South Africa
Cabo Verde
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RwandaNikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the FSA decision, including banking and payment rails.
Investment license in Seychelles: FSA securities dealer licence.
An investment license in Seychelles is the FSA securities dealer licence under the Securities Act 2007: US$100,000 of minimum capital, US$3,000 to apply and US$6,000 a year. Directors must be fit and proper, one of them resident in Seychelles and employed full time, with real reporting. The examination runs three to six months, and the result is a working licence for international clients. Not an EU retail passport.
30 yrs
of experienceof experience
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Seychelles in brief
Investment license in Seychelles: the proportionate licence that says what it is.
Seychelles licenses securities business under the Securities Act 2007, with the FSA issuing the securities dealer licence - US$100,000 minimum capital, US$3,000 application fee, US$6,000 annually, representative licences at US$500 and US$750 alongside. The regime is real: fit-and-proper directors, a local presence the Securities Act has required since 2025 (a resident full-time director and at least two resident fit-and-proper people in Seychelles at all times), compliance and reporting obligations, and an examination that runs three to six months when the file arrives complete. What it is not, and we say this before anyone asks, is a passport into EU or UK retail: those markets require their own licences, and a Seychelles dealer serves them only through separately licensed entities.
Used for what it is, the licence works hard: a dealer managing international portfolios, executing for non-EU clients and running global books gets a supervised home at proportionate cost, with business tax of 1.5% on assessable income for a licensed dealer that meets the substance rules (15%/25% without them), no capital gains tax and territorial logic for foreign-source income. The working architecture for serious groups is layered: the Seychelles dealer as the global-book workhorse, licensed EU or UK entities where those clients live - both ends built properly. For managers who want the offshore leg supervised rather than improvised, Seychelles is the measured choice. We build the file end to end.
The working dealer licence: FSA under the Securities Act 2007 - US$100,000 capital, US$3,000/US$6,000 fees, representatives at US$500/US$750, 3-6 months realistic.
Scope, stated: global books yes, EU/UK retail no - the layered structure pairs it with onshore licences. 1.5% tax with substance, no CGT. Built end to end.
The two builds
The securities dealer - or the representative route.
One Act, two instruments: the corporate dealer licence carrying the business, representative licences for the individuals inside it. We build both together.
The corporate dealer. With representatives licensed inside it.
01 - SECURITIES DEALER
The working licence
Dealing in securities for international clients. US$100,000 minimum capital, a supervised operation with compliance and reporting, the global-book workhorse at proportionate cost.
Dealing in securities for international clients. US$100,000 minimum capital, a supervised operation with compliance and reporting, the global-book workhorse at proportionate cost.
- ✓Dealing and execution
- ✓Portfolio business for global clients
- ✓US$100,000 minimum capital
- ✓US$3,000 application · US$6,000 annual
- ✓Fit-and-proper directors
- ✓3-6 months realistic
02 - REPRESENTATIVES
The licensed individuals
Securities dealer representatives licensed at US$500-US$750. The people executing under the corporate licence, vetted and named, completing the supervised architecture.
Individual representative licences at US$500-US$750. The vetted bench executing under the corporate licence, scaled as the desk grows.
- ✓Individual representative licences
- ✓US$500 / US$750 fee tiers
- ✓Vetted and named persons
- ✓Tied to the corporate licence
- ✓Compliance-trained bench
- ✓Scaled as the desk grows
Figures per the 2024 fee regulations (S.I. 120 of 2024). EU and UK retail distribution requires separately licensed entities. We build the layered structure cleanly.
Why Seychelles
Six reasons dealers choose the islands.
✓
Proportionate entry
US$100,000 capital and fees in four figures. A supervised licence at a cost that matches an emerging book.Lean for a supervised dealer.
✓
A real regulator
The FSA examines, licenses representatives and supervises. This is a licence, not a registration, and counterparties know the difference.Licence, not registration.
✓
Months, not years
Three to six months to a decision when the file is complete. Speed as a function of preparation.3-6 with a full file.
✓
Territorial logic
1.5% business tax for a licensed dealer with substance, and source-based rules around it. Foreign-source income maps cleanly when the structure is built right.1.5% with substance.
✓
The stated scope
We tell you exactly which clients this licence serves and which need an EU or UK entity - no surprises after launch.Stated before launch.
✓
The layered architecture
The standard serious build pairs the Seychelles workhorse with onshore licences where retail lives. We construct both ends.Both ends done right.
How it compares
How Seychelles differs from other routes.
Numbers next to numbers: a lean supervised dealer licence, priced in public. With scope limits stated up front.
