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

France Diplomatie specifies that French nationals do not need to apply in advance for a visa for a tourist stay: a visitor visa, valid three months whatever the actual length of stay, is issued on arrival. The documents requested are a passport valid at least six months beyond the end of the planned stay, a return ticket whose departure date does not exceed three months after arrival and a hotel booking or an invitation letter from relatives confirming accommodation. Yachtsmen complete customs and immigration formalities only in Port-Vila and Luganville (Santo), on pain of heavy fines. Covid-19 entry measures were lifted on 12 September 2022.

For settlement, the immigration service organises residence visas for stays of more than twelve months: spouse or child of a citizen, employee of a Vanuatu company for at least twelve months, investor approved by the VIPA, holder of a lease on a property of at least 10 million VT, or ‘self-funded’ with a certified monthly income of 250,000 VT, or 500,000 VT for a couple. Fees range from 2,880 VT for a minor to 57,600 VT for an adult for one year, up to 511,200 VT for ten years; the ‘self-funded’ category does not include dependants. The service warns against fake permanent residence cards and unauthorised intermediaries, and gives a contact number on (+678) 22354. No official source read details a visa dedicated to retirees.

The French embassy in Port-Vila (Tassiriki, Teouma road), which also covers the Solomon Islands, can be reached on +678 28 700. As soon as you settle in, registration on the register of French nationals living abroad is recommended; the Vanuatu page gives details of the French community.

France Diplomatie places Vanuatu under heightened vigilance. Burglaries, assaults and, more rarely, murders are reported, as well as simple thefts. The advice covers practical caution: keep doors and windows closed at night, secure your passport, tickets and valuables with a photocopy of the passport, keep an eye on luggage loaded into vehicles, notably at airports, and avoid walking alone or taking a bus, minibus or taxi at night, a precaution especially recommended for women.

Beaches are not supervised and currents can be very dangerous: avoid swimming in isolated places. Sharks are sometimes present offshore, notably around Espiritu Santo and Malekula; inquire with the authorities before any water activity. Registering with the Fil d’Ariane service (the French foreign ministry’s traveller alert registration) makes it possible to receive alerts.

The cyclone season runs from November to the end of April. Official instructions are published by the National Disaster Management Office (ndmo.gov.vu); the Vanuatu Meteorological and Geological Department (VMGD) issues alerts and forecasts in English, in Bislama and more rarely in French, and local radio stations relay the messages. During the season, avoid seafronts and riverbanks; at red alert, stay at home and follow instructions.

The country lies in an active seismic zone: earthquakes and tsunamis cannot be ruled out and may cause landslides and damage transport routes; warning sirens may sound in central Port-Vila. The frequently active volcanoes are Yasur (Tanna), Garet (Gaua), Lopévi, Marum and Benbow (Ambrym), Manaro Vui (Ambae) and the Epi submarine volcano; at the date of the page, Manaro Vui is at level 3 on a scale of 0 to 4, Yasur, Lopévi, Marum, Benbow and Garet at level 2 and Epi at level 1. Projections are not ruled out near active volcanoes: follow local guides and VMGD bulletins.

Port-Vila, on the island of Efate, concentrates the administration, the French embassy, the Vila Central hospital, the shops and most of the foreign community. Luganville, on Espiritu Santo, is the second urban hub and hosts the Northern Provincial Hospital. The other islands, from Tanna to Malekula, are more rural, with reduced health services. No official source read publishes rents or property prices: visit several neighbourhoods, rent for a few weeks first and have any lease reviewed by a local professional. A lease on a property of at least 10 million VT opens a residence visa category, which ties the choice of housing to the stay strategy.

Water is drinkable in Port-Vila and Luganville according to France Diplomatie, which is not guaranteed elsewhere. Choose housing that is solid against cyclones, outside flood or landslide zones, and close to access to drinking water and rescue services.

The Statistics Office estimates the population at more than 340,000 inhabitants; the economy relies on agriculture (about a quarter of value added), services (more than half) and tourism, which accounts for nearly half of exports (World Bank). Visitors arriving by air come mainly for holidays, with an average stay of about ten days; Australia provides more than half of arrivals. No local administration publishes a typical budget for an expatriate; the “Economic benchmarks” block gives the vatu exchange rate, inflation and growth, continuously updated.

An heir to the Franco-British condominium from 1906 to 1980, the country counts Bislama, English and French among its languages in use, which eases settling in for a French speaker. For children’s schooling, the French embassy in Port-Vila and the Agency for French Education Abroad indicate the available French-language schools and the registration arrangements, which the pages read do not detail.

Before departure, check the validity of your passport (six months beyond the end of the planned stay), book a return ticket within the three-month limit if you enter as a visitor, and keep proof of your accommodation or the invitation letter. Take out health insurance with evacuation, register with the Fil d’Ariane service and note the embassy’s contact details. On arrival, locate the nearest hospital, the cyclone instructions of the National Disaster Management Office and the VMGD bulletins; keep digital copies of your documents and a reserve of drinking water during the cyclone season. Medicines are carried in their original packaging with a prescription in international nonproprietary names, and a sufficient stock avoids shortages during the first weeks.

France Diplomatie indicates that health infrastructure is limited, that some specialities and some in-depth examination equipment are lacking and that almost any serious procedure requires evacuation to New Caledonia or Australia. Insurance covering all costs, including surgery, hospitalisation and repatriation, is required; without it, access to care may be refused, even in a life-threatening emergency, and the embassy covers these costs in no case. Risks include dengue, chikungunya, malaria, typhoid, leptospirosis, rabies and tuberculosis.

See Vanuatu’s healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement in Vanuatu, as well as 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 Vanuatu and retiring in Vanuatu complete the preparation.