Seychelles has recently announced a ban on Nigerian passport holders applying for short-term visas or holiday purposes, causing concern among travelers. The alarm was raised by a travel content creator, @munafromtravelletters, who shared a screenshot of a rejection email on Saturday evening.
The email stated, “We regret to inform you that your application has been denied, as per immigration regulation. For now, we are not accepting any Nigerian passport holder for holiday purposes. Kindly contact http://www.ics.gov.sc/ (Seychelles Immigration) or call 248 4 293 636 for more information.”
This ban comes just six months after Nigeria and Seychelles signed a pact for direct flights between the two countries. Prior to the restriction, Nigerian citizens enjoyed a long-standing visa-free agreement with Seychelles, allowing them to enter the country without a visa for up to 30 days.
Seychelles’ border security confirmed the implementation of the ban and acknowledged the accuracy of the screenshot shared by the travel content creator. However, they did not provide specific reasons for the decision. When asked for further information, the border security responded, “Yes, but no further information is available at this time.”
In December 2022, Nigeria and Seychelles signed a pact aimed at facilitating direct flights and promoting the African Union’s agenda 2063, while fostering business and tourism opportunities.
The introduction of this restriction has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with many expressing their dismay over the increasing number of foreign bans targeting Nigerian passport holders.
