Money on Praslin and La Digue: rupees, cards and tipping

The currency

Seychelles uses the Seychelles rupee (SCR), divided into 100 cents. The Central Bank of Seychelles, the only body allowed to issue it, lists four notes (SCR 25, 50, 100 and 500) and seven coins (SCR 10, 5 and 1, and 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents) (Central Bank of Seychelles, checked 16 September 2026).

The current family of notes and coins was issued on 5 December 2016 and features endemic plants and animals. Prices are also written "Rs" or "R": the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, for example, lists Curieuse Marine Park at Rs300.

This guide does not quote an exchange rate. The Central Bank publishes daily trading rates for banks and for bureaux de change on its Daily Exchange Rates page, and Tourism Seychelles notes that rates are set by the market and can differ between banks and bureaux.

Cards, cash and foreign currency

Bring a card and some rupees. Tourism Seychelles says Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants, car hire firms and larger shops, while cash in rupees is essential for markets, local shops, taxis and small vendors (Tourism Seychelles travel tips, checked 16 September 2026).

• American Express: the tourism board names only Visa and Mastercard. The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA) takes Visa, Mastercard, Amex and UnionPay on site, but check with any other business before relying on Amex.
• Taxis: Tourism Seychelles says some accept cards and cash is also accepted. Agree the fare before you set off.
• Euros, dollars and pounds: some hotels and tour operators accept US dollars, euros and pounds, but most local businesses require rupees, according to Tourism Seychelles. Its foreign exchange note adds that paying in a foreign currency is the visitor's choice.
• Bank transfer: the same page says transfers are often used for large payments such as hotel bookings.

Some attractions spell out what they take. The Vallée de Mai on Praslin charges SCR 450, payable in rupees, euros, US dollars or pounds, in cash or by credit card (Seychelles Islands Foundation, checked 16 September 2026).

Small guesthouses and self-catering places set their own payment terms, so ask how they want to be paid when you book.

ATMs and banks on Praslin

Praslin has bank branches at Grand Anse, Côte d'Or and Baie Sainte Anne, and the banks list cash machines at Grand Anse, Côte d'Or and Praslin Airport. As the banks list them (checked 16 September 2026):

• MCB Seychelles: branches with ATMs at Diamond Plaza, Grand Anse, and at Côte d'Or (address given as Côte d'Or, Baie Ste Anne), plus an ATM at Praslin Airport, Amitié. Both branches handle foreign currency transactions. MCB gives Grand Anse's hours as Monday to Friday 8:30 to 14:30 and Saturday 8:30 to 11:00; Côte d'Or keeps the same weekday hours and is closed on Saturdays.
• Seychelles Commercial Bank (SCB): a branch and ATM at Grand Anse.
• Nouvobanq: a Praslin branch at Baie Ste Anne.
• Absa: its branch finder lists a branch at Baie Ste Anne; its downloadable branch-code list also names Grand Anse.

MCB says its ATMs accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and UnionPay (UPI) cards. Tourism Seychelles notes that ATMs dispense only rupees, that some have per-transaction limits (it gives SCR 4,000 to 10,000 as an example), and that your home bank may charge fees.

ATMs and banks on La Digue

La Digue's banks are in and around La Passe, the village at the jetty. As the banks list them (checked 16 September 2026):

• MCB Seychelles: a branch and ATM in La Passe, handling foreign currency transactions, open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 11:30 and 12:15 to 14:30 and closed on Saturdays.
• Seychelles Commercial Bank: a La Digue branch and ATM.
• Nouvobanq: a branch in La Passe.
• Absa: a La Digue branch.

The Central Bank's register of licensed bureaux de change has no address on La Digue, so change money at a bank branch there or before you cross.

Changing money

Use a bank or a licensed bureau de change. Tourism Seychelles advises changing money only at banks, licensed bureaux or other authorised operators, and not with people who approach you in public places, which may involve unauthorised dealing or counterfeit notes.

The Central Bank's register of licensed bureaux de change (checked 16 September 2026) lists two on Praslin:

• Ideal Money Changer (Pty) Ltd, Pension Fund Complex, Grand Anse
• Vims Exchange Ltd, Baie Ste Anne Jetty

All the other licensed bureaux on the register are on Mahé, most of them in Victoria, and one, Saymore (Pty) Ltd, is at Seychelles International Airport. Tourism Seychelles names Absa, MCB, Nouvobanq and Bank of Baroda as banks offering currency exchange, and gives typical bank hours as Monday to Friday 8:30 to 14:30, with selected branches open on Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00.

VAT

Value Added Tax in Seychelles is 15%. The Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC) gives 15% as the standard rate on most goods and services sold in Seychelles, with a zero rate for exports and specified items (SRC, checked 16 September 2026). The SRC says VAT-registered businesses should show VAT separately from the price on invoices and receipts. Registration is compulsory only once taxable sales reach SCR 2 million, so smaller businesses may not charge it.

The Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy

The levy is a charge per guest per night, collected by your accommodation and listed on your bill. It came into force on 1 August 2023 and covers hotels, guesthouses, self-catering establishments, yachts and island resorts (SRC and S.I. 52 of 2023, checked 16 September 2026).

The rates since 1 January 2026, set by S.I. 90 of 2025, are:

Establishment	Levy per person per night
Small (1 to 24 rooms)	No longer charged
Medium (25 to 50 rooms)	SCR 75
Large (more than 50 rooms)	SCR 100
Yachts and island resorts	SCR 100

• Who collects it: the establishment collects it from the guest, whoever made or paid for the booking, and pays it to the Seychelles Revenue Commission. It must tell guests about the levy, list it on the invoice and add no commission on top.
• Who is exempt: Seychelles citizens, residents, airline cabin crew, yacht crew and children aged 12 and under.

The SRC web page still lists the former SCR 25 rate for small establishments in the same section as its notice that the levy no longer applies to them from 2026, and describes medium establishments as 24 to 50 rooms; the regulations define them as 25 to 50.

Tipping and service charges

Tipping is not mandatory in Seychelles, but it is appreciated. Tourism Seychelles says a small tip is welcome in restaurants if a service charge is not already included, and that it is common to tip hotel staff, drivers and guides for good service. Check the bill for a service charge before adding a tip.

Ferries, bike hire and park fees

Ferries take cards, SPGA park fees on site are card only, and bike hire shops do not say online how they take payment, so ask. The details (checked 16 September 2026):

• Cat Cocos: its terms accept major credit or debit cards online, and cards or cash at the counter, and say payment fees may apply to some methods. The online payment clause names Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard and local ATM cards.
• Cat Rose: the booking agent Seychellesbookings sells tickets by credit card or PayPal and quotes €15 one way per adult. Its page also lists a €1 one-way port fee for adults, which one part of the page says is included in the ticket price and another lists separately, so check the total at checkout.
• Bikes on the ferry: SeyFerry gives SCR 100 per bike per trip on Cat Cocos, payable on site.
• Bike hire on La Digue: KK Bicycle Rental advertises €10 a day. Neither KK nor Ton Ven Bike says on its website how to pay.
• Park fees: SPGA takes entrance fees on site by card only (Visa, Mastercard, Amex or UnionPay), with no cash, and sells tickets online. It lists Curieuse Marine Park at Rs300 for non-residents over 12, and the Veuve Reserve on La Digue at Rs150 unguided or Rs200 guided for non-citizens over 12.

Carrying cash safely

Carry what you need for the day and leave the rest in a safe. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against carrying large amounts of cash and suggests a hotel safe or safety deposit box for valuables, money and passports. It also says cash worth SCR 50,000 or more taken into Seychelles must be declared when you apply for your travel authorisation (FCDO, checked 16 September 2026).