Living on Christmas Island as a French National: Visa, Housing, Schooling, Climate and Isolation

Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia. The Australian Department of Infrastructure explains that the Australian government derives its power to legislate for territories from section 122 of the Constitution, that the island has no state level of government and that the Australian government provides state-type services there. An Administrator, appointed by the Governor-General, represents the minister; the Christmas Island Act 1958 organises the legislative and judicial system and applies laws of Western Australia there. Sovereignty was transferred from the United Kingdom to Australia on 1 October 1958, a day celebrated each year as “Territory Day”.

The island, of about 135 km², is the summit of an underwater mountain: a plateau of tropical forest (up to 360 metres in altitude), a coast of cliffs and thirteen coves where small beaches open out. The national park, managed by Parks Australia, covers nearly two thirds of the territory. According to the census data published by the Department, the community is small and diverse: Chinese, Australian and Malay ancestries are the most common, and more than half of households speak a language other than English at home, notably Malay and Mandarin.

The strengths documented by official sources: an Australian legal and institutional framework, federal services provided as on the mainland (social security, customs, quarantine, pharmaceutical benefits), a public health service on the island, a public school from kindergarten to year 12, exceptional nature (forest, reefs, seabirds, the red crab migration) and, according to census data, a median income above the national median and median rents markedly lower.

The constraints: remoteness (the Department specifies that air links are supported by the government as they are not commercially viable), a job market centred on the public sector, phosphate mining and a small tourism sector, a limited retail offer, specialist care sometimes available only in Perth, and a high cost for any evacuation if insurance does not cover it. French Sécurité sociale plays no role on site, for lack of an agreement (see the page healthcare reimbursement on Christmas Island).

France Diplomatie indicates that French nationals must hold an eVisitor electronic travel authorisation or a visa for Australia. Home Affairs specifies that France is among the eligible countries, that the eVisitor allows stays of three months at most on each entry over twelve months, that it is applied for from outside Australia, that an application is needed for each family member and that it is not a work visa. It also allows training of three months at most, and it cannot be extended: to stay longer, you must apply for another visa.

To settle, the visa depends on the project: working holiday visa for eligible young French nationals, skilled worker visa sponsored by an employer, student visa, permanent residence visa. The Department of Infrastructure specifies that, to reach the island from mainland Australia, neither a passport nor an additional visa is required; each passenger, children included, must nevertheless present a photo identity document, the passport being the preferred document. The usual immigration and customs procedures apply on entry from abroad. No entry rule specific to the island, distinct from that of the rest of Australia, was found in the Home Affairs and France Diplomatie pages read.

See also the page working on Christmas Island for work rights, and the overview page Christmas Island for the overall framework.

The Department of Infrastructure provides the island with staff housing and public housing, and the housing stock is that of a small community: according to the census data it publishes, the share of renters among households is large, the median rent is far below that of Australia as a whole, and a notable share of dwellings is unoccupied. The supply nevertheless depends on availability on site; a newcomer’s accommodation is arranged before departure, notably with the employer.

The real cost of living is not published by the official sources read. The Department indicates that air and sea freight is constrained: freight space depends on the number of passengers, excess baggage, the state of the runways and the weather, with priority given to aircraft parts, vital medical products and perishable foods. The result is a narrower range of products than on the mainland, to be checked before any commitment.

Transport. The island is linked to Perth by an air service that the Australian government supports. The Department mentions a time difference of one hour behind Western Australian standard time and no daylight saving time. Some national park roads are reserved for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Telecommunications and energy. The island has full telephone access with the mainland (dialling code +61 8) and a mobile network, but some areas have no reception: the Department recommends a personal locator beacon for any outing away from residential areas, lent free of charge by the Australian Federal Police. Electricity (240 V, 50 Hz) is produced by a local diesel-engine power station.

Banking and mail. Banking and postal services exist but are limited, with a small number of cash withdrawal points: plan means of payment and cash accordingly.

Animals. Importing dogs and cats is prohibited by a local ordinance, with a possible exemption for an assistance dog granted by the Administrator. The quarantine rules of the Australian Department of Agriculture apply to goods brought in; its information number is 1800 900 090.

The island’s school is Christmas Island District High School, which takes pupils from kindergarten to year 12 and offers Mandarin or Malay as an option; it is part of the Western Australian public system. Teaching follows Australian curricula.

No accredited French school appears in the France Diplomatie list: the schools of the Agency for French Education Abroad network are located in other regions of Australia. For maintaining French or preparing a return to France, the embassy’s educational cooperation page mentions the CNED (the French distance-learning centre), as well as FLAM associations that offer workshops in French.

The France Diplomatie pages on Australia do not mention Christmas Island: local instructions are those of the Department of Infrastructure, of the Australian Federal Police, which provides local policing on the island, and of the national park. France Diplomatie’s general advice (assistance contract, registration on Ariane, emergency numbers) remains valid.

The climate is tropical: from 21 °C to 32 °C, humidity of 80 to 90%, pleasant south-east trade winds for most of the year, but storms and swell during the rainy season, from November to April; rainfall is around 2,000 mm a year. The national park website recommends driving carefully during rainy periods and during the red crab migration, which takes place after the start of the rainy season, following the lunar cycle, and not feeding wildlife.

The sea and cliffs call for particular vigilance: the park indicates that swimming is only recommended at Flying Fish Cove in calm seas, that no beach is patrolled by lifeguards, that the cliffs are steep and very dangerous and that the rocky shore platforms should be avoided. It also advises wearing sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and carrying plenty of water.

In an emergency, the single number for the whole of Australia is 000 (France Diplomatie). No special vaccination is required for the island (Department of Infrastructure); the vaccines recommended in France remain essential (France Diplomatie). See the page healthcare system on Christmas Island.

English is the language of Australian administrative procedures. The local radio broadcasts in English, Malay and Chinese, and the island’s festivals reflect its diversity: Australia Day, Chinese New Year, Anzac Day, Territory Day. For a visit to the Kampong, the Department asks for dress that is respectful of the Muslim community (shoulders and legs covered).

For consular services, the “useful contacts” page of France Diplomatie indicates that the French embassy in Canberra is responsible for the whole of Australian territory, subject to the jurisdictions of the consulates general in Sydney and Melbourne; the page on the Sydney consulate general describes a district made up of Australia, and that of Melbourne lists the states of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Christmas Island is not named: confirm the competent post before registering on the roll of French nationals living abroad.

Expavy helps you compare the health cover options for French nationals settling abroad; see the page expat health insurance.