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AVL want to ensure you have a pleasant and comfortable experience at our airports. A variety of services is provided for the ease of passengers – please visit the various links. Please visit the various links below for the information you may need when travelling to Vanuatu.
AIRLINES
National carrier Air Vanuatu operates regular services to / from:
Other airlines operating to Vanuatu include Air Calin, Air New Zealand,Air Pacific and Pacific Blue. _______________________________________________________________________
AIRPORTS
International ports of entry are Bauerfield on Efate, Pekoa on Espiritu Santo and Whitegrass on Tanna. _______________________________________________________________________
AIRPORT TAX
International departure tax is VUV 3,000 per person (over the age of 12) which is included in airfares.
Provincial departure tax of VUV 200 applies for departures from the following domestic airports - Port Vila / Bauerfield, Emae, Tongoa, Epi, Santo / Pekoa airport and Tanna / Whitegrass. The VUV 200 is not included in domestic fares, but paid separately. _______________________________________________________________________
AIRPORT / HOTEL TRANSFERS
There are various licenced airport transfer companies who can provide pre-arranged transport to and from the airport. Vehicles are either 26-seat- standard buses or luxury 10-seat mini coaches and most have air-conditioning. Your hotel or resort may arrange transfers or ask for a luxury coach from the company of your choice to be available at the airport or hotel. The costs will vary depending on the arrangement and number of passengers but are similar to taxi fares. Check with your travel agent to confirm your transport arrangements or contact the transfer company of your choice directly. Transfer companies include:
Operator Telephone e-mail Adventures in Paradise (678) 25200 paradise@vanuatu.com.vu Horizon Tours (678) 25053 horizon@vanuatu.com.vu Melanesian Tours (678) 26847 melanesiantours@vanuatu.com.vu Vanuatu Specialist Tours (678) 27950 specialisttours@vanuatu.com.vu _______________________________________________________________________ BANKING & CURRENCYBanks found in Vanuatu are Westpac, ANZ, National Bank of Vanuatu and Bred Bank. Banking hours and cash dispenser (ATM) points are as follows:ANZ – 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. ANZ have cash dispensers (ATMs) in Port Vila and Luganville and at Bauerfield International Airport. Westpac – 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. A Westpac ATM is located in down town Port Vila. National Bank of Vanuatu (NBV) - 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Thursday; Fridays to 4pm. The NBV Airport office is open for all arrivals and departures. There are NBV ATMs in Luganville, Port Vila and at the Port Vila Post Office. Bred Bank Ltd - Open Monday till Friday from 8.30 am to 3.30 PM (foreign exchange till 4.30PM) with an ATM outside the Port Vila branch. _______________________________________________________________________ BUSINESS / SHOPPING HOURS
Business hours are usually 7.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday with
‘siesta’ from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm. Some shops close for lunch during
siesta hours though supermarkets, banks and the post office remain open.
Larger supermarkets remain open until 7.00 pm. _______________________________________________________________________ CLIMATE
The best time of year is April / May to October when temperatures range
from 18 to 28 degrees Celsius. Light weight casual clothing plus a
sweater is usually sufficient. November & December are warm but not
generally unpleasantly so. January to March is hot (26-34 degrees
Celsius), often wet and prone to cyclones, but being low season it's
also a good time of year to take advantage of travel deals. _______________________________________________________________________ CLOTHINGLight weight, casual clothing plus a sweater for evenings is usually sufficient year round. Modest attire should be worn outside of public bathing areas and Port Vila, out of respect for local customs. _______________________________________________________________________ COMMUNICATIONBranches of Vanuatu’s two telecommunications companies, Telecom Vanuatu Limited (TVL) and Digicel can be found in Port Vila and are open Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm. Telecom Vanuatu closes for lunch from 11.30am-1.30pm. Vanuatu has a world standard mobile phone GSM system operated by TVL (phone +678 22 005, email. TVL will now accept roaming from NZ, Australia, England, France, New Caledonia and Tahiti (not all providers or phone types). Visit the TVL website www.tvl.vu to see if your phone and system are compatible. Internal SIM cards are available at Telecom House. For enquiries, phone (678) 22 185. All TVL mobile numbers in Vanuatu now have 7 digits with 77 added to all current mobile numbers. New communication company, Digicel provides competitive rates to TVL and has eighty percent coverage of Vanuatu's 83 islands. Recharge/top-cards Digicel cards are found throughout Vanuatu’s outer islands. Additional information on the communication provider can be found at www.digicel.com Numerous internet cafés can be found in down town Luganville on Espiritu Santo as well as Port Vila including Naviti Internet Café (ph: 27 813) and Nambawan Cafe (ph: 7744 826). Newspapers
Vanuatu has two newspapers, English publication, Vanuatu Daily Post
(available: Mon-Sat) and The Independent (Available Sunday) which
features articles in Vanuatu’s three official languages, English,
Bislama and French. _______________________________________________________________________ CURRENCYThe Vanuatu currency is the Vatu. Although Australian dollars are accepted by many shops, restaurants and hotels in Vila, and a few in Luganville (Espiritu Santo), they are NOT readily accepted outside of these town centres or on outer islands. All major foreign currencies are exchangeable in Vanuatu for Vatu. Daily fluctuations occur, however you should work on the following approximations and reconfirm upon your arrival.
