use devel - opments have become the dominant model in the
Freehold and leasehold are attainable property rights for both residential and commercial transactions depending on the location of the land and the type of project. 2.2 Laws Applicable to Transfer of Title Depending on the registered nature of the parcel, either the more recent Land Registration Act applies, or for older transcriptions, the Mortgage and Registra - tion Act applies. 2.3 Effecting Lawful and Proper Transfer of Title A lawful transfer of title involves a registration process at the Seychelles land registry. While transfer of par - cel title is the most common registered interest, there are also a number of specific categories of registra - tion for different interests in land. Title insurance is an Buyers rely on the lawyer contracted for the transfer to carry out due diligence on the parcel and the larger project. Depending on the scope of the transfer, the due diligence may require confirming records at the Land Registry, observing past registered documents, understanding the nature of the rights, and forming a good understanding of the land purchase. 2.5 Typical Representations and Warranties The typical seller’s warranties include that the sell - er guarantees clear title, the seller’s entity has legal capacity to transact, there are no undisclosed encum - brances (eg, liens, third-party rights) and the seller has complied with zoning and environmental regulations. The primary remedies include damages for losses caused by false statements and contract termination if the misrepresentation is material. 2.6 Important Areas of Law for Investors Purchasing Seychelles real estate entails a sanction process that takes some time. There are a number of statutory costs that need to be understood. Most importantly, the investor requires professionals who unknown insurance in Seychelles. 2.4 Real Estate Due Diligence
country’s real estate landscape. 1.3 Proposals for Reform
Authorities should remain vigilant against regulatory creep and the risk of increased time and costs for investors. Improved co-ordination between the vari - ous stakeholders and regulatory bodies is a signifi - cantly viable source for improved transaction flow.
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