Fiji is not an ATA Carnet country. There is no carnet route into Fiji, so event equipment enters under a domestic procedure: Part 12 of the Customs Regulations 1986, which classes exhibition, staging and project equipment as "privileged goods". Those goods may stay up to 12 months, and Customs may require security or a duty deposit.
That single fact catches out more touring production teams than anything else in the Pacific. If your freight forwarder has quoted a carnet for Fiji, the quote is wrong.
Guideline only. This article summarises published Fiji legislation and agency guidance. Confirm every requirement with the Fiji Revenue & Customs Service (FRCS) and your licensed customs agent before shipping. Last reviewed 7 September 2026.
Does Fiji accept an ATA Carnet?
No. Fiji does not appear in the International Chamber of Commerce / World Chambers Federation list of ATA Carnet countries, and it is not a contracting party to the Istanbul Convention on Temporary Admission — the World Customs Organization's list of 76 contracting parties, dated 26 September 2024, does not include Fiji. Commercial carnet issuers list 89 countries and territories; Fiji is not among them.
Fiji is a contracting party to the Revised Kyoto Convention, acceding on 29 January 2010, and that convention's Specific Annex G covers temporary admission — which is why a domestic equivalent exists.
How does temporary import into Fiji actually work?
Under Part 12 of the Customs Regulations 1986 (FRCS publishes a consolidation revised 1 February 2013), the relevant category is "privileged goods". Regulation 97 lists, in its own words, "goods for display or use at exhibitions, fairs, meetings or similar events" and "goods which are imported solely for use in connection with some particular project or occasion". That is exactly what a conference stage, an exhibition stand or a touring AV rig is.
The mechanics:
| Step | What the regulation says |
|---|---|
| Application | Reg. 98 — the importer applies in writing on the approved form if required by the proper officer |
| Examination and marking | Reg. 99 — goods are examined on arrival and on departure, and identification marks applied as the officer considers necessary |
| Security | Reg. 100 — the officer may require security for the duty, or may require the duty itself to be deposited. This is discretionary; no published scale or percentage exists |
| Time limit | Reg. 101 — goods must be exported within 12 months of release from customs control, or a further period approved by the Comptroller, in the same condition bar reasonable wear and tear |
| Release of security | Reg. 102 — the deposit is refunded, or the security surrendered or cancelled, once the goods are exported in accordance with the regulations. Non-compliance means forfeiture |
Two practical consequences. First, plan for the possibility of a full cash duty deposit, because the regulation permits it and FRCS publishes no scale that would let you predict a lower figure. Second, the marking step is the one that protects you — if the goods are not properly identified on arrival, proving on export that they are the same goods becomes your problem.
Declarations are lodged electronically in ASYCUDA World on a Customs Entry (SAD form). Carriers must register manifests 48 hours before a sea arrival and 9 hours before an air arrival.
Do I need a licensed customs agent in Fiji?
FRCS's own published guidance is contradictory, and a planner should know that before assuming either way.
- The FRCS Commercial Importers page (last updated 28 July 2025) says: "Importers can complete the Customs documentation themselves or use the services of a Customs Broker or Agent."
- A more recent FRCS public notice on clearance of commercial goods, hand-carried or as cargo (last updated 4 February 2026), says: "Engagement of a registered customs agent is mandatory to facilitate entry and ensure compliance with Fiji's customs laws and procedures."
We publish both because they conflict on FRCS's own site. In practice, use a licensed agent — FRCS maintains an approved customs brokers list, agent licensing is provided for in Regulation 129, and the same guidance warns that importers remain liable for penalties or additional duty incurred by their broker.
What duty and tax applies if the goods stay?
If equipment is not re-exported, it is treated as a permanent import. Duty rates sit in the Customs Tariff Act 1986 as amended; the current published version on the FRCS site is the HS 2022 tariff, in force from 1 January 2022, with columns for fiscal duty, excise duty, VAT and export duty against each 8-digit code.
Fiji's VAT rate is 12.5%, reduced from 15% with effect from 1 August 2025. FRCS does not publish a worked example of how VAT is calculated on an import, so confirm the taxable base with your agent rather than assuming it.
Which event equipment needs a separate permit?
Four categories matter, and only two of them are commonly anticipated.
Two-way radios and any radio-transmitting equipment. This is the one that strands crews. Telecommunications equipment is a restricted import in Fiji, and the permitting authority is the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji (TAF). TAF requires type approval in Fiji for imported telecommunications or radio transmitting devices, publishes a processing time of 1–2 days, and issues the permit by email or collection from its Suva office. TAF's own page gives an application fee of FJ$11.25 per model, though its 2012 fee schedule and the government trade portal each carry different figures, so confirm the current fee directly. Comms for a 300-delegate conference is not a detail to leave to the arrivals hall.
