Fiji uses the Fiji dollar, runs on 240 volts with Australian-style plugs, sits at UTC+12 year-round with no daylight saving, and gives visa-free entry to New Zealand, Australian, US, UK, Canadian and EU passport holders for up to four months. Both New Zealand and Australia place Fiji at their lowest travel-advisory tier.
That is the short version. Below is the detail, with dates on everything that moves.
What currency does Fiji use, and what is it worth?
The Fiji dollar (FJD). Notes circulate in $5, $7, $10, $20, $50 and $100, with coins from 5 cents to $2. The $7 note is genuine, not a mistake - it is a commemorative denomination in general circulation, and it surprises almost every first-time visitor.
On Reserve Bank of Fiji indicative rates published for 4 September 2026:
| Pair | One Fiji dollar buys | Roughly, per unit |
|---|---|---|
| FJD to USD | 0.4514 | US$1 = about FJ$2.22 |
| FJD to AUD | 0.6267 | A$1 = about FJ$1.60 |
| FJD to NZD | 0.7673 | NZ$1 = about FJ$1.30 |
The Reserve Bank sets an official FJD-USD rate at 9:00am each business day and states plainly that published rates are indicative only. Firm quotes come from commercial banks and FX dealers. If you are contracting an event in Fiji dollars, fix the rate assumption in writing and state the date - the figures above are dated 4 September 2026 and should not be reused later without checking.
Cards, cash and ATMs
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in towns, tourist areas and larger establishments, but Tourism Fiji notes they generally attract a 3 per cent surcharge. On a large event bill that is a real line item, not a rounding error.
Cash remains essential in villages, markets, small shops and the outer islands. ATMs are common around Nadi - the airport, Namaka, Martintar, Denarau and the town centre - with daily withdrawals up to FJ$2,000. Twenty-four-hour exchange booths operate in the Nadi arrivals terminal, and Tourism Fiji recommends exchanging in Fiji rather than before you travel. Banks open 9:00am to 4:00pm on weekdays and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturdays in selected areas.
Tipping is not customary or expected. Where visitors do tip, 10 to 15 per cent at restaurants and spas, offered discreetly, is the usual figure.
There is no Uber or rideshare in Fiji. Use metered taxis with cash, or pre-book transfers - see the transport and transfers category.
What taxes will you actually pay?
This is the section most likely to be out of date on other sites.
| Charge | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| VAT | 12.5% | Reduced from 15% effective 1 August 2025 |
| Tourism Services Tax | 5% | New. Commenced 1 September 2026 |
| Service Turnover Tax | Nil | Ceased 31 July 2020 |
| Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy | Nil on services | Ceased 31 July 2021; Act repealed 1 April 2022 |
| Airport departure tax | FJ$200 | Included in the ticket price |
The Tourism Services Tax is the live story. Introduced under the Tourism Services Tax Act 2026, it applies to hotels, tour operators and cruise operators with annual turnover above FJ$2 million, runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027 as legislated, and is ring-fenced for Fiji Airways - projected at around FJ$70 million over twelve months.
The transition rule matters if you booked ahead: bookings made before 1 September 2026 are not subject to the tax, even where the service is delivered after that date.
Who actually bears it is unsettled. Government and industry reporting says operators agreed to largely absorb it; the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association warned visitors would pay; and at least one resort is applying it to new bookings. As at late August 2026 the industry was still seeking Standard Interpretation Guidelines from the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service on the tax's scope - including whether it reaches conference and venue-hire services.
The ECAL point deserves emphasis because so many sources get it wrong. Reputable law and accounting firm pages still describe a 5 per cent Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy as payable on accommodation, meals and tours. The FRCS rates table, last updated 2 June 2026, shows ECAL ending in July 2021, and the operative parts of the Act were repealed from 1 April 2022. If a quote itemises ECAL, query it.
Departure tax rose to FJ$170 on 1 August 2024 and FJ$200 on 1 August 2025, and is included in your ticket price rather than paid at the airport. Children under 12 are exempt, as are crew on duty, diplomats and UN passport holders. The transit exemption was cut from 96 hours to 48 hours in August 2024. Fiji's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Affairs recommended in November 2025 that the tax be reduced; the 2026-27 budget did not change it.
Guideline only. Tax rates and scope change with each national budget. Confirm current rates with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service before contracting. Last reviewed 6 September 2026.
Do you need a visa for Fiji?
Most readers of this site do not. Fiji Immigration lists New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and all EU member states among visa-exempt nationalities.
