Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• There is no British diplomatic mission in Vanuatu. Routine consular matters are covered by the British High Commission in Suva, but in an emergency the New Zealand High Commission in Port Vila can be contacted. See General - Representation.
  
  
• Vanuatu lies on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and regularly experiences seismic and volcanic activity, with over 2,000 seismic events reported each year. See Natural Disasters - Earthquakes.
  
  
• On 1 June 2011, increasing activity at the Mount Yasur volcano, led the Vanuatu authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level hazard rating to Level 3. Check with the Vanuatu Tourism Office for the latest reports on volcanic activity and accessibility before travelling. See Natural Disasters - Volcanoes.
  
  
• The tropical cyclone season in Vanuatu normally runs from November to April.  Throughout this period there is a high risk of strong winds and heavy rains with associated flooding, landslides and road closures.  Travellers are advised to monitor the latest weather bulletins on the Vanuatu Meteorological website, in local newspapers and on local radio.  See Natural Disasters - Tropical Cyclones.
  
  
• Most visits to Vanuatu are trouble-free. The main types of incidents for which British nationals require consular assistance in Vanuatu are for replacing lost or stolen passports and petty crime. However, violent crime is increasing and you should avoid visiting isolated locations alone.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

See our Terrorism Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Crime
Crime rates, particularly incidences of burglary of houses occupied by members of the expatriate community, remain low but are increasing. Break-ins are often accompanied by violence. Street crime is also increasing and you should take sensible security precautions and avoid making yourself an easy target, especially at night. There have been a number of attacks on tourists at nightclubs and bars in Port Vila and you should check with the Vanuatu Tourist Office or your hotel on establishments where additional caution is required. There have also been several serious attacks on foreigners, particularly lone women, in isolated locations. Avoid travelling to, or visiting remote tourist sites or beaches by yourself. Where possible, travel as part of a larger group.

See our Victims of Crime Abroad page. 

Safety and Security - Local Travel

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
You can drive in Vanuatu on your UK driving licence. Main roads in Port Vila and Luganville are sealed.  Elsewhere roads are either compacted coral or dirt tracks. Extra care should be taken when driving on them, particularly in heavy rain or after a prolonged dry period.  General driving standards are below those of the UK and many vehicles, including public transport, are in a poor state of repair and may not be insured. Traffic drives on the right.

See our Driving Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel
Inter-island travel by the domestic airline (Air Vanuatu) is very expensive and subject to delays. Vanuatu’s outer island routes are serviced by small aircrafts, and airports and airstrips have quite basic facilities. Services are often subject to delays.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Sea Travel
Boat services between the islands are infrequent and should not be relied on. Inter island boats are required to have a current sea-worthiness certificate, however many do not and their sea worthiness cannot be relied upon.

See our River and Sea Safety page.

Safety and Security - Swimming
Seek advice from the Provincial Council Office and from local people before swimming in the waters off Vanuatu, particularly around the islands of Malekula and Espiritu Santo. Sharks are known to be present in these waters and deaths have occurred.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Vanuatu Country Profile

You should respect local customs, which are strictly observed, and religious sensitivities. 

Wear appropriate dress (i.e. not beachwear) when away from the beaches and hotels. 

Homosexuality is legal in Vanuatu but open displays of affection between same-sex partners will attract adverse attention and may offend some in Vanuatu. 

Drinking kava is an ancient tradition in Vanuatu. Kava is widely available at traditional ceremonies, at nakamals (kava bars) and at some hotels. Be aware of the British Medicine Controls Agency advice on kava consumption. It is illegal for supermarkets to sell alcohol between midday on a Saturday and 7am on a Monday. However, clubs bars and hotels may serve alcohol during these times.

Drug offences are punishable by fines, imprisonment or both. While there are no mandatory sentences for drug offences in Vanuatu, it is rare for a convicted person not to be fined or receive a jail sentence, even for 'soft' drug offences.

Most ni-Vanuatu will allow you to take their photograph but you should always seek their permission first.

Be aware that land ownership in Vanuatu is an important and often sensitive issue. If you are travelling off the beaten track, be aware that you may be trespassing and required to pay a "visiting fee" charged by the landowner.

See our Your Trip page.

Entry Requirements - Visas
British passport holders visiting Vanuatu do not require a visa and are normally given permission to enter and remain in the country for up to 30 days on arrival, provided that they are in possession of an onward or return ticket. Airlines will refuse to carry a passenger to Vanuatu who does not hold such a ticket.

Entry Requirements - Passport validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Vanuatu. Your passport must be valid for a minimum period of six months from the date of exit from Vanuatu.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children
For information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the Immigration Department at:

Principal Immigration Officer, Immigration Department, Private Mail Bag 092, Port Vila Republic of Vanuatu; Tel:  00 678 22354; Fax:  00 678 25492

Medical facilities in Vanuatu are basic but adequate for routine treatment. More serious cases will require evacuation to Australia or New Zealand.

Dengue and malaria occur in Vanuatu. These diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes.  There are no vaccinations against these diseases but there are preventative measures that you can take, as advised on the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website. Visit your GP to discuss malaria prevention tablets.

