 Fiji : Formalities
Prior Notification of Arrival:
As of July 1 2007 yachts MUST notify Fijian Customs a minimum of 48 hours before entering Fiji waters. Notification must be made using form C2C which can be downloaded from the FIRCA (Fiji Inland Revenue and Customs Administration) website, http://www.frca.org.fj
The form can be faxed to the Customs office at one of the Fijian ports of entry (Suva, Lautoka, Savusavu or Levuka) or you can email Customs at yachtsreport@frca.org.fj
Fax numbers: Suva (679) 3302864, Lautoka (679) 6667734, Savusavu (679) 8850728,
Levuka (679) 3440425.
Although customs seem inconsistent in inforcing this act, the penalties for failure to comply may be a fine in the order of F$20,000 and/or 2 years imprisonment.
Clearance Procedures:
On approach, call Port Control on VHF Ch.16 to request permission to enter the port, and proceed directly to the designated quarantine area indicated on the chart. Fly the international Q flag and await instructions or arrival of the correct authorities. Apart from pratique, Customs, Immigration or Quarantine officers, no one should be allowed to board the vessel, nor any person or article leave the vessel until all clearances are granted.
Working hours for clearance are from Monday to Thursday 0800-1300, 1400-1630; Friday 0830-1300, 1400-1600. Overtime charges will need to be paid outside of these hours. Documents required are: Clearance certificate from the previous port or country; Crew list with details of passport numbers, nationality and age; Valid passports.
Quarantine should be the first official to clear the vessel. The captain will be instructed to await the arrival of the health boat or to proceed directly to the wharf and await the Health officer's arrival. The Department of Health levy a fee for this clearance which must be paid at the Divisional Medical Officer's office. The captain should inform the authorities if there are any prohibited items aboard.
Foreign vessels are requested to declare on arrival the following:
- Foods: (tinned or packaged): meat, sausages, salami, ham, pork, poultry, eggs, fats, milk, butter, cheese, honey.
- Plants: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, bulbs, mushrooms, flowers, straw, bamboo or any other articles made of plant materials.
- Animals: animal products and soil, or any equipment used with animals or which has come in contact with soil.
Some items will not be permitted to be kept aboard the yacht for the duration of the visit in Fiji. What is allowed to stay aboard will be at the discretion of the quarantine officer at the time of inspection.
Everyone needs permission from an Immigration officer before they disembark. Port Control should be asked to send out an Immigration officer, but if he does not meet the yacht on arrival, a message should be sent via the customs officer repeating this request. The Immigration Department may expect to be reimbursed for the taxi fare to get the officer to the wharf and back.
If you wish to cruise in Fiji Waters, in addition to the customs clearance you must also obtain a clearance at any port from the Coconut Pest and Diseases Board. Certain Islands and Places in Fiji are free of rhinoceros beetle and you may be proceeding from a dirty area to an uninfested area.
Cruising to Islands:
It is also necessary to obtain written clearance from the Ministry of Fijian Affairs to cruise to any of the islands except for the (Lau Group). Cruising in the Lau Group needs the clearance of the Lau Provincial Council.
Once cleared into Fiji, those who intend to sail to another port of entry (either directly or via the other islands) must clear out with Customs from the port of entry where they first cleared in.
Prior to departing a port of entry, whether going abroad or to another Fijian destination, one should notify Port Control of the intended destination.
Clearing Out:
Boats leaving Fiji must clear Customs on departure. Customs recommend 24 hours notice of departure. Clearance will not be granted unless all port and quarantine fees have been paid, so receipts for all these should be kept. Boats must leave within 24 hours of having cleared customs. There is a departure tax of F$20.
Immigration is the final authority to clear the yacht out of Fijian waters. An appointment should be made in advance of departure advising where the boat is. Immigration insist that boats depart immediately on receiving clearance. It is prohibited to stop at any island once cleared out.
See Noonsite Report - More Changes for Fiji for the latest information.
Last updated May 2009.
Passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
A visa-free stay for up to four months (provided one has enough funds or an outward ticket) is allowed for United Kingdom, United States, Canada and most European nationals. Visas are required by only a few nationalities. After four months, an extension may be obtained for up to six months.
Crew flying into Fiji to join a yacht, must have a letter of approval from the Immigration Department prior to their flight departure.
As of January 2009 yachts can stay in Fiji for maximum period of 18 months. There is no extension to this period.
See Fiji Customs and Immigration document for more details.
Visiting yachts are reminded that the Fijian authorities are strongly against drugs, pornography and weapons.
Guns:
All weapons on board must be declared and handed over to the authorities for the duration of your stay, otherwise you risk a prison sentence. They are normally held in the custody of a partucular person and at least 24 hours' notice of departure must be given. If the required office is not available, there might be a delay. Weapons will be returned immediately before departure from Fiji.
If one enters at one port and exits at another, the guns may have to be transferred to the port of departure by the police.
