URL: https://esimgo.in/international-sim/seychelles/
Buy: https://esimgo.in/esim-seychelles/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/
Updated: 14 Oct 2026

# Seychelles SIM card for Indian travellers: Airtel roaming, local SIM or eSIM

Jio sells no data pack for the Seychelles; only its Global Pack balance, spent at standard roaming rates, lists the islands. Airtel's ₹998 and ₹1,298 prepaid packs and two Vi prepaid packs do cover the Seychelles (as listed on 13 Oct 2026). A data-only eSIM for the Seychelles installed in India starts at ≈ ₹761 (13 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 7 days, charged US$7.99 by card.

## Seychelles eSIM or local SIM: what Indian travellers need

On Mahé and the other islands you need mobile data for maps, ferry bookings and messages home. An eSIM for Seychelles supplies that data the moment you land and keeps your Indian SIM in the phone for OTPs. A Seychelles tourist SIM bought as a local SIM on arrival only pays off if you want a local number. No plan is the best eSIM for Seychelles on every trip. For other island trips, see our [country SIM guides](/international-sim/).

A physical Seychelles SIM card from a local operator needs a free slot; on a single-slot phone it replaces the Indian SIM. We quote no Seychelles SIM card price in rupees or local currency because we have not verified current rates. India's Ministry of Tourism counted 23,560 departures of Indian nationals to the Seychelles in 2025.

Of the local networks, our Seychelles plans run on Airtel (the Seychelles network), on 4G, with data only and no calls or SMS. Hotspot / tethering use draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule. The catalogue has five plans, all with fixed data: 1 GB for 7 days, 2 GB for 15 days, and 3, 5 or 10 GB for 30 days. There is no unlimited data plan. We hold no island-by-island coverage data for the Seychelles, so ask us before you rely on mobile data on Praslin or La Digue.

## Airtel and Vi packs in the Seychelles, and why Jio has none (checked 13 Oct 2026)

Only Jio's Global Pack names the Seychelles; the 100-country and 75-country packs, the World Pack and the data packs leave it out. Airtel and Vi each sell packs that list it. The five rows below, the Jio balance among them, range from ₹998 to ₹3,495 as listed on 13 Oct 2026.

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

| Pack | Price | Data · days | Calls · SMS | ≈ ₹ per GB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jio Global Pack (balance, not a data pack) | ₹1,101 | ₹933.05 balance · 28 days | standard roaming rates · 5 ISD SMS | no GB figure | [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Airtel prepaid IR, 5 days | ₹998 | 4 GB · 5 days | 150 min · 20 SMS | about ₹250 | [Airtel T&C PDF](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Airtel prepaid IR, 10 days | ₹1,298 | 6 GB · 10 days | 200 min · 20 SMS | about ₹216 | [Airtel T&C PDF](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Ultra (non-UL zone) | ₹3,495 | 2 GB · 7 days | 200 min | about ₹1,748 | [Vi prepaid T&C PDF](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Budget (Set 2) | ₹1,495 | 750 MB · 15 days | 100 min | about ₹1,993 | [Vi prepaid T&C PDF](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |

Every row links to the operator's document as read on 13 Oct 2026; ₹ per GB is our own division of price by data. The Global Pack also comes as ₹1,102 with a ₹933.90 balance. Airtel's T&C carry the date 24 Sep 2026, and its FAQ page still shows older prices.

Airtel's international roaming covers the Seychelles through its one pack set for the 189 countries it advertises; there is no Seychelles-specific pack, and the cheapest prepaid pack is ₹698 for 1 GB over a day. Vi splits its answer. Prepaid puts the Seychelles in the non-UL zone, where Ultra carries 2 GB instead of data printed as FREE, and separately in Budget Set 2, where ₹1,495 carries 750 MB. Vi's postpaid terms list the Seychelles in Set 1, their unlimited table, and we could not confirm that this table is current.

A Jio user is left with the balance at standard rates or an eSIM. See the [Airtel roaming page](/roaming/airtel/) and the [Vi roaming page](/roaming/vi/) for the full pack lists.

## Two Airtels: your Indian pack and the local network our plan uses

The network behind our Seychelles plan is called Airtel; this page writes it as Airtel (the Seychelles network). That is the local network's name. The Indian Airtel pack is a separate product sold by Airtel India: it works on your Indian SIM, and our eSIM does not use it.

Your Airtel India prepaid pack lists the Seychelles under the single pack set that Airtel India sells for all covered countries. A prepaid pack books up to 30 days before travel; if you do not travel within 30 days, it expires with no reimbursement. Airtel's prepaid validity starts when your phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage. Our data plan validity starts at the first connection to a Seychelles network.