But Fiji Immigration adds an important qualifier on that same page: visa-exempt travellers still need the relevant permits depending on the nature of their travel. Visa-free is not permit-free.
| Situation | Instrument | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Attending a conference or meeting | Visitor permit, issued on arrival | Up to 4 months; one extension of up to 2 months |
| Working, consultancy or business | Business Visitor Permit | 21 days, extendable to 30 at the Department's discretion |
| Longer engagement or employment | Work permit | Per application |
Attending conferences or meetings is an explicitly permitted activity on a visitor permit. The visitor permit cannot be used for employment or job-seeking of any kind.
The Business Visitor Permit covers non-citizens who need to work, conduct business, undertake investment or provide consultancy for a short period. Applications go to Fiji Immigration with a local organisation's invitation letter setting out purpose and contacts, a return airline ticket, proof of financial support and passport biodata. Reported turnaround is two to twenty-four hours.
The grey area is speakers and technical crew. Fiji Immigration lists conferences and meetings under the business category and says they are considered on merit, case by case. An unpaid speaker is generally attending a meeting. A paid consultant or trainer falls within the business-visitor wording. Production and AV crew rigging and running an event are doing work, which the visitor permit expressly excludes.
Fiji Immigration does not publish a rule that names conference speakers or event crew specifically. Do not assume.
Guideline only. Immigration status is decided case by case. Confirm your specific programme with Fiji Immigration (Department of Immigration, 40 Robertson Road, Suva; +679 331 2622) well before travel. Last reviewed 6 September 2026.
What should you know about health in Fiji?
No general vaccination is required for entry. A yellow fever certificate is required only from travellers arriving from or transiting a yellow-fever risk country; no certificate is required for direct travel from Australia or New Zealand. Note that Fiji Immigration's own entry pages do not state health requirements, so this comes from travel-medicine sources rather than a Fiji government page - confirm if your route is unusual.
Fiji is malaria-free. There is no risk to travellers.
Dengue is endemic and there is recurring outbreak activity. Fiji's Ministry of Health states plainly that dengue occurs regularly in the population. The Fiji Government declared a dengue outbreak in the Central Division on 4 November 2025, citing 1,090 confirmed cases with surges in Navua, Suva, Rewa, Tailevu and Naitasiri, and the US Embassy in Suva issued a Fiji dengue health alert on 26 May 2026. Zika and chikungunya are also present. Typhoid cases are reported, and vaccination is generally recommended for travel outside the usual tourist routes.
Sources diverge here, which is worth knowing: SafeTravel New Zealand's Pacific dengue notice, updated 17 June 2026, lists six Pacific countries and does not include Fiji, while Fiji's own government and the US Embassy both flagged outbreaks. The safe framing is that dengue is endemic with recurring outbreaks - check the current position close to travel and pack repellent regardless.
Tap water. In Nadi, Suva, Savusavu and at large resorts on the main islands, tap water is treated and generally considered safe. In rural villages and outer islands, supply comes from springs, rain tanks or boreholes that may not be filtered, and Tourism Fiji recommends visitors do not drink it. After severe weather, boil for five to ten minutes even on normally safe supplies.
Hospitals and evacuation. Australia's Smartraveller states that medical care standards are not as high as in Australia and are limited, that hospitals may lack equipment, blood products and medications, and that ambulance services are limited. Hyperbaric chambers exist in both Suva and Nadi.
| Facility | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial War Memorial Hospital | Suva | Main public referral hospital |
| Oceania Hospitals | 120 Amy Street, Toorak, Suva | Private; among the largest in the South Pacific |
| Pacific Specialist Healthcare | Foster Court, Walu Bay, Suva | Private; surgical, pathology, radiology |
| EMF Fiji | Port Denarau Marina, Nadi | Private urgent care, imaging, ambulance and international medical evacuation; emergency +679 770 7700 |
The Nadi option is the one to write into an event risk plan. EMF Fiji operates from the Port Denarau Marina Commercial Centre and explicitly serves travellers.
On evacuation: Smartraveller warns that serious illness or accident may require evacuation to Australia and that it can be very expensive. SafeTravel New Zealand advises comprehensive travel insurance including provision for medical evacuation by air. Hospitals expect immediate payment. For a group event, confirm every delegate carries insurance covering medevac - this is the single highest-consequence gap in most delegate packs.
Guideline only. This is general information, not medical advice. Consult a travel health practitioner and confirm current requirements with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services. Last reviewed 6 September 2026.
Will your phone work?
