Living in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as a French National: Status, Entry, Housing, School, Isolation and Climate

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands form an atoll in the Indian Ocean that is an external territory of Australia. The Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands recalls in its history that the islands officially became an Australian territory in 1955, and that in 1984 the Cocos Malay community voted in favour of integration with Australia. Since 1 July 1992, the Commonwealth has applied the laws of Western Australia there, and the Shire operates as a local authority of that state. Law, currency, immigration and social protection are therefore those of Australia.

Two islands are inhabited. Home Island is the home of the Cocos Malay community and houses the Shire offices. West Island houses the airport, the government offices and most of the housing for government employees and its contractors. A third island, North Keeling, is a reserve managed by Parks Australia. Cocos Malay is the main language of the community, English being the second language, and Islam is the most widespread religion according to the Australian census. The territory has only a few hundred inhabitants, spread across these two islands.

Among the documented strengths: a stable Australian legal framework, health and education services provided in a public framework (Australian health service, Commonwealth school), a preserved island environment and a small-scale neighbourhood. For a plan to stay for several years, the presence of a public employer or a government contractor generally structures the move, as West Island concentrates the housing of these employees.

The points to watch are just as factual. Isolation is real: the Shire indicates that the only passenger link with the rest of the world is an air service to Christmas Island and Perth, of limited frequency. There is no hospital on the island, only health centres. The school stops at Year 10. And no social security agreement links France to Australia, which means choosing your health protection before departure. For the insurance aspects, see the healthcare system in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and healthcare reimbursement.

No official source read publishes a rent or a price index specific to the Cocos Islands: the economic benchmarks block of this page reproduces the national indicators available, and they should not be transposed carelessly to an island whose supplies depend on air and sea links. The Australian census describes a stock of detached houses of which about two thirds of occupied dwellings are rented: renting is the most common form of housing.

The Shire oversees construction and development: it receives building permit applications and indicates that planning questions are settled with its services, by making an appointment as early as possible. Its page on land leases is flagged as under review, so the rules on access to land or a long-term lease should be confirmed with the Shire before any project. A French national who settles for a job first checks the housing offered by the employer, its duration and its conditions.

France Diplomatie indicates that holders of a French passport need for Australia an eVisitor electronic authorisation or a visa. The eVisitor covers a stay of 3 months at most for tourism, business or a family visit; an application is needed for each family member, children included, and you must travel with the passport declared. For a tourist stay of more than 3 months, France Diplomatie recommends a visitor visa (subclass 600). A long stay to work, study or join a relative comes under another visa category, the full list of which is on the Home Affairs website.

The France Diplomatie page does not mention the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and describes no rule specific to the territory: the applicable procedure should be confirmed with the Australian Department of Home Affairs before booking a ticket. The same caution applies to a health insurance requirement set by a visa condition, which is read on the visa notification. See the page working in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands for job prospects.

For everyday life, the Shire notably keeps a register of motor vehicles. Tax identification and health formalities depend on residence status and are carried out with the relevant Australian bodies (ATO, Services Australia). Registration on the roll of French nationals living abroad is done with the French embassy in Australia or one of the consulates general (Sydney, Melbourne); the France Diplomatie pages read do not specify the competent post for the Cocos Islands, which should be confirmed directly with the embassy in Canberra.

The island’s school is the Cocos Islands District High School, a Commonwealth school run under an agreement between the Commonwealth and the state of Western Australia, whose Department of Education provides the curricula. It has two sites. The Home Island site takes pupils from kindergarten to Year 6. The West Island site has a primary school of the same level and the secondary school, up to Year 10. Home Island pupils who enter secondary school cross the lagoon by ferry each day, about 8 km. Cocos Malay is the community’s language, and the Shire specifies that Indonesian and English are taught at school.

Years 11 and 12 are completed at mainland schools: schooling on the island therefore stops before upper secondary, which directly concerns families with teenagers. No accredited French school was identified in the official sources consulted for the Cocos Islands. Families who wish to maintain a French curriculum rely on distance learning or on the French embassy for the solutions available. See also expat family insurance.

France Diplomatie indicates that Australia is not a country with a significant security risk; it recommends ordinary precautions in busy places. Its Safety section does not mention the Cocos Islands. For the sea, it advises swimming only between the flags when there are any, avoiding swimming alone, being wary of currents and protecting yourself from the sun, Australia having one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.

The emergency number is 000 for the whole of Australia. On site, the Shire describes an emergency service available day and night in the Home Island and West Island health centres, and an on-call nurse outside opening hours; outside opening hours, it also indicates that the on-call nurse can be contacted by marine radio. Registration on Ariane is recommended before departure. An assistance contract covering medical costs and medical repatriation is deemed essential by France Diplomatie; see repatriation and assistance.

The Shire describes a subtropical climate: average maximum temperatures range from about 28 °C in August to about 30 °C in February and March, minimums stay above 23 °C all year round, and relative humidity is high. The islands are affected by cyclonic conditions but are rarely on the direct path of a cyclone, according to the Shire. France Diplomatie for its part reports cyclonic phenomena in Australia, in the north of the country from November to April, and invites people to follow the instructions of the local authorities.

The Shire also devotes a project to coastal development: the coastal hazard risk management and adaptation plan (CHRMAP), published by the Australian government, is described as a high-level strategic framework and not as an implementation plan. Detailed studies of coastal processes and flooding remain to be carried out. For a plan to settle long term, it is useful to read this plan and to ask the Shire how far its implementation has got before choosing an island and housing.

France Diplomatie reminds travellers that the vaccines recommended in France are also essential during a stay abroad, in particular against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough and measles. Other vaccines may be added depending on the length of stay, notably against dengue, chikungunya or Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever is required of travellers from endemic areas. A doctor or an international vaccination centre specifies the useful vaccines before departure.

Expavy compares the international health cover suited to a stay on an isolated territory; the page health insurance in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands summarises the requirements and costs, and the page healthcare system details the island’s health centres.