Alcohol:
Any amount over 2 litres of spirits and 4 litres of wine must be sealed on board or taken ashore and bonded. Customs often check the seal before departure. Excess amounts of wine, beer or spirits, which are left unsealed for personal consumption, must be declared and import duty paid.
Yachts:
From January 2009, yachts may now remain for 18 months without paying any duty. After that the rate of duty is due based on the value of the boat. The details of this have yet to be announced. Yachts may be sailed out of Fiji and if the same yacht re-enters Fiji within 18 months then the yacht may qualify for another period of 18 months.
An itinerary of places and dates where one is planning to cruise until departure from Fiji is required for customs clearance.
To cruise the outer islands, a Customs Cruising Permit must be filed as well as obtaining a Cruising Permit for the islands. This can be obtained from The Ministry of Fijjian Affairs at 61 Carnavon Street, Suva, or from the Commissioner's Office in Lautoka, Levuka or Labasa. The advice of a yachting agent is advisable if you wish to visit the Lau group.
Last updated November 2008.
Since January 2007 following flash floods on Vanua Levu there have been some cases on the island of typhoid fever as well as dengue fever and leptospirosis. There have been reported cases of typhoid and leptospirosis also in the Greater Suva area. Travellers should take the usual precautions and check the latest travel advisories before visiting affected areas.
Vessels intending to visit any port, island or anchorage outside of Suva, Lautoka, Savusavu or Levuka need to obtain a cruising permit from customs as well as permission to cruise the islands. This permit acts as a letter of introduction to the "Turaga ni Koro" (the village head), the "Buli" (head of the provincial subdivision), or the "Roko Tui" (provincial head).
Cruising permits can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located at 61 Carnavon Street in Suva, or from the Commissioner Western's office in Lautoka, the Commissioner Eastern's office in Levuka, or the Provincial Office in Savusavu. Fijian customs and laws are strong and have to be respected. These will be explained by the Department when the permit is given.
Lau Group
A visit to one specific anchorage in the Lau Group can be arranged through either of the marinas at Sauvsavu. Otherwise, those who wish to visit the Lau Group must apply for a permit in advance to the Lau Provincial Office in Suva.
A letter should be prepared beforehand, including the following information:
- detailed list of islands to be visited
- itinerary and dates
- reason for visit
- crew list with details of ages and passport numbers
- name and details of yacht
Applications must be submitted in writing to;
Lau Provincial Office
Box 15163, SUVA
Fiji Islands
E-mail Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba
The office of Lau Provincial Sub-office is in Yatu Lau Arcade opposite
the bus station/market in the alley of the Hot Bread shop and New World. Take
the stairs to your left and the office at the end of the first floor.
Costs in 2010:-
F$ 50 - for application fee
F$ 10 - per day while cruising in Lau Waters..
Once the permit is approved, you will get a letter with an explanation and permit in the local language for each island you requested to visit. Also you will be given a set of rules and regulations which you must follow whilst in the Lau group.
The above does not apply to superyachts and cruise ships.
These conditions will be reviewed from time to time.
Cruising permit: FI$5. Lau Group Permit: USD10 per day.
Customs: Overtime will be charged on weekdays after 1630, FI$16.50 per hour; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, FI$25 per hour. After 2000 to 0600 weekdays, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, there is a three hour minimum charge.
It is advisable to time your entry for during the working day, otherwise the fees can be quite expensive.
Health clearance fee of $F33.75 (to be paid to the hospital) and a F$20 incineration fee to Agriculture (Quarantine) for disposal of prohibited food. This fee is still payable even if you have none.
The Ports Authority of Fiji levies a fee applicable to all vessels entering any of the ports of Suva, Lautoka, Savusavu and Levuka. Vessels up to 100 tonnes pay a maximum of $F14.45.
Last updated June 2009.
Garbage should be put in sealed plastic bags and handed over to be disposed into the port incinerator. Garbage should not be discharged without the permission of the quarantine officer.
In order to visit the rare Crested Iguana sanctuary on the island of
Yandua Taba, you must get a permit in advance from the National Trust
office in Suva. Their local phone number is 3301807. The park ranger,
Pita Biuloa, can be contacted on his local cell phone - 8207358. The visit
is very worthwhile and Pita is a friendly, knowledgable host (2008).
Customs to be Observed by Visitors
Local etiquette should be observed and it is expected that a courtesy visit to the chief or headman of the island or village bearing a gift of yagona (kava) is made on arrival or landing.
It is useful to have a good supply of kava on board, which can be obtained from Suva market. The normal gift is about half a kilogramme of kava root.
Dress is conservative, and is is not appropriate for women to wear swimwear, trousers or shorts when visiting a village or house. Everyone should be covered from shoulder to knee and neither hats nor sunglasses should be worn in the village. Bags and cameras shold be carried in the hand, not slung over a shoulder.
Fishing rights are strictly allocated to the various villages and permission should be obtained before attempting to catch any, and then only take sufficient for your immediate needs.
Gifts of alcohol are considered discourteous, and its consumption is discouraged.
A bond declaration must be signed for any animals on board and they must not be allowed to land on any of the islands.
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