Seychelles
Cards, ATMs and cash in Seychelles: what to expect
Yes — cards work at hotels, car hire, ferries and most restaurants on Mahé and Praslin, so you need little cash. Carry SCR 1,000–2,000 for buses, small shops, taxis and La Digue, where card terminals are patchier. Withdraw from bank-branded ATMs in Victoria or at the airport, and always pay in SCR, not your home currency.
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GuideSeychelles
Key facts
- Cards accepted
- Hotels, car hire, ferry offices, most restaurants on Mahé and Praslin; patchier on La Digue
- Cash still needed for
- Public buses (exact change), small shops, some taxis, beach stalls, La Digue cafés
- Suggested cash float
- SCR 1,000–2,000 (about USD 70–140) per person for a week (2026 estimate)
- Where to withdraw
- Bank ATMs in Victoria, at SEZ airport and in Beau Vallon; fewer on Praslin, few on La Digue
- Currency to choose at the terminal
- Always SCR — declining conversion to your home currency avoids a markup of roughly 3–6%
- Cards to carry
- Visa and Mastercard; American Express is less widely taken
- Notify your bank
- Tell your bank you are travelling; some block Indian Ocean transactions by default
Details
Seychelles runs on the rupee (SCR), and the country is card-friendly by regional standards. Hotels, guesthouses, car rental desks, the Cat Cocos ferry offices and most restaurants on Mahé and Praslin take Visa and Mastercard without fuss. That means a short trip built around hotels, ferries and a hire car can run almost cashless.
The gaps are predictable. Public buses run by SPTC want exact change in coins or small notes. Small shops, market stalls, beach kiosks, some taxis and many cafés on La Digue still prefer cash, and a card machine that is 'down' is a normal event on the smaller islands. Keep a working cash float rather than relying on a single terminal.
ATMs cluster where people live: Victoria, the airport at SEZ, and Beau Vallon on Mahé. Praslin has a handful, mainly around Baie Sainte Anne and Anse Volbert; La Digue has very few and they run out on busy weekends. Withdraw larger amounts less often, and treat your first withdrawal as a test of whether your card works in the country at all.
Two habits save money. First, when a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline — that is dynamic currency conversion, and the rate is worse than your bank's. Second, check what your own bank charges for foreign withdrawals and card payments before you fly; a card with no foreign transaction fee is worth carrying here.
Mobile wallets are not a substitute. Apple Pay and Google Pay work where contactless is accepted, but contactless coverage is thinner than in Europe or North America, and local mobile-money apps are built for residents, not visitors. Carry a physical card and some cash as backup.
| Situation | Card or cash | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel, guesthouse, resort | Card | Visa and Mastercard standard |
| Cat Cocos ferry ticket | Card | Booked online or at the office |
| Car hire | Card | A credit card is often required for the deposit |
| Restaurant on Mahé or Praslin | Card | Smaller places may add a minimum |
| Public bus (SPTC) | Cash | Exact change; SCR 12–25 (tourists may pay more — check) |
| Taxi | Cash | Agree the fare first; €35–60 airport to Beau Vallon |
| Market and beach stalls | Cash | Victoria market is busiest Saturday morning |
| La Digue cafés and shops | Cash | Card terminals patchy |
Tips
Withdraw from ATMs attached to a bank branch during opening hours, so you have somewhere to go if the machine swallows your card. Airport ATMs are convenient but can be empty when a flight lands.
Shops close Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and Victoria is quiet on Sundays — plan cash and groceries around that. If you are moving between islands, top up on Mahé before you sail; Praslin and La Digue have fewer options.
Split your money: some cash in a wallet, some in the room safe, a backup card kept separately. Report a lost card to your bank immediately; replacement cards cannot be couriered to La Digue quickly.
- Decline 'pay in USD' or 'pay in your home currency' at every terminal and ATM.
- Carry small SCR notes for buses and stalls; large notes are hard to break outside Victoria.
- Keep a second card from a different network (Visa plus Mastercard) in case one is blocked.
- Photograph your card fronts and your bank's lost-card phone number before you travel.
- Ask your guesthouse whether they add a card surcharge — some small places do.
Questions people ask
Are credit cards widely accepted in Seychelles?
Yes at hotels, car hire, ferry offices and most restaurants on Mahé and Praslin. Acceptance is patchier on La Digue and at small shops, buses and market stalls, so carry some SCR cash as backup.
Which ATMs have the lowest fees in Seychelles?
Fees come from your own bank more than the local machine. Bank-branded ATMs in Victoria and at SEZ airport are the reliable ones; withdraw larger amounts less often to cut per-withdrawal charges. Local operator fees vary — check the screen before confirming.
Should I pay in local currency or my own?
Always choose SCR. If a terminal or ATM offers to convert the charge into your home currency, that is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is typically 3–6% worse than your bank's.
How much cash should I carry in Seychelles?
About SCR 1,000–2,000 (roughly USD 70–140) per person for a week covers buses, taxis, small shops and La Digue. Top up on Mahé before moving to the smaller islands.
Do taxis and buses take cards?
Generally no. SPTC buses need exact change, and taxis expect cash — agree the fare before you get in. Airport to Beau Vallon is around €35–60.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialSeychelles Tourism Board
- officialCentral Bank of Seychelles
- officialSeychelles Revenue Commission – customs
- secondaryWikivoyage – Seychelles