Australia AU$ = VT78.23 Euro = VT145.70 New Zealand NZ$ = VT63.33 _______________________________________________________________________ DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCESStandard Allowances shall mean the following goods: · 250 Cigarettes, or 100 Cigarillos or 50 Cigars or 250 Grams of Tobacco. · 1.50 Litres of Spirits/ Liqueurs; and · 2.250 Litres of Wine; and · 25 Centilitres of Toilet Water; and · 10 Centilitres of Perfume Spirit; and · Any other new new or unused items including gifts (but excluding prohibited or restricted goods) up to a value of 50,000 Vatu per person. · 1 Carton Beer
Children less than 15 years of age are not entitled to the above allowances. _______________________________________________________________________ ELECTRICITY240V, 50HzHz. 3 pin plugs (as found in Australia and New Zealand) are used predominately in hotels in Vanuatu although French 2 point plugs can be found in small resorts/bungalows. Foreign, 2 pin round plug adaptors are readily available in most hardware or Chinese stores in Port Vila and Luganville. _______________________________________________________________________ EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
New Zealand High Commission
Australian High Commission
French Embassy
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ ENTRYVisas are not required from most countries: (All commonwealth countries, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Fiji, France and its dominions, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, U.S.A.) However you must have a valid, ongoing or return airline ticket and your Passport must be valid for six months beyond your intended stay. _______________________________________________________________________ HEALTHMalaria is endemic in Vanuatu however visitors do not need vaccinations, although anti-malarial medication is recommended if you are travelling outside of Port Vila and Efate. CAUTION: Most anti-malaria medication increases your risk of sunburn! Bring 15+ sun cream, even in Winter. Hepatitis B and tuberculosis exists throughout the islands but should be of no concern to travellers if normal precautions are taken.
