New Caledonia - Facts

New Caledonia FAQs

Pre-Arrival Boat: Advance notice is not required unless you have an animal - cat or dog - on board.  However, you can download the Customs Declaration form and have it ready for your arrival.  See Customs and Pets for details.
Pre-Arrival Crew: Citizens of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland do not need a visa to enter New Caledonia. All other nationalities are likely to require a visa. See Immigration for more details.
Where can I enter? Yachts arriving from overseas or departing New Caledonia can only do so from Noumea and may not stop anywhere else within the territorial waters of New Caledonia before clearing into Noumea. Clearance is only possible at Port Moselle Marina or Port du Sud Marina. See Clearance for full details.
Are fees high to enter by yacht? Currently there are no entry fees for yachts visiting New Caledonia unless there is a pet aboard (even if the pet will never get off the yacht). See Fees and Pets for more details.
What security concerns should I know about? Following violent protests in May 2024 the situation is now stable and Noumea can once again be used as a stopover. See Security for more info.

New Caledonia Facts for Sailors

• New Caledonia is situated in the South Pacific, between Vanuatu and Australia.  It is about 780NM north east from the port of Bundaberg in Queensland and 860NM north west from New Zealand's Bay of Islands.
• New Caledonia (Nouvelle Calédonie) is a French Overseas Territory.
• The 2019 census recorded the population at 271,407.  French is the official language with more than 30 Melanesian/Polynesian local dialects.
• The currency is the French Pacific Franc.  For details see General Info.
• New Caledonia has one time zone - New Caledonia Time.  For details see General Info.
• The main island is the mountainous Grande Terre, 250 miles (400 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) wide. Also part of the territory are the off-lying islands, the Loyalty Group about 160 kms (100 miles) to the east (Maré, Lifou and Ouvéa), the Ile des Pines 80 kms (50 miles) to the south, the Chesterfield Islands 800 kms (500 miles) west and Belep Island 32 kms (20 miles) to the north.
• Grande Terre also boasts one of the largest insular coral reefs in the world and one can sail around much of the island inside the reef.
• Nouméa is the only port of entry and exit in New Caledonia. It is no longer possible to clear in or out at the Loyalty Islands. See Formalities for more details.
• Nouméa itself is a cosmopolitan city and an excellent place to reprovision the boat, as virtually everything is available. Noumea offers all facilities that cruisers may have missed whilst sailing the Pacific, such as dairy products, big supermarkets, wines and health services. Perhaps not the cheapest place to provision, Noumea, however, offers a remarkable range of products imported from New Zealand, Australia and France.
• Facilities are extensive as there is a fairly large local yacht population. The marina facilities at Port Moselle are situated in the heart of Noumea and are central to everything. The marina is fast becoming a haven for cruising people in the cyclone season, but marina places are scarce.
• Other ports with some facilities for yachts are Touho on the east coast of the mainland, and Koumac in the north-west of the mainland.
• When sailing here, do observe local customs.