Seychelles vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Seychelles | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Securities Act - FSA | Dealer or type licences |
| Capital | US$100,000 | MUR 1M-S$1M spread |
| Speed | 3-6 months | 6-15 months onshore |
| EU/UK retail | Not covered | Passported or licensed |
Regime
SeychellesSecurities Act - FSA
Other jurisdictionsDealer or type licences
Capital
SeychellesUS$100,000
Other jurisdictionsMUR 1M-S$1M spread
Speed
Seychelles3-6 months
Other jurisdictions6-15 months onshore
EU/UK retail
SeychellesNot covered
Other jurisdictionsPassported or licensed
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seychelles | Securities dealer - FSA | 1.5% with substance | US$100,000 capital |
 Mauritius | Investment dealer - FSC | 15% · 3% effective | MUR 1M, 2 officers if domestic |
 Vanuatu | Financial dealer - VFSC | No corporate income tax | VT 5M deposit |
 Labuan | Securities licensee - LFSA | 3% audited profits | RM1M intermediary |
SeychellesLicense typeSecurities dealer - FSA
Taxation1.5% with substance
RequirementsUS$100,000 capital
MauritiusLicense typeInvestment dealer - FSC
Taxation15% · 3% effective
RequirementsMUR 1M, 2 officers if domestic
VanuatuLicense typeFinancial dealer - VFSC
TaxationNo corporate income tax
RequirementsVT 5M deposit
LabuanLicense typeSecurities licensee - LFSA
Taxation3% audited profits
RequirementsRM1M intermediary
Africa and the Indian Ocean
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Before you apply
Investment license requirements in Seychelles: what the FSA checks.Investment license requirements in Seychelles.
The FSA licenses a supervised operation. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
Seychelles company. Locally incorporated for the licence with a registered office.
02
Minimum capital. US$100,000, evidenced with source of funds and kept at all times in a bank account (Seychelles or an FSA-approved jurisdiction).
03
Fit-and-proper directors. Clean histories, vetted to ultimate-owner level.
04
Licensed representatives. The individuals dealing, licensed at their tiers.
05
Business plan. Clientele, products and projections the FSA can test.
06
Compliance function. A named officer with documented procedures.
07
Client-asset arrangements. Segregation logic per the Act.
08
Local presence. An office in Seychelles, a resident full-time director and at least two resident fit-and-proper people on the islands at all times.
09
Auditor and reporting. Annual audited filings per the licence.
10
AML/CFT programme. Seychelles framework with a named MLRO.
11
Scope, stated. EU/UK retail routed to licensed entities, documented in the model.
01
Seychelles company, office.
02
US$100,000 evidenced.
03
Directors vetted clean.
04
Representatives licensed.
05
Testable business plan.
06
Compliance officer named.
07
Client assets segregated.
08
Resident director, by law.
09
Annual audit filed.
10
MLRO + AML live.
11
Scope documented.
Reflects the Securities Act 2007 as amended in 2024 and the FSA's dealer guidelines as of 2026. Representative licensing runs alongside the corporate file.Securities Act 2007 as amended, 2026.
Verify it yourself
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- RegulatorFSA Seychelles - Securities Dealer application guidelines (version 5, March 2026)fsaseychelles.sc
- LawSecurities Act 2007, consolidated to 18 December 2024 - FSA Seychellesfsaseychelles.sc
- LawSecurities (Financial Statements) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, S.I. 117 of 2024: US$100,000 paid-up capital held in a bank - Seychelles Gazettegazette.sc
- RegisterFSA Seychelles - Regulated entities in capital markets, securities dealers includedfsaseychelles.sc
- FeesSecurities (Forms and Fees) (Amendment of Second Schedule) Regulations 2024, S.I. 120 of 2024: licence fees - FSA Seychellesfsaseychelles.sc
How it works
From first call to the FSA register.
01
Model and scope
The book defined precisely, which clients, which products, which markets need more.Book defined.
02
Company and capital
Seychelles entity, US$100,000 evidenced, directors vetted.US$100k banked.
03
The application
Corporate and representative files together. US$3,000 paid, complete at submission.Both files together.
04
FSA examination
Queries answered on schedule. The three-to-six-month window earned by preparation.Months, with answers ready.
05
Licence and launch
Register entry, banking live, representatives licensed. The global book supervised.Book supervised.
Quick facts
RegulatorFSA Seychelles
FrameworkSecurities Act 2007
Minimum capitalUS$100,000
Application feeUS$3,000
Annual feeUS$6,000
Representative feesUS$500 / US$750
Realistic timeline3-6 months
EU/UK retailNot covered
The scope note is not small print. It is the architecture: global books here, EU/UK retail through licensed entities there.
