The short answer
- Insurance is already included in every Seychelles car rental. It is a collision damage waiver, and it covers the bodywork of the car.
- It has an excess, which is the most you can be asked to pay towards damage. With SeyBooking.com it depends on the car and the island: on Mahé €1,300 or €1,800 on most of the fleet and €3,600 on four cars, on Praslin €950 to €1,500.
- The excess is not the whole story. Glass, tyres, the underside, the roof, the interior and lost keys sit outside the waiver, and those are the most common claims on these islands.
- You can reduce the excess. On the four €3,600 cars it is €10 a day to bring it down to €2,000, or €30 a day to remove it completely. On every other car we quote reduction for your car when you book.
- You should not need a deposit. We take none, except €100 in cash on the Suzuki Hustler and XL6, handed back at return, and we never place a hold on your card.
- Driving on sand voids your cover completely. This is the single most expensive mistake visitors make in Seychelles.
Is car rental insurance included in Seychelles?
Yes. Every legally rented car in Seychelles is insured. Rental operators are licensed and are required to carry motor insurance, so a car handed to you without cover is a car you should not be getting into. What is included as standard is a collision damage waiver, usually written as CDW. It is not technically an insurance policy sold to you. It is a waiver by which the operator gives up its right to charge you the full cost of damage, and limits what you can be charged to a fixed amount called the excess. Third party liability is also covered, which means damage you cause to somebody else’s vehicle or property. That part is required by Seychelles law and is not optional.What does “excess” mean on a rental car?
In plain English
The excess is a ceiling, not a charge. It is the maximum you could ever be
asked to pay towards damage, no matter how large the repair bill turns out to be.
If nothing happens, you pay nothing.
A worked example makes it concrete. Suppose you catch a wall reversing out of
a narrow parking space and the panel repair costs €2,400.
- Without any waiver, you would owe the full €2,400.
- In a Kia Picanto collected on Mahé, your liability is capped at the €1,800 excess, so you pay €1,800.
- In a Mini Moke, the €3,600 ceiling is above the bill, so you pay the €2,400 repair. With reduction at €10 a day you would pay €2,000.
- With full cover at €30 a day, you would pay nothing.
How much is the car rental excess in Seychelles?
The excess depends on the car and on the island you collect it on, because each island has its own fleet. These are the exact figures SeyBooking.com works to in 2026.Collected on Mahé
| Cars | Excess |
|---|---|
| Toyota Rumion | €1,000 |
| Suzuki Hustler 2WD, Suzuki Hustler 4WD, Suzuki XL6 | €1,300 |
| Suzuki Celerio, Kia Picanto, Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Dzire, Kia Pegas, Suzuki Fronx, Suzuki Brezza, Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Toyota Urban Cruiser | €1,800 |
| Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki Jimny, Mini Moke, GWM Tank 300 | €3,600 |
Collected on Praslin
| Cars | Excess |
|---|---|
| Suzuki Fronx | €950 |
| Kia Picanto, Hyundai Grand i10, Toyota Urban Cruiser | €1,000 |
| Suzuki Brezza | €1,500 |
What car rental insurance does NOT cover in Seychelles
This is the section worth reading twice, because it is where nearly every unexpected bill comes from. The collision damage waiver covers the bodywork. The following are excluded, and they are excluded at every excess level, which means your liability for them is the full repair cost rather than the capped amount.Glass
Windscreen, side and rear windows, and exterior mirrors. A cracked windscreen is one of the most common claims here.Tyres and wheels
Seychelles kerbs are high and unforgiving, and verges are often unmade. Kerbed alloys and sidewall damage are frequent.The underside
Undercarriage, sump and exhaust. The steep, sharply cambered mountain roads catch low cars regularly.The roof and interior
Including soft tops on open vehicles, upholstery, trim and internal accessories.Keys and locks
Loss of the keys and replacement of the locks. A modern coded key is not a cheap item.Personal belongings
Anything of yours left in the car is not insured by the vehicle policy at all.What voids your car rental insurance completely
Excluded items still leave you insured for everything else. The list below is different. These void the cover entirely, including any excess reduction you paid for, and make you liable for the full value of the vehicle.- Driving or parking on a beach, on sand, or through salt water. No car rental agreement in Seychelles permits it.