_______________________________________________________________________ INSURANCEAlthough Vanuatu is a safe destination, many tours and activities especially to outer islands fall under the adventure category meaning that occasionally volcanoes are closed, domestic flights delayed or cancelled due to poor weather, Scuba dives cancelled due to cyclones etc. Therefore purchasing travel insurance prior to your arrival in Vanuatu is strongly recommended. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ LANGUAGEThere are over 120 distinct languages and many more dialects spoken in Vanuatu making it one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. The national language of Vanuatu is Bislama (pidgin English) however English and French are also official, and commonly spoken languages._______________________________________________________________________ POST OFFICEFor all postage, stamps, faxes and phone calls, Vanuatu Post Office is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4.30pm, 7.30am to 11.30am on Saturday and from 7.30am to 3pm on public holidays and cruise ship days. The underwater post box located at Hideaway Island Resort (outside of Port Vila) and the Volcano Post box at Mt. Yasur on Tanna, are open daily. Postcards for Tanna must be bought in Port Vila or at Tanna's White Grass Airport. For enquiries, telephone (678) 22 000 or visit www.vanuatupost.vu _______________________________________________________________________ PUBLIC TRANSPORTPrivately owned mini-buses are the most common form of transport in Port Vila and run unspecified routes through municipal areas. Public mini buses have a red ‘B’ on their number plate. As they do not have a fixed route, just flag one down and advise the driver where you would like to go. Be aware that if the bus is full when you get on board, you may be the last passenger to be dropped off, however if time permits, buses can be an interesting way to see the town. Bus fares within the greater Port Vila area are 150VT per trip, and start from 200VT to villages or areas outside of town, and exact change in most cases is required, for payment. Most outer islands have taxis which are marked by a red ‘T’ on their number plate and are usually 4WD open utilities. Taxis are plentiful in the capital of Port Vila but are more expensive than buses costing around 100VT per kilometre, however can present a more affordable option if travelling in a group. In Port Vila there is a set price of 1400VT from the airport to down town however outside of this, you should always negotiate a price with your driver before starting your journey. To access other parts of Efate, utilities are licensed to carry passengers and can be found at the Port Vila market. Air Vanuatu is the only domestic airline to offer regular services between Vanuatu’s islands, with daily flights to most outer islands. Advance bookings are recommended during weekends and school holidays, especially on the popular flights to Santo and Tanna. There are a limited number of charter aircraft including Unity Airlines. For additional information contact: Tel: (678) 23242 / 24475or www.unity-airlines.com Inter Island cargo trading boats vessels travel between Port Vila and outer islands on a semi-regular basis. Fresh Cargo operates between Port Vila, Malekula, Ambrym, Santo and Tanna. For timetables, contact MV Fresh Cargo, Tel: (678) 27936 / 7760660 or the Vanuatu Tourism Office. For other internal trading vessels, their movements are aired on national radio three times daily or contact the agencies directly. Rental car company offices are located at Port Vila’s international airport and in downtown Vila (Efate) and Luganville (Santo). Cars, 4WDs and vans are available for hire if you are aged 23 or over. Both international and national driving licences are accepted, as long as you have held your licence for at least one year. Scooters (mopeds) are also available for hire in Port Vila. The minimum rental age is 17 years, or you must possess an open car licence.
Car Rental companies include:
Hertz
22468 / 29677
Road warnings: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ QUARANTINEAll food, fruits, animal products and plants must be declared upon entry into Vanuatu. Most 'clean' (smooth) wooden artefacts, shells, string bags and even some grass skirts are accepted by foreign destinations including Australia and New Zealand (notorious for their stringent quarantine regulations). Some artefacts require a Quarantine certificate which is readily issued in Vanuatu and accepted in most foreign countries. When in doubt, check with the proprietor when purchasing and declare it upon entry. It will not be confiscated, at worst you may need to have it sprayed. Some items such as turtle, giant clam and trumpet shells can be purchased in Vanuatu markets. They have been harvested as a food source by individual ni-Vanuatu, but most countries who are signatories to the CITES agreement have banned their import. For more details, click here _______________________________________________________________________ RELIGION & CHURCHESThe main denominations in Vanuatu are Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic (Sunday) and Seventh Day Adventists (Saturday). Visitors are welcome to attend church services which normally run between 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Sundays are generally a day of rest, and visitors will find many activities and services are unavailable on this day. _______________________________________________________________________ TAXES (VAT)There is a 12.5% tax on accommodation, food and most products in Vanuatu, excluding market and local produce. _______________________________________________________________________ TIPPINGIn accordance with Vanuatu Custom neither tipping nor bargaining are practiced in Vanuatu. _______________________________________________________________________ TIMEVanuatu is one hour ahead of AST (Australian Standard Time) and 11 hours ahead of GST (Greenwich Standard Time or UTC). There is no daylight saving in summer.
_______________________________________________________________________ VISA & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
For stays not exceeding 30 days, visas are not required by Nationals of
Commonwealth and EU countries as well as nationals of Fiji, Japan,
Norway, Philippines, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and USA. However
you must have a valid, ongoing or return airline ticket and your
Passport must be valid for six months beyond your intended stay. For
other nationalities visas are obtainable from The Immigration
Department.
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