Seychelles Privacy 2026/2027: What Stays Confidential and What Goes Public

Seychelles has long been one of the most popular jurisdictions globally for International Business Companies, and its appeal has always rested partly on the confidentiality it provides. That confidentiality framework is being adjusted, not dismantled, by the International Business Companies (Amendment) Act 2026, signed on 11 August 2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 24 August 2026. From January 1, 2027, one category of information enters the public domain for the first time: director names and their dates of appointment. Everything else — UBO identity, shareholders, nominee details, addresses, nationalities — stays strictly private. Understanding exactly where the line sits is now essential for anyone who owns, manages, or advises on a Seychelles IBC.

What Changes from January 1, 2027

Seychelles FSA · Certificate of Official Search · director names public from 1 Jan 2027

The sole change to the public information landscape is the expansion of the Certificate of Official Search. From January 1, 2027, only a director's name and date of appointment become public, via a Certificate of Official Search issued by the Seychelles IBC Registrar upon application by any party. This is a meaningful change from the current position, where the Certificate of Official Search confirms company status, registration number, and registered office but contains no information about who directs the company.

Two data points only enter the public domain. Name. Date of appointment. Nothing else. Address, nationality, identification numbers, nominee status, and nominator particulars all remain confidential and are not disclosed via the Certificate of Official Search or any other public mechanism.

For companies using nominee directors, the position is clear: the nominee's name and appointment date will appear in the public search from 2027. The identity of the nominator (the person giving instructions to the nominee) is recorded in the internal corporate register but is not public. A nominee director arrangement remains fully legal and continues to provide a meaningful layer of privacy between the public record and the ultimate beneficial owner.

What Stays Private: The Full Confidentiality Map

The UBO Framework: Private by Design

FIU central database · UBO data private · authorities only · no public access

The Seychelles beneficial ownership framework operates at two levels. The first is the internal register of beneficial owners maintained by the licensed resident agent. The second is the centralised database maintained by the Seychelles Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), to which resident agents submit UBO data electronically. The FIU database is a private government database, accessible only to the FIU, the Central Bank of Seychelles, the FSA, the Seychelles Licensing Authority, and law enforcement — not to third parties or the general public.

The threshold for beneficial ownership is 10% or more of ownership or control. Anyone meeting or exceeding that threshold must be identified in the register and reported to the FIU. Required particulars include full legal name, date of birth, residential address, nationality, and (under recent amendments) National Identification Number and Tax Identification Number where applicable.

Changes to beneficial ownership must be reported to the resident agent within 21 days of the change occurring. The resident agent then updates the FIU database. From 2026, licensed local banks and registered agents also have access to the FIU database for AML and due diligence purposes. This represents a modest widening of access beyond pure law enforcement but remains far removed from any form of public register. There are no current plans to make UBO data publicly accessible in Seychelles.

What IBC Owners Should Do Now

IBC compliance checklist · deadline 31 December 2026

Three actions are required before December 31, 2026:

1. Review your director register. If you use a nominee director, confirm the register explicitly flags nominee status and records the nominator's full identification details. If these are not yet recorded, instruct your resident agent to update the register immediately.
2. Verify your UBO filing is current. Confirm that your resident agent has filed accurate and up to date beneficial ownership particulars with the FIU, including NIN and TIN where required under the 2021 amendment. Any change in UBO details must be reported within 21 days of occurrence.
3. Assess whether nominee directors remain appropriate. If director name disclosure from 2027 creates an issue for your structure, consider whether the use of a corporate director or an alternative arrangement better serves your privacy requirements. 1Stop Connect and its accredited partner can review your existing Seychelles structure and advise on whether adjustments are required before the deadline.

For anyone considering establishing a new Seychelles IBC, the framework remains competitive. UBO data stays private. Shareholders stay private. The only public exposure from 2027 is the director name on the Certificate of Official Search, which a properly structured nominee arrangement addresses entirely. 1Stop Connect and its accredited partner incorporates Seychelles IBCs directly, with full resident agent and compliance support.

For a broader view of how Seychelles compares to other offshore jurisdictions on beneficial ownership privacy, see our article on Beneficial Ownership Registers: Where Privacy Still Exists. For an overview of how Seychelles structures fit into layered holding and trust arrangements, see Trust vs Foundation vs Company: Asset Protection Compared.