On the ground in Seychelles
Run from our Victoria office.
Prifinance - Seychelles
Victoria · Seychelles
Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
01
Model and scope
Clientele mapped precisely. The Seychelles book defined, EU/UK routes planned where needed.Set from day one.
02
The FSA file
Plan, compliance and capital evidence. Complete at filing, answered through examination.Complete at filing.
03
Representatives
The dealing bench licensed at its tiers. Vetted individuals under the corporate licence.Bench licensed.
04
Banking and launch
Accounts, custody and PSP relationships built for an island licensee. The practical layer done right.Built in parallel.
We also have offices in
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Seychelles.
A 1.5% rate for licensed dealers with substance, inside a source-based system. Territorial logic that rewards clean structure.
1.5% business tax with substance
A licensee under the Securities Act pays 1.5% of assessable income and 0% withholding tax, provided the core work is done in Seychelles. Without it, the two-band 15% / 25% rate applies to Seychelles-source income.Licensed dealers.
Source-based system
Foreign-source income maps outside the charge under substance rules. Structure decides the outcome.Structure decides.
No capital gains tax
Portfolio appreciation and exits sit outside the system. Dealer economics stay whole.Whole economics.
Substance rules
The 1.5% rate survives because the operation is real. The licence requirements already force what the tax system rewards.Forced by licence.
VAT domestic only
15% VAT touches domestic supplies. International dealing sits outside its practical reach.Outside the book.
Predictable state charges
US$6,000 a year and representative renewals. The fixed costs are known to the dollar.To the dollar.
Tax summary
Business tax1.5% with substance
SystemSource-based · substance
Capital gains taxNone
VAT15% domestic
Annual licence feeUS$6,000
*Figures as of 2026 per the Seychelles Revenue Commission. Source and substance outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Seychelles company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed dealer.
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Seychelles · FSA
Get your investment license in Seychelles with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from clear scope design to the FSA licence, representatives and banking - run through our Victoria office.
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Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
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The Seychelles investment licence: the practical answers.
What licence does an investment firm need in Seychelles?+
The securities dealer licence from the FSA under the Securities Act 2007, with dealer representative licences for the individuals executing under it.
What capital is required?+
US$100,000 of minimum paid-up capital since S.I. 117 of 2024 doubled the old US$50,000, evidenced with source of funds and held at all times in a bank account: a bank licensed in Seychelles or in a jurisdiction the FSA approves.
What does an investment license in Seychelles cost?+
US$3,000 application and US$6,000 annually for the corporate licence; representative licences at US$500 and US$750 tiers.
How long does an investment license in Seychelles take?+
Realistically 3-6 months including preparation - the FSA moves at the speed of the file's completeness.
Can the licence serve EU or UK retail clients?+
No, and we say so before you build. EU and UK retail require locally licensed entities; the Seychelles dealer serves global books and non-EU clients. Serious groups run the layered structure - we build both ends.
What substance does the FSA expect?+
A real operation, partly written into the Securities Act since 1 January 2025: a resident director employed full time and at least two resident fit-and-proper people (directors, compliance officers or managers) in Seychelles at all times. Add licensed representatives, a compliance officer and audited reporting - a supervised licensee, not a shelf company.
How are Seychelles dealers taxed?+
A licensee under the Securities Act pays 1.5% business tax on assessable income and no withholding tax on the dividends and interest it pays, if its core income-generating activities run from a physical office in Seychelles with adequate staff and spending. Without that substance the general 15%/25% rates apply. No capital gains tax.
Is a Seychelles licence bankable?+
For its scope, yes - supervised dealers with real substance open accounts and custody that registrations cannot. Banking is built deliberately, and we run that workstream in parallel with the licence.
Seychelles or Mauritius for the offshore leg?+
Speed and cost versus treaties and depth: Seychelles licenses at US$100,000 in months; Mauritius adds the treaty network and the 3% system at higher substance cost. The book decides - we model both.
Why Prifinance for Seychelles?+
Clear scope design first, a complete FSA file second, banking in parallel - the offshore leg supervised, not improvised.
What licence?+
FSA securities dealer.
Capital?+
US$100,000.
Fees?+
US$3,000 + US$6,000/yr.
How long?+
3-6 months realistic.
EU retail?+
No - layered instead.
Substance?+
Statutory since 2025.
Taxes?+
1.5% with substance.
Bankable?+
For its scope, yes.
Or Mauritius?+
Speed vs treaties.
Why you?+
Clean architecture.
Client notes
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of FSA Seychelles or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.