Living in Fiji as a French National: Stay, Safety, Housing and Healthcare

A French national obtains a tourist visa of up to four months free of charge on arrival. France Diplomatie lists the documents to present: a passport valid at least six months beyond the end of the visa issued, proof of stay (accommodation or booking with an operator) and a return ticket. Travellers without a return ticket have encountered difficulties with immigration at Nadi airport. All health-related entry restrictions have been lifted. For volunteering with associations, France Diplomatie refers to France-Volontaires.

The Fijian immigration service organises its authorisations in categories: visitor, long- or short-term work, business visitor, student, investor, as well as residence and retirement, with residence permits based on assured income and long-term residence permits. Applications are submitted online on the Immi Hub portal and paid online. The published scale shows FJ$650.05 for a work permit, a residence permit and a short-term permit, FJ$185 for issuing the permit, FJ$93 for extending a visitor permit and FJ$929 for an appeal. Dependants are limited to the legal spouse and children under 18; documents to be translated must be in English, with notarial certification in the country of residence. France Diplomatie does not handle permits and refers to the immigration website.

• Money: no currency restrictions; amounts equivalent to more than FJ$10,000 must be declared to customs. Euros are accepted at exchange offices and bank cards work widely in tourist areas and the capital; small shops prefer cash.
• Customs: tobacco and alcohol are regulated; meat, dairy products, seeds, plants, firearms and certain bladed weapons are banned from import.
• Pets: prior administrative approval and quarantine; six weeks for dogs and cats.

France Diplomatie indicates that crime is rising sharply. Pickpocketing and scams occur in public places, including markets; thefts and burglaries increase during the end-of-year festivities (Diwali and Christmas) and also affect homes and hotels. Assaults in the evening or at night have been reported in Nadi, near bars and nightclubs, and in Suva, notably on Victoria Parade. Sexual assaults have been reported, especially in the west where tourism is concentrated. The advice covers practical caution:

• avoid large sums of money and jewellery, keep photocopies of your papers and digital copies stored separately;
• keep documents and valuables in a safe and favour hotels that offer one;
• travel in a group in the evening and avoid isolated paths, by day as well as by night;
• do not resist in the event of an assault, as many incidents involve intoxicated people or organised groups.

The French embassy in Suva (Pacific House, Butt Street) has limited capacity to intervene in a crisis: it issues neither identity documents nor travel documents, and can if necessary issue a laissez-passer valid only for returning to France. Administrative procedures fall under the French consulate general in Sydney. Office line: +679 331 05 26; out-of-hours emergency line: +679 992 17 52 (numbers to be checked on the France Diplomatie website, which also gives another).

The cyclone season traditionally runs from early November to the end of April. France Diplomatie recommends following the instructions of the local authorities and hoteliers, following the Fiji Meteorological Service and the National Disaster Management Office, returning to your accommodation as soon as a pre-alert is issued and no longer travelling until the alerts have ended; a curfew may be imposed. Falling branches, electrocutions and shipwrecks cause deaths every year, and tropical storms can cause water and power cuts and close international airports for several days.

Other risks: drownings are reported every year, with isolated beaches liable to very strong currents linked to the reefs; divers check for the presence of sharks with operators; access to beaches near villages should be confirmed beforehand, as some islands or island groups are off limits, such as the Lau group or Bau for sailing boats. Solidly built housing, a stock of water and food and suitable home insurance are basic precautions.

Suva, the capital on the south-east coast of Viti Levu, concentrates the administration, the French embassy, the main public hospital and university life. Nadi, in the west, hosts the international airport and significant tourism; Lautoka, further north, is a port and hospital hub. Labasa, on Vanua Levu, serves the north of the archipelago. No official source consulted publishes rents or property prices; the land occupation rules applicable to non-citizens should be checked with the authorities before any purchase or long-term lease. Renting for a few weeks, visiting several neighbourhoods and having a lease checked by a local professional before committing are classic safeguards; also check the distance to the hospital, the exposure of the housing to flooding and cyclone winds and the reliability of water and electricity.

The choice of area depends on the project: the west eases access to the airport and tourist services, Suva to public and cultural services. France Diplomatie reports risks of targeted assaults in certain neighbourhoods of these two towns: favour reliable transport and travelling in groups in the evening.

The Fijian economy rests on services (more than half of value added), agriculture (about 14%) and industry (about 14%) according to the World Bank, and on tourism, which accounts for a large share of exports. The Bureau of Statistics records nearly a million visitors for a population of about 900,000. No administration consulted publishes a typical budget for an expatriate; build your own from quotes for rent, food, transport and insurance. The “Economic benchmarks” block gives the day’s exchange rate of the Fijian dollar.

English is the language of administration and education, alongside Fijian and Fiji Hindi. No official source read lists an accredited French school in the archipelago: the French embassy in Suva and the Agency for French Education Abroad provide information on schooling solutions, notably international schools or distance learning.

France Diplomatie presents as essential an assistance contract or insurance covering all medical costs, surgery, hospitalisation and medical repatriation: without cover, access to care, including in a life-threatening emergency, may be compromised, and the embassy covers these costs in no case. Health risks include dengue (on the rise in the west, north and centre), chikungunya, Zika, typhoid, leptospirosis in all divisions and brucellosis in livestock. Water should only be drunk bottled or made safe.

Details are in Fiji’s healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement in Fiji. To compare cover, see expat health insurance and the CFE or private insurance (the CFE is the Caisse des Français de l’étranger, the French social security fund for nationals abroad). The pages working in Fiji and retiring in Fiji complete the preparation, and the country page summarises the general framework.