- Not reporting an accident to the police. A police report is a condition of cover, not a formality.
- Agreeing a private settlement at the roadside. This invalidates the insurance instantly and transfers the entire cost to you.
- Any alcohol at all. The legal limit in Seychelles is 0.08%, but the motor policies covering rental vehicles require the driver to be completely alcohol free. Those are two different standards and the stricter one governs your cover.
- An unnamed driver. If the person behind the wheel is not on the signed agreement, the car is uninsured.
- Leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving, or the wrong fuel.
- Theft where the car was left unlocked or with the keys in it.
- Unsurfaced mountain tracks and other routes not open to ordinary vehicles.
The sand rule, because it catches almost everyone. Seychelles
beaches look firm enough to drive on and they are not. Beyond getting stuck,
salt water reaches the underside and the brake lines, and salt water corrosion
is both expensive and specifically uninsurable. Every beach worth visiting on
Mahé and Praslin has hard standing or roadside parking within a short walk of
the sand. Park there and walk the last fifty metres.
Does my credit card cover car rental insurance in Seychelles?
Sometimes, partially, and rarely in the way people assume. Premium credit cards that advertise car rental cover usually provide a collision damage waiver reimbursement, which pays you back for the excess you were charged, after the fact, once you have paid it and filed a claim. Three things worth checking in your card’s actual policy document before you rely on it:- Most card policies exclude exactly the same items the rental waiver excludes: glass, tyres and the undercarriage. That is not a coincidence, it is where the losses are.
- Many require you to have declined the operator’s own excess reduction for the card cover to apply at all.
- Almost all require the rental to have been paid for in full on that card.
Does travel insurance cover a rental car excess?
Standalone travel insurance often includes a car hire excess benefit, either built in or as a cheap add-on. It is frequently better value than buying excess reduction from any rental company, anywhere, and it typically covers a whole year of rentals rather than one. The same caution applies. Check whether the policy covers tyres, glass and the undercarriage, because a policy that reimburses only the capped excess is not protecting you against the claims most likely to happen on these roads.Should you pay to reduce the excess?
The honest answer
There is no universally correct choice. It depends on how much risk you are
comfortable carrying and how many days you are driving.
With SeyBooking.com reduction is arranged when you book rather than at handover.
Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki Jimny, Mini Moke and GWM Tank 300
These four cars, collected on Mahé, carry a €3,600 excess and two fixed ways to lower it.| Level | Your maximum liability | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Included in every rental | €3,600 | Included |
| Reduced Lowers your excess to €2,000 | €2,000 | €10 per day |
| Full cover Nothing to pay for damage | €0 | €30 per day |
Every other car
Excess reduction is available on request. Ask when you book and we quote it for your car and your dates, in writing, before you pay anything. It tends to be worth it if you are renting for a week or more, driving the cross-island mountain roads regularly, travelling with young children and therefore distracted, or you simply do not want a €3,600 question sitting at the back of your mind on holiday. On a seven day Mini Moke rental full cover costs €210 and takes your worst case from €3,600 to nothing. It tends not to be worth it if you are renting for two or three days, staying close to your accommodation, or you already hold travel insurance with a proven car hire excess benefit. Plenty of our customers take no reduction at all and drive home perfectly happily. What matters is that the choice is yours, made with the real numbers in front of you, rather than sold to you at a counter while a queue forms behind.Do you need a deposit or a credit card in Seychelles?
Rental deposits and card pre-authorisations are common worldwide, and they are the reason so many travellers arrive expecting several hundred euro to be frozen on their card for the length of the holiday. With SeyBooking.com there is no deposit and no card hold, with one exception: the Suzuki Hustler and XL6 carry a €100 deposit, paid in cash at handover and handed back at return. We do not take card details at the time of booking and we do not pre-authorise anything. You can book without a card entirely and pay when the car is delivered, in cash or by Visa or Mastercard. Your liability for damage is the excess, and it is settled if and when damage actually occurs, against itemised evidence. Cancellation is free at any time, right up to your delivery hour, for the same reason: there is nothing of yours being held.
