Seychelles International Airport
Best for: Repeated Mahé stops beginning at SEZ
Confirm the exact SIXT handover space and whether a full-stay car is useful before booking.
Seychelles International Airport car hire
At Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) on Mahé, SIXT places its desk on the left after customs, beside the Etihad Airways office. SIXT vehicles return at the same collection point, with a 24-hour return option, although staffed business hours are listed separately. Confirm the exact parking space and key procedure on the booking. Other airport car-hire companies may use different handovers. Self-drive works best for repeated Mahé stops; steep, winding roads and an onward ferry trip make a transfer or a shorter hire worth comparing.
Editor: Ane
Seychelles International Airport at a glance
- Collection
- SIXT places its desk left after customs next to the Etihad Airways office. Ask staff to identify the actual vehicle bay.
- Return
- SIXT returns use the same collection point, with a 24-hour return option; confirm the key procedure for an unattended time.
- Driving documents
- UK photocard licence holders may drive for up to three months; a paper licence may need conversion or a 1968 IDP. Suppliers may be stricter.
- Island boundary
- Mahé car hire does not automatically permit taking the car on a ferry to Praslin or La Digue. Check the contract and plan separate transport.
Search Seychelles International Airport car hire
Search starts at Seychelles Airport [SEZ] Victoria (Mahé Island) - Seychelles, with the same return location and USD as the requested currency. Check the exact branch, collection instructions and full conditions in the selected offer.
Preparing live car hire search
Choose when to collect in Seychelles International Airport
Supplier collection arrangements
Selected airport rental operators and collection arrangements. Check availability in your search. Your selected offer and voucher identify the booked branch.
Desk left after customs, beside the Etihad Airways office; staff identify the vehicle handover point.
- SIXT
Return at the same collection point, with the exact parking and key instructions confirmed on the reservation.
Find the booked SEZ handover
The desk, vehicle bay and island itinerary are separate decisions.
SIXT after customs
SIXT customers go left after customs, next to the Etihad Airways office. Follow the booked operator name and arrival instructions; an airport list of several hire firms does not mean their desks or vehicle bays are interchangeable. Bring the booking reference and flight details, and ask where the car is parked before leaving the desk. If a flight is delayed, contact the branch using the number on the reservation.
Prepare the SEZ counter documentsHandover at the vehicle
The SIXT desk and return use the same collection point. Confirm the numbered bay for your booking. Let staff direct you to the actual car and save that location for departure. Check the plate, fuel, tyres, interior and any damage against the agreement. Photograph the car before moving it. Ask where you can safely stop to set navigation without blocking the airport access road.
Treat the SIXT return as an airport task
The booked collection point is the starting location for finding the return, not a generic passenger lane.
Same-point return
SIXT returns use the same collection point, with a 24-hour return option at SEZ. Ask staff for the actual driveway, parking space and key-handback steps when collecting the car. The desk is next to the Etihad office, but the key may need a separate drop procedure outside staffed hours. Save an offline map pin for the car location, not just the terminal entrance.
Compare airport and later pickupStaffed hours differ
SIXT has daily staffed hours from 06:00 to midnight and a separate 24-hour return option. Confirm whether your departure time requires an unattended drop, whether any fee applies and how the final condition is assessed. Refuel under the signed fuel policy, keep the receipt and photograph the parked car, gauge and odometer before leaving keys. Allow time to walk to check-in and resolve any problem with the return location.
Choose a car for Mahé’s actual roads
Island distances alone understate the driving effort.
Narrow mountain roads
Mahé roads can be narrow and winding, with steep drops, hairpins and sometimes no safety barrier. Watch for deep roadside drains and rapid deterioration after heavy rain. Pick a manageable vehicle, drive conservatively and avoid planning a demanding first route immediately after a long flight. A larger SUV does not remove these constraints and may be harder to park at a small guesthouse.
Plan passengers and luggage from Seychelles International AirportLeft-side routine
Seychelles traffic keeps left, so use the first few kilometres to settle into roundabouts, road position and parking. Set the destination before leaving the airport and let a passenger handle directions. Check that your accommodation has a practical driveway; a hilltop address may involve sharp bends even when its map distance looks short. If arrival is late or wet, a transfer followed by a daylight rental start may be easier.
Assess whether to collect at SEZCheck driving entitlement and supplier acceptance
The legal visitor rule and the rental counter’s conditions are not identical.
UK licence example
UK photocard licence holders can drive in Seychelles for three months. A holder of an older paper licence may need to update it or obtain a 1968 International Driving Permit. Other nationalities must check the rule for their own issuing country. Carry originals and confirm whether a translation or permit is needed before paying for a non-refundable rental.
SIXT and additional drivers
SIXT has a minimum age of 21 at SEZ, with some categories requiring a higher age, and requires a valid licence plus passport or identity card. Verify the exact car class, licence-tenure requirement, additional-driver fee and payment card terms on your offer. Every intended driver should be named at collection. A reservation accepted online is not a waiver of missing documents or a promise that a deposit is unnecessary.
Check licence and card requirementsKeep Mahé and onward islands separate
A SEZ rental is a road plan on Mahé unless the contract expressly says otherwise.
Mahé stay
A car can work for repeated stops between beaches, accommodation and Victoria when parking is available. Compare a full-stay rental with taxis, buses or a shorter hire period if several days are spent at one property. Buses are cheap but can be infrequent, and most stop by 8pm. Confirm current schedules and route coverage for the actual places you plan to visit.
Ferry itinerary
If the trip continues to Praslin or La Digue, plan the car hand-back before the ferry unless the supplier explicitly permits the journey and provides cover. Do not infer ferry permission from a map, a one-way search field or the fact that other islands have car-hire firms. Other SEZ suppliers can set different cross-island conditions. Book island transport as a separate leg.
Check the exact return pairRead the complete SEZ offer before choosing
Pickup convenience has little value if timing or cover fails.
Cost and protection
Compare the same pickup time, return time, car class, taxes and full cost. Check the excess, exclusions, deposit, fuel policy and how a claim is handled after an unattended return. Ask whether child seats and an additional driver are available for the dates. Do not equate a damage-waiver label with zero liability. Save the booking conditions and branch contact details offline before the flight.
Final record
At collection, record existing damage in the agreement and photographs. At departure, use the agreed return location and take final images of each side, interior, fuel and mileage. Request a receipt if staff are present; if keys are dropped after hours, retain the timestamp and check the closing report later. Review the final card charge against the contract and raise any discrepancy with the operator promptly.
Keep the handover recordSeychelles International Airport rental questions
Where is the SIXT desk at Seychelles Airport?
SIXT places its desk left after customs, next to the Etihad Airways office. Ask staff for the specific vehicle bay for your booking.
Can a SIXT car be returned at any hour at SEZ?
SIXT has a 24-hour return option at the same collection point. Its staffed hours are different, so confirm the parking and key procedure for your time.
Can I drive with a UK photocard licence in Seychelles?
UK photocard licence holders can drive for three months. The rental company may apply stricter age, licence-tenure or permit rules.
Can I take a Mahé rental car to Praslin?
Do not assume so. Check the exact supplier contract and ferry conditions, or return the Mahé car and arrange separate transport on the next island.
Compare Seychelles International Airport car hire
Choose your dates and compare the total price, pickup arrangements and rental conditions. Check the branch and return plan before confirming an offer.
Search Seychelles International Airport car hire