Pyrotechnics. Manufactured fireworks containing potassium chlorate or other chlorates mixed with sulphur, sulphides, phosphorus or aluminium powder are absolutely prohibited imports. Other fireworks are restricted and require a licence to import issued by the Principal Inspector of Mines. Budget weeks, not days.
Drones. The Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji requires recreational drones to be registered using form OP 137, and any commercial use — including paid filming or photography of your event — requires written authorisation using form OP 138, with training certification and liability insurance, submitted to CAAF. Published operating limits include a 200-foot ceiling, visual line of sight, and no operation within 5 km of an international aerodrome or 3 km of a domestic one. That last rule effectively rules out drone footage over much of Denarau and Nadi without specific approval. CAAF publishes commercial application fees from $365.63.
Lithium batteries. Fiji applies the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air through its Air Navigation Regulations. Batteries and power banks are dangerous goods for air transport and must be correctly prepared and declared to the airline; CAAF states that non-compliance is an offence. We could not find a Fiji-specific import restriction on lithium batteries, and we could not find any Fiji rule on laser equipment either way — so treat both as questions for FRCS rather than assuming they are unregulated.
What does biosecurity check?
The Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) clears every import consignment, and FRCS states plainly that release is subject to BAF clearance. Two rules bite on event freight:
- Timber packing must be ISPM 15 certified. BAF requires all timber used for packing, pallets or crating in shipping containers to comply with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15. Road cases are fine; unmarked plywood crates are not.
- Used equipment is inspected for contamination. BAF inspects machinery and vehicles for soil, plant material, insects and small animals, and non-compliant items must be washed, steam cleaned, fogged, sprayed or fumigated before release. Gear that has just come off a muddy festival site should be cleaned before it is crated, not after it lands.
BAF can detain, treat or destroy goods, and cargo manifests must be declared 48 hours before vessel arrival.
Can my technical crew work in Fiji?
Two published routes, and the difference matters.
A Business Visitors Permit allows business, study, research, consultancy or work-related activities for 21 days for nationals of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the USA, issued on arrival with no prior approval, and 14 days, non-extendable, for nationals of other visa-exempt countries. Fiji Immigration warns that working beyond the permitted period without a permit may result in removal and denial of future entry.
A Short Term Work Permit is granted where expertise is urgently needed, for one year or less, at a published fee of FJD 650.05 plus an online payment processing fee, applied for through the Immi Hub portal. It requires a passport valid six months or more, a certified national police report, a medical report, a CV with certified qualifications and a signed employment contract. There is no short-term-to-short-term extension.
The unresolved question — and Fiji Immigration does not answer it in published guidance — is whether hands-on rigging and technical labour falls within "work-related activities" on a Business Visitors Permit, or requires the work permit. For a crew of any size, get that in writing from Immigration before ticketing.
Where does freight actually land?
Air Terminal Services handles all import, export and transhipment cargo at Nadi International Airport, from a 15,000 square foot freight terminal with an integrated material handling system, the only 12-tonne weighbridge and ULD transfer vehicle in Fiji, and published cargo bonding facilities. The handler operates 24 hours; note that a published carrier guide states Customs at Nadi operates 08:30–15:00 on weekdays only, closed weekends and public holidays — so a Friday evening arrival will not clear until Monday.
By sea, Fiji Ports Terminal Limited runs the cargo terminals at Suva and Lautoka, handling roughly 95% of Fiji's import and export goods. Suva's Kings Wharf has a 492-metre quay taking vessels to 12 metres draft and carries about 60% of foreign trade; Lautoka handles about 40%.
The practical sequence
- Confirm with FRCS, in writing, that your consignment will be treated as privileged goods under Part 12, and ask what security will be required.
- Appoint a licensed customs agent from the FRCS approved list, and give them the full equipment manifest with serial numbers.
- File TAF type approval for every radio, and CAAF form OP 138 for any drone, weeks ahead.
- Crate on ISPM 15 timber; clean anything that has been near soil.
- Resolve crew immigration status with the Immigration Department before you book flights.
- Land air freight early in a working week, and build the 12-month re-export proof into your bump-out plan.
For what Fiji can supply locally instead of importing, see Fiji DMCs, PCOs and event suppliers and Fiji's event infrastructure. For the ground movement that follows clearance, see moving delegates around Fiji. Freight-forwarding and coach partners are listed in the MICE Fiji supplier directory, including TEWAKA Fiji, Micks Fiji Tours & Transfers and Airport Shuttle Fiji.