Going to French Polynesia? Why a visit to Tahiti, Mo'orea or Bora Bora is getting easier

The idyllic beaches and turquoise lagoons of French Polynesia will become a bit easier to reach thanks to a rollback in COVID-19 entry requirements by the island country.

Starting March 28, the country, which includes the islands of Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Mo'orea, will no longer require visitors to register in advance online with the ETIS platform, pay a health surveillance fee or complete a series of self-tests upon arrival.

Travelers over the age of 12 will still need to provide proof of a negative antigen or RT-PCR within 24 hours before departure.

On February 8, the government clarified that travelers to French Polynesia who are 18 and older now also need a booster shot in order to visit the South Pacific islands if it has been more than nine months since their last COVID-19 vaccination.

Unvaccinated travelers are still only allowed to enter the islands if they provide a compelling reason, but that no longer needs to go to the French Polynesian government in advance. Instead, unvaccinated travelers must present their reason to their airline on the day of departure. The carrier will decide if the passenger may board the aircraft.

Entry to French Polynesia including Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea

While French Polynesia is open to vaccinated visitors and has relaxed many of its previous requirements, you do still need a negative pre-arrival COVID-19 test to be admitted into the country.

Proof of a negative COVID-19 test is required from all travelers 12 years of age and older. The test must have been taken no more than 24-hours prior to boarding their flight. Both antigen and PCR tests are accepted.

A date with the ocean in Mo'orea, French Polynesia

Unvaccinated travelers must have government approval to travel

If you’re over the age of 12 and are not fully vaccinated, you’ll still find it much more difficult to travel to French Polynesia.

You'll need to download, complete and print the declaration of a compelling reason form from the High Commission.

You will also need to attach proof of the compelling reason. The form details what specific proof is required for each compelling reason.

On the day you depart to French Polynesia, you will present all of the required documents to your airline upon check-in. The airline will determine whether the reasons is valid and whether you are allowed to board the aircraft.

What if I already registered and paid the Health Surveillance Fee?

If you're a vaccinated traveler over the age of six who already registered and paid the health surveillance fee of 5000XPF ($47 USD) but depart after March 28, you can get a refund of your fee.

You can make your request for a refund by email at remboursement@etis.pf . You can also mail your request to Service du Tourisme BP 4527- 98713 Papeete TAHITI French Polynesia.

You'll need to attach your receipt for the purchase and the flight information, You can find your receipt on the ETIS system under "manage my file" or use your receipt from your email.

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