What happens if you damage a rental car in Seychelles?
The process should be transparent, and you are entitled to insist that it is.- At delivery, the car is inspected with you and its condition recorded with photographs. Take your own photographs as well. This is your protection, and it takes two minutes.
- If an accident occurs, do not move the vehicle, call emergency services on 999 if anyone is hurt, report it to the police and obtain a report, and contact your rental company immediately. Do not agree any private settlement.
- At collection, the car is inspected again against the delivery record.
- If new damage is found, you should receive an itemised assessment with photographs from both inspections and the actual repair quotation, not a round number.
- Any charge is capped at your excess, unless the damage falls within the exclusions above. Fair wear and tear should never be charged.
Car rental insurance in Seychelles: frequently asked questions
Is insurance included in Seychelles car rental prices?
Yes. Collision damage waiver insurance and third party liability are included in the rental price of every legally rented car in Seychelles. What varies between companies is the excess amount and what the waiver excludes.What is the excess on a hire car in Seychelles?
With SeyBooking.com it depends on the car and the island you collect it on. On Mahé the excess is €1,800 on the Suzuki Celerio, Kia Picanto, Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Dzire, Kia Pegas, Suzuki Fronx, Suzuki Brezza, Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Toyota Urban Cruiser, €1,300 on the Suzuki Hustler 2WD, Suzuki Hustler 4WD and Suzuki XL6, €1,000 on the Toyota Rumion, and €3,600 on the Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki Jimny, Mini Moke and GWM Tank 300. On Praslin it is €950 to €1,500. The excess for your car is written in your booking message and on your confirmation.Are tyres and windscreen covered by rental insurance in Seychelles?
No. Glass, tyres, wheels, the underside, the roof, the interior and lost keys are excluded from the collision damage waiver, and your liability for them is the full repair cost rather than the capped excess. Separate tyre and roadside protection is usually available as an add-on.Can I drive a rental car on the beach in Seychelles?
No. Driving or parking on sand is not permitted under any car rental agreement in Seychelles and it voids your insurance completely, including any excess reduction you paid for. Salt water damage to the underside is expensive and specifically uninsurable.Do I need a credit card to rent a car in Seychelles?
Not with SeyBooking.com. We take no card details at booking and no pre-authorisation, and no deposit except €100 in cash on the Suzuki Hustler and XL6, handed back at return. You can book without a card and pay on delivery in cash or by Visa or Mastercard. Policies differ between companies, so confirm this before you book anywhere.How much does excess reduction cost in Seychelles?
On the Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki Jimny, Mini Moke and GWM Tank 300 collected on Mahé, €10 per day lowers the €3,600 excess to €2,000 and €30 per day buys full cover with nothing to pay for damage. On every other car, reduction is available on request and we quote it for your car when you book. It must be arranged at the time of booking rather than at handover.Does my travel insurance cover the rental car excess?
Many policies include a car hire excess benefit, either built in or as an add-on, and it is often better value than buying reduction from a rental company. Check specifically whether it covers tyres, glass and the undercarriage, because those are the exclusions most likely to be triggered on Seychelles roads.What is the minimum age to rent a car in Seychelles?
Eighteen, with a driving licence held for at least twelve months. A national licence from any country is accepted, in any script, and no International Driving Permit is needed.Am I insured if someone else drives the car?
Only if that person is named on the signed rental agreement. A vehicle driven by an unnamed person is uninsured entirely. Adding a second driver is straightforward and should be arranged when you book, and every named driver must be present at handover with their licence.Insurance included. No deposit. No card hold.
Automatic cars delivered free to your airport, ferry terminal or hotel on Mahé and Praslin, with your excess confirmed in writing before you pay a cent.Related reading: Car rental terms & conditions · Driving in Seychelles · Rent a car in Seychelles · Airport car rental
Comment (0)