Paid employment covers finding a job, agreeing written terms, receiving pay, taking leave and ending the working relationship. Employers must handle contracts, payroll, employment records, workplace safety and related tax and pension duties. The Employment Department provides job services and supports labour monitoring and industrial relations. A person without desired paid work can register with Employment Services and seek vacancies. The Unemployment Relief Scheme offers eligible citizens temporary work and skills development, while Welfare Assistance assesses financial hardship separately and does not operate as an automatic unemployment benefit. The Seychelles labour market is concentrated around tourism and also includes construction, fisheries, manufacturing, public services, finance and ICT. Mahé is the main economic and administrative centre, while employment services are also available on Praslin and La Digue. Employers report demand for both skilled and general workers. Professional work may require an approved qualification, documented experience, registration, a Seychelles Licensing Authority licence or supervised practice. The Seychelles National Qualifications Framework, professional registers and public-service cadres help identify requirements, but no single register covers every occupation. Running a business involves choosing a legal form, registering the business, obtaining activity-specific licences and meeting tax obligations. The Seychelles Investment Board coordinates investment applications; the Registration Division, Seychelles Licensing Authority and Seychelles Revenue Commission handle key registration, licensing and tax functions. Requirements vary with the activity, ownership, premises and sector, particularly in tourism, food, fisheries, construction, professional services and ICT.
Work in Seychelles
Work in Seychelles includes paid employment, employing workers, job seeking, professional practice and running a business. The rules depend on whether a person is an employee, employer, jobseeker, licensed professional or business owner. Non-Seychellois workers generally need a Gainful Occupation Permit before starting work, while businesses and regulated professions may require registration, licences or approved qualifications.
Choose your work path first: employee, employer, jobseeker, professional or business owner. Then verify the permits, qualifications, registrations and records that apply before work begins, because the consequences of choosing the wrong path or starting too early can affect both access to work and legal compliance.
Employment
Employment in Seychelles covers finding, starting, carrying out and ending paid work under the national employment system. The Employment Department handles job services, labour monitoring and industrial relations, while contracts, pay, leave, permits and pension contributions follow specific rules. Employees generally need written terms, payslips and records of leave and contributions; non-Seychellois workers also need a Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP) before work starts. Rights and procedures differ for ordinary employment, fixed-term work, redundancy, disputes and workplace accidents.
Employer
An employer in Seychelles is a private or public working organisation that recruits, directs and pays workers while meeting employment, tax, pension and safety duties. The role covers local recruitment, non-Seychellois worker permits, written contracts, pay, leave, workplace safety, worker representation, disputes and organisational change.
Unemployment
Unemployment in Seychelles means a period without desired paid work and involves registration, income support, job search and returning to work. In the first quarter of 2026, NBS reported an unemployment rate of 3.3%, compared with 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Employment Services register jobseekers and refer them to vacancies, while the Unemployment Relief Scheme (URS) offers eligible citizens temporary work and skills development rather than an automatic job or income benefit. Welfare Assistance provides means-tested support for financial hardship and is assessed case by case.
Labor market
The Seychelles labor market is a small island labor market shaped by tourism, construction, fisheries, manufacturing, public services, finance and ICT. Tourism remains the main source of demand, while employers also report shortages in skilled and general workers. Mahé is the main economic and administrative center, with employment services on Praslin and La Digue.
Professions
Professions in Seychelles cover public administration, education, health, construction, finance, maritime work, tourism, transport, trades, agriculture and creative work. Seychelles does not use one complete register for every occupation; the Seychelles National Qualifications Framework (SNQF), professional registers, Seychelles Licensing Authority licences and public-service cadres identify the relevant requirements. Entry can involve an approved qualification, documented experience, registration, a licence or supervised practice, depending on the occupation.
Business
Starting and running a business in Seychelles involves choosing a legal form, registering the business, obtaining activity-specific licences and meeting tax obligations. The Seychelles Investment Board coordinates investment applications, while the Registration Division, Seychelles Licensing Authority and Seychelles Revenue Commission handle registration, licensing and tax administration. Requirements vary by activity, ownership and premises, especially in tourism, food, fisheries, construction, professional services and ICT.
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