You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. See our HIV and AIDS page.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Vanuatu and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and NHS Scotland’s Fit for Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health, Eat and Drink Safely and the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.

Vanuatu sits along a volatile seismic strip called the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are possible. The ‘Ring of Fire’ is a horse-shoe-shaped zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that surrounds the basin of the Pacific Ocean. It is 40,000kms long and is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, island arcs and volcanic mountain ranges and/or plate movements.

It is understood that 90% of the world’s earthquakes and 81% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along the ‘Ring of Fire’, which is a direct consequence of plate tectonics and the movement of collisions of crustal plates.

Natural Disasters -  Earthquakes
Vanuatu is prone to significant year round seismic and volcanic activity, with over 2,000 seismic events reported each year. Most events are small scale, although larger tremors and quakes of over 5 on the Richter scale do occur on a regular basis.  These events can be disorientating and disturbing. For more information on earthquakes and their effects, please visit: www.earthquake.usgs.gov.

Natural Disasters - Volcanoes
On June 1 2011, increasing activity at the Mount Yasur volcano, led the Vanuatu authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level hazard rating to Level 3. Check with the Vanuatu Tourism Office for the latest reports on volcanic activity and accessibility before travelling.

We advise caution when considering visiting active volcanoes on any of the islands in the Vanuatu archipelago. Be aware that there is no such thing as “zero hazard” when viewing an active volcano close up. Volcanic activity is closely monitored by the Vanuatu Government’s Mines and Geology Department, responsible for the issue of warnings in the event of dangerous activity. The Department issues notices to the Vanuatu Tourism Office and provincial councils using an activity alert scale with five levels from 0 – 4. Levels 3 and 4 indicate more dangerous activity. For further information you should monitor local reports.

Natural Disasters - Tropical Cyclones
The tropical cyclone season in Vanuatu normally runs from November to April. Throughout this period there is a high risk of strong winds and heavy rains with associated flooding, landslides and road closures.

Monitor local and international weather updates from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), from the Vanuatu Meteorological Service, in local newspapers and on local radio.  Please also see Tropical cyclones for more detailed information about what to do if you are caught up in a tropical cyclone.

General - Insurance
You should take out travel and medical insurance before travelling. Check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake, particularly if you plan to engage in adventure sports. Ensure that your policy includes cover for medical evacuation by air ambulance. See our Travel Insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Consular assistance
There is no resident British diplomatic Mission in Vanuatu. The British High Commission in Suva covers routine consular matters. In an emergency you can contact the New Zealand High Commission in Port Vila. Contact details are below.

General - Consular registration
Register with the FCO's LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact the New Zealand High Commission in Port Vila on arrival.

General - Representation
Please see the FCO's Travel Advice for Fiji for contact details. 

General - Renewing your passport
If you are in Vanuatu you can apply for a passport from the Regional Passport Production Centre at the British High Commission in Wellington. Payment must be made by either bankers draft (made payable in NZ$ to the "British High Commission") or by credit card by completing the payment slip. You will also need to enclose a return international courier pack.

Please allow sufficient time before travelling for your passport to be returned. It is not advisable to make firm travel plans until you have received your passport. You should apply at least six weeks before travel. Wellington aims to get your passport back to you within 3-4 weeks, but this does not take into account any possible delays in the postage courier system.

Please go to our New Zealand website for all you need to know about submitting passport applications.

Where necessary the New Zealand High Commission can issue an Emergency Passport. Emergency Passports are not machine readable, and are valid only for a single journey back to the UK using agreed transit points, or to Commonwealth countries, provided a prior arrangement exists with the authorities of the Commonwealth country concerned.

In the event of a lost or stolen passport the Vanuatu authorities will allow your departure on the strength of a "to whom it may concern" letter. You will also need to present a report confirming that you have informed the local police of the loss of your passport. A "to whom it may concern" letter can only be issued once enquiries have been completed to verify the passport holder's identity, a process that may take several days. Such a letter would only allow you to travel as far as New Zealand/Australia, where you will then need to apply for a replacement passport.

Once in New Zealand/Australia, the British High Commission will be able to issue a replacement passport within two to three weeks. If you need to travel more urgently, a limited validity passport can be issued to enable you to continue your journey. There will be an additional fee for any passport service performed outside normal consular office opening hours.

British High Commission, 44 Hill Street, Wellington 1, New Zealand. Mailing Address: PO Box 1812, Wellington, New Zealand. Telephone: (64) (4) 924 2810 (Passports). Facsimile: (64) (4) 473 4982. E-mail: passportmail.wellington@fco.gov.uk. Website: http://ukinnewzealand.fco.gov.uk

General - Mobile phone services
There is a GSM mobile phone service in Vanuatu and you should contact your service provider to establish whether your phone will work in Vanuatu. Alternatively, SIM cards may be purchased from the local telephone company (TVL).

General - Money
There are three "High Street" banks in Vanuatu – The National Bank of Vanuatu, ANZ and Westpac. Both ANZ and Westpac offer ATM facilities covering most UK bankcards. The use of credit cards is commonplace in Port Vila and Luganville but less so in the rest of Vanuatu, particularly away from tourist resorts.