Yes. Fiji has two mobile operators, Vodafone Fiji and Digicel Fiji - the latter now part of Telstra following its acquisition of Digicel Pacific.
Vodafone offers tourist SIMs to arriving visitors at its Nadi Airport outlet, and a valid physical passport is required to register. Tourist eSIM is available. Data packs are managed by USSD short codes rather than an app.
Coverage between the two networks is broadly similar, with Vodafone reportedly stronger in the Yasawas and Digicel stronger inland on Viti Levu. 4G/LTE covers the main towns.
International capacity lands at the Suva Cable Landing Station, carrying the Southern Cross Cable Network, the Tonga Cable, Tui-Samoa and the Google-partnered Tabua Cable.
That geography explains resort wifi. Denarau, Nadi and the Coral Coast sit on mainland fibre backhaul from Suva. Outer-island resorts depend on microwave or satellite links and are materially more variable. No credible source publishes typical resort wifi speeds, and we are not going to invent one. If you are streaming a plenary or running hybrid sessions, contract dedicated bandwidth with the venue rather than relying on guest wifi.
Is Fiji safe?
Both New Zealand and Australia place Fiji at their lowest travel-advisory tier.
SafeTravel New Zealand advises travellers to "exercise normal safety and security precautions", reviewed 17 March 2026. Australia's Smartraveller advises "exercise normal safety precautions" - its Level 1 of four.
The risks both flag are ordinary ones: petty crime including pickpocketing, theft and assault particularly after dark; credit card fraud, with extra care advised when paying by card or using ATMs; cyclone season; and boating and diving safety. Drug possession carries jail time regardless of quantity, and drunk and disorderly conduct is punishable.
Driving
Fiji drives on the left. Rental requires a valid English-language or international licence and a credit card; an International Driving Permit is not mandatory if your licence is a full, valid one in English. Australians may drive on a home licence for six months.
Speed limits are 80 km/h on the highway and 40 to 50 km/h in urban areas. The two trunk roads are the Queens Road along the south coast and the Kings Road along the north. Smartraveller notes driving is most risky at night, and roving livestock, pedestrians and unlit vehicles are standard hazards. Only about 1,700 km of Fiji's roughly 7,500 km of road is sealed.
Power, time and season
Electricity is 240 volts, 50 Hz, with Type I plugs - the same two-flat-pin-plus-earth arrangement as Australia and New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand delegates need no adaptor. UK delegates need an adaptor but not a converter. US delegates need both an adaptor and dual-voltage equipment, which matters for presentation and AV kit.
Fiji is UTC+12 year-round and does not observe daylight saving. DST was last observed from 20 December 2020 to 17 January 2021, and Cabinet agreed to repeal the Daylight Saving Act 1998 in October 2023. The scheduling consequence: because New Zealand shifts to UTC+13 in its summer, Fiji is one hour behind New Zealand from late September to early April and level with it the rest of the year. Australian AEST is two hours behind Fiji year-round. Check the date before you set a hybrid session time.
Cyclone season runs November to April, per the Fiji Meteorological Service, with peak activity typically January to March. On average about seven tropical cyclones affect the RSMC Nadi area of responsibility each season, of which roughly two affect Fiji. Cyclones have occurred in October and May, and infrequently in September and June.
The wet and warm season is November to April; the dry and cool season is May to October. They map exactly onto the cyclone window, which is why May to October is the natural business-events season. See what a Fiji conference costs for how that shapes rates.
One thing that is changing
In August 2026 Fiji's Parliament passed the Commercial Use of Marine Areas Bill, which repeals the Regulation of Surfing Areas Act 2010 - the decree that opened Cloudbreak, Restaurants and every other Fijian break to the public and banned access charges. Under the new framework, proprietary ownership of commercially used marine areas reverts to iTaukei customary owners, who may then restrict or charge for access.
At the time of writing the Bill awaited assent and a commencement notice, so the 2010 regime remained in force. Anyone planning surf access, a dive charter, a sunset cruise or any water-based activation should check the current status rather than assume.
Guideline only. Confirm the commencement status with the Ministry of Fisheries and the iTaukei Land Trust Board. Last reviewed 6 September 2026.
Where to next
Fiji's islands and regions covers transfer times and which region suits which purpose. Fijian culture and custom covers protocol, Sunday and customary land. Where to eat and drink in Fiji picks up the food and the bill. For arrival-night stays near the airport, Tanoa International Hotel is about 3.5 km from the terminal with free transfers; browse more under accommodation or by city in Nadi, Denarau and Suva.