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## Fixed-data plans only: size a 5- or 7-night stay

The only 7-day row holds 1 GB, the other rows run 15 or 30 days, and none is unlimited, so you size by data. At 0.3 GB a day, five days use about 1.5 GB and fit the 15-day 2 GB plan at ≈ ₹1,714 (13 Oct rate). At 0.8 GB a day they come to 4 GB and need the 5 GB plan at ≈ ₹3,143 (13 Oct rate) (our calculation, profiles from the [data guide](/how-much-data-do-i-need/)).

Seven days at 0.3 GB is about 2.1 GB, just over the 2 GB row, so take the 3 GB plan at ≈ ₹2,286 (13 Oct rate). Seven days at 0.8 GB is about 5.6 GB, which needs the 10 GB plan at ≈ ₹5,525 (13 Oct rate). The 5 GB plan is charged US$32.99 by card.

On 13 Oct 2026, Airtel's ₹998 pack (4 GB over 5 days) and its ₹1,298 pack (6 GB over 10 days) both cost less than our 5 GB plan, and both carry minutes on your Indian number. Our plan matters most to Jio holders, who have no data pack for the Seychelles. Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. The ≈ ₹ price (charged in USD) is an estimate at the day's rate.

The [Africa plan](/esim-africa/) lists the Seychelles too. On 13 Oct 2026 the Seychelles plan cost less than it on the 7-day 1 GB, 3 GB, 5 GB and 10 GB rows and about the same on the 15-day 2 GB row: ≈ ₹1,714 (13 Oct rate) against ≈ ₹1,762 (13 Oct rate). For a trip that also stops in [Mauritius](/international-sim/mauritius/), compare the Africa plan, which lists both. The [Maldives guide](/international-sim/maldives/) covers the other island route.

## Setting up the Seychelles eSIM before you fly

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land in the Seychelles. Look your phone up on the [eSIM phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/), order on the [Seychelles eSIM page](/esim-seychelles/), and do the QR code install on home Wi-Fi. After touchdown, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line.

The Seychelles plan sets its access point name automatically on both iPhone and Android. Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

## Bank OTPs and your Indian number in the Seychelles

Bank OTPs are texts to your Indian number, and the Seychelles eSIM cannot take texts. Keep the Indian SIM active as a second line with its mobile data off, and ask your operator whether SMS reaches you in the Seychelles on your plan. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you.

Airtel's ₹118 prepaid IR activation, valid 28 days at standard rates, "allows unlimited incoming SMS" and needs an active base pack. Vi's ₹118 standard-rates pack makes incoming SMS free for 28 days. Jio users should check the MyJio app. Dual-SIM set-up is in the [OTP guide](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/).

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/).

**Updated on 13 Oct 2026 — what changed.** First edition. Operator rows were read on 13 Oct 2026; our prices follow the live storefront.

## Sources

Checked on 13 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n); country lists of the [100-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-new-packs.pdf), [75-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-covered-country-list-32.pdf), [World Pack](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/continents-pack-details.pdf), [data-pack](https://jep-asset.akamaized.net/jio/plan/ir-covered-country-list-70.pdf) and [Global Pack](https://jep-asset.akamaized.net/jio/plan/Direct_Country_and_Partner_Name_22072020.pdf) offers
2. [Airtel prepaid IR terms, 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf)
3. [Vi prepaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) and [Vi postpaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_Postpaid_IR_T&C.pdf)
4. [Ministry of Tourism, India: departures to the Seychelles, 2025](https://data.tourism.gov.in/chart-data-outboundcountry/2025?country=SEYCHELLES)

## FAQ

### Will my Jio SIM work in the Seychelles?

Once international roaming is on, yes, but Jio sells no data pack for the Seychelles. Only the Global Pack balance lists it: ₹1,101, spent at standard roaming rates (13 Oct 2026).

### Does Airtel international roaming cover the Seychelles?

Yes. Airtel advertises 189 countries on one pack set, and the Seychelles is one of them. Prepaid ₹998 buys 4 GB and 150 minutes for 5 days (13 Oct 2026). Without a pack, Airtel bars prepaid data abroad.

### Which Seychelles plan fits a 7-night stay?

Only a 1 GB plan lasts 7 days; the other plans run 15 or 30 days. For about 2 GB, the 3 GB plan for 30 days fits; for about 6 GB, take the 10 GB plan. There are no unlimited plans.

### Can I get OTPs and use WhatsApp with a Seychelles eSIM?

WhatsApp messages go over the eSIM's data. OTPs reach your Indian number by SMS, which this data-only eSIM cannot receive, so keep the Indian SIM active in the phone.

### Is the Seychelles network called Airtel the same as Airtel India?

Airtel is the name of the local network our Seychelles plan uses. The Indian Airtel roaming pack is a separate product sold by Airtel India: it works on your Indian SIM, and our eSIM does not use it.

### Does my phone support eSIM?

Our eSIM phone list shows whether your exact model takes an eSIM; a model not listed should be treated as no.