Travizory issues statement on Tax and VAT |15 March 2025
Travizory Border Security, a Swiss-founded technology company, has been registered as an Overseas Company in Seychelles since 2021. Through its local subsidiary, Travizory employs 47 Seychellois full-time to support the Seychelles Electronic Border System (SEBS).
As a locally registered entity, Travizory operates in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in Seychelles, ensuring transparency and strict adherence to financial obligations, including excise tax, business tax, income tax, and pension contributions.
Travizory has filed income tax for 2020 to 2023 and will file 2024 immediately after the 2024 books are audited. Travizory Seychelles has contributed over R20 million to local charitable and community initiatives, such as the Environment Trust Fund collection and the December 7 Disaster Fund.
Since the start of our partnership with the Republic of Seychelles, Travizory has acted in good faith and in line with our contractual obligations. It is not standard practice globally to charge VAT on Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fees paid by foreign visitors outside the country. It was Travizory’s understanding that Seychelles intended to adopt this practice, and we operated accordingly. Once a ruling on VAT collections via SEBS has been established, Travizory is ready to collect and remit the VAT to SRC.
The SEBS system, powered by Travizory software, is a comprehensive Border Security Platform that enables risk assessment and security screening of all travellers to Seychelles. The system implements the rules and regulations of the Immigration Decree and Section 75(1), and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, 2020.
Its launch was authorised by the Cabinet of the previous government and the Platinum Committee during Covid-19 in 2020 to reopen the borders to support tourism. Once the health crisis had passed, the system was expanded under the current government to fulfill its original purpose – enhancing border security, digitalising the blue and yellow immigration forms, complying with United Nations and ICAO resolutions by deploying an ICAO-compliant API-PNR system, and improving the traveller experience. SEBS puts Seychelles’ border security on par with leading nations like the UK, EU, USA, and Canada.
The government of Seychelles deployed the e-Border platform without capital investment or spending of taxpayer money. SEBS is entirely self-funded through the €10 ETA fees paid by foreign travellers visiting Seychelles. Submission is free for all Seychellois citizens. Similar border systems worldwide charge travellers similar or higher fees — for example, the Kenya ETA costs $30, the US ESTA costs $21, and the UK eTA is set to increase from £10 to £16.
Travizory remains committed to supporting Seychelles in enhancing border security, facilitating seamless travel, and contributing to the country’s tourism and economic growth.
Press statement from Travizory