Seychelles reopening on August 1 — but Americans won't be allowed in
Editor's Note
Editor's note: This post has been updated to reflect that commercial flights to the Seychelles will be resuming on August 1, 2020.
The Seychelles are thought of as a luxury destination by most, as evidenced by the country's initial reopening plan which only allowed visitors traveling on private and chartered flights. Beginning August 1, the Seychelles will open to even more tourists as it resumes commercial flights, but many (including Americans) still won't be welcome.
Related coverage: Country-by-country guide to reopening
Visitors from 17 approved low-risk countries (including China, Japan and New Zealand) will be required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to the date of travel. If a PCR test is not available, they will need to submit to a rapid antigen test. Visitors from medium-risk countries are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to the date of travel.
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In addition, visitors must submit their negative test as well as their flight itinerary and accommodations to visitor@health.gov.sc prior to arrival, or they may be subject to additional COVID testing upon arrival. Guests can only book stays at licensed establishments or liveaboards, and are required to have valid travel insurance with full medical coverage for the duration of their stay.
Related Coverage: State-by-state guide to coronavirus reopening
Visitors from high-risk countries (which are all countries excluding the 37 designated as low and medium-risk) will not be permitted to enter the Seychelles at this time.
Where to stay
If you're traveling from one of the approved low and medium-risk countries, check out some of TPG's past coverage for advice on where to stay:
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The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases