Currency, Credit Cards and Changing Money in the Seychelles

If you are planning a holiday in the Seychelles, this is what you need to know about currency, cash, and credit cards.

Currency
The official currency in the Seychelles is the Seychelles Rupee (SCR) which is divided into 100 cents. Paper notes come in denominations of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 rupees. Commonly circulated coins are of 5, 10, and 25 cents, as well as 1 and 5 rupee denominations.

Taking cash & cards to the Seychelles
As the exchange rates on offer in the UK can vary, and may not be the best available, it is sensible to withdraw money when in the Seychelles or exchange cash into rupees at Mahe Airport. All larger towns in the Seychelles have money changers and banks. 

However if you must get your rupees before departure one of the most convenient ways to get a decent exchange rate is to order your currency in advance, and then collect it from the provider's outlet, or arrange delivery. You can check the best rates available, and suitable providers, on price comparison websites such as www.moneysavingexpert.com or www.travelsupermarket.com. As a general rule avoid exchanging money at UK airports unless you have pre-ordered to secure a favourable rate. The Post Office's pre-ordering service is usually competitive and convenient for collection.

On arrival in the Seychelles you will find several ATMs at Mahe Airport where you can withdraw money before moving on. On the smaller islands ATMs are not always available, but larger towns will have banks and all 4 and 5* resorts will accept major credit cards. 

If you travel regularly it will pay to apply for one of the specialist credit cards for travellers that offer excellent rates of exchange and charge zero “load” fees when purchasing items. For up-to-date information on the best specialist credit cards for travellers we suggest visiting one of the price comparison websites such as www.moneysupermarket.com or www.travelsupermarket.com.  

Prepaid cards
Prepaid credit cards are now the safest way to travel with "cash", and are much more cost effective and convenient than Travellers Cheques which are now becoming obsolete. We recommend the Caxton FX Global Traveller card which offers a fixed exchange rate at 2.75% below the prevailing interbank rate when spending overseas and withdrawing local currency from ATMs. Unlike credit cards the application process is straightforward, but you need to allow 7 days for delivery of the card. For more information please visit www.caxtonfx.com.

If you have less time there is the Travelex Cash Passport which can be applied for up to 24 hours prior to departure, then picked up at branch in a number of airports (including London Heathrow, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, and Newcastle) www.multicurrencycashpassport.com.