GoKiribati Visa Requirements

Visa Entry

（1） Visa free entry

Starting from September 1, 2023, Chinese citizens holding diplomatic, official, or ordinary passports (valid for more than 6 months) who travel or make short-term visits to China are eligible for visa free entry and transit, with a cumulative stay of no more than 90 days in China every 12 months. If the individual stays in the base for more than 30 days, they need to apply to the immigration office for an extension of the stay period, with a maximum extension of 60 days. In case of visa free entry, Fiji Airlines generally requires to show the return ticket, COVID-19 vaccination certificate and fill in the base address when boarding in Fiji.

（2） Residence visa

Those who enter Kiribati to engage in work, investment, students, or research activities need to apply for the corresponding type of visa in advance. Engaging in the above activities in Kiribati without permission will face penalties. Applicants can visit the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration（ https://www.mfa.gov.ki/immigration/ ）Check the relevant application process and forms, or contact the visa officer at the immigration office（ aio3@mfa.gov.ki ）Consulting related business.

Customs epidemic prevention and control

200 cigarettes or 225 grams of tobacco or cigars are allowed to enter Kiribati; 1 bottle of wine, each bottle not exceeding 1 liter (applicable only to adults over 21 years old). A pair of binoculars, a camera and 6 unexposed films, a movie camera and 200 meters of unexposed film, a portable radio, a portable tape recorder, a portable typewriter or an appropriate number of sports equipment can be carried tax-free, but must be declared.  

It is prohibited to carry drugs, firearms, ammunition and explosives, knives and lethal weapons, any unauthorized animals and plants and their products, vaccines and viruses, counterfeit currency or goods, pornography.

Animal and plant inspection and quarantine: Import permits and quarantine certificates are required for animal and plant products, including fruits and vegetables, before entering the country. Cats and dogs can only come from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand and need to obtain an import permit from the Department of Agriculture's quarantine department (P.O. Box 267, Bikenibeu, Tarawa) at least one month before shipment. Transit cats and dogs are not allowed to leave the plane.  

Financial regulation: No cash exceeding AUD 5000 is allowed upon entry.  

Epidemic prevention requirements: Passengers over one year old from epidemic areas need to have a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Residency and Naturalization

Kiribati recognizes dual citizenship.  

Alien residence policies and related procedures: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and the Ministry of Justice are responsible for the management of basic nationality. The naturalization policy is managed in stages. Foreigners should first obtain residence permits for naturalization, and the examination of residence permits should be handled by the Residence Permit Committee. Foreigners who have obtained residence permits can apply for formal naturalization of the basic nationality, which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.

Kiribati risk level is blue (low risk)

public security

Kiribati has a simple and friendly people, and the overall public security situation is good, but precautions should be taken against theft, stray dogs, etc.  

natural disaster

The average elevation of Kiribati's islands is less than 2 meters, and most areas are low-lying coral reefs. Due to severe erosion caused by ocean tides and huge waves, many areas in China have experienced the phenomenon of entire villages being relocated in recent years, and agricultural crops often suffer from catastrophic disasters. Due to rising sea levels, seawater has polluted the underground freshwater resources on the island.

FDA

Kiribati's drinking water mainly relies on rainwater collection, seawater desalination, and groundwater, and raw water cannot be directly consumed.

Urgent Help

Local emergency hotline: 194 (Central Hospital)/195 (Bixiu Island Hospital).  

Police hotline: 192.

Fire alarm hotline: 193.

air traffic

There are two international airports in the country, located in the capital Tarawa and Christmas Island, with some outer islands having small airports.  

Air Kiribati is owned by the government of Kiribati and mainly operates domestic and inter island routes within the country, as well as international routes to Tuvalu. Coral Sun Airways is a private company that operates domestic routes in Kiribati.

Fiji Airways and Nauru Airways respectively operate international routes from the capital Tarawa to Fiji and Nauru. Christmas Island has flights operated by Fiji Airways to Nadi, Fiji, Tarawa, Kiribati, and Hawaii, USA.

land transport

The car has right-hand drive and drives on the left side of the road. There is a two-way bicycle road from the airport near the capital Tarawa to Bixiu Island.

water communication

Kiribati Shipping Company operates passenger and freight services between islands.

Urban transportation

Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, uses nine seater minibuses as the main public transportation mode. Although there are bus stops, they stop at any time. The outer islands mainly rely on motorcycles.

major city

Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, is located 148 kilometers north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean. It is a V-shaped coral atoll in the Gilbert Islands and consists of three cities.

Teinanano Urban Council (TUC) is located in the central part of Tarawa Atoll, with a population of over 40000 people, ranking first among all islands in Kiribati in terms of population. Most government agencies, diplomatic missions, Bonriki International Airport, and the Central Hospital are located in the city.

Betio Town Council (BTC) is located in the southwest of Tarawa Atoll, with an area of approximately 1.54 square kilometers and a population of around 20000 people, ranking second among all islands in Kiribati in terms of population. Bixiu Island City is an important maritime and commercial center. The Port of Bixiu Island is the main port. The main state-owned and private enterprises are located on Bihu Island, such as Kiribati Fishing Ltd and Kiribati Coconut Development Ltd.

Eutan Tarawa Council (ETC) is located in the northeast of Tarawa Atoll. The area is approximately 15.26 square kilometers. The southern island is connected to the city of Tenenano by a bridge.

Eastern Christmas Island is located in the Line Islands of Kiribati, with a land area of approximately 388 square kilometers. Christmas Island is the world's largest circular coral island, with the largest and oldest coral reefs in the world. The beach on the island is clean and pollution-free, and foreign tourists come here every year for fishing, diving, surfing, and bird watching.

Commodity prices

Most of Kiribati's land is covered by coral and sand layers, and only a few crops such as coconuts, bananas, and breadfruit can grow. The fishery resources are abundant, mainly including tuna, snapper, skipjack tuna, and sea shrimp. There are mineral deposits such as manganese and nickel on the seabed near the coast.  

The vast majority of materials rely on imports, and prices are relatively high. Due to the impact of shipping schedules, there are often supply shortages of vegetables, eggs, and other commodities.

Insurance Medical

Based on the implementation of public funded medical care, there are 4 hospitals and numerous small clinics across the country, with a total of 284 beds, 64 doctors, and 349 nurses.  

Common diseases and treatments:

Diabetes, hypertension, eye diseases, skin diseases, etc. are mainly prevalent among local people. The main infectious diseases are dysentery, dengue fever, measles, etc.  

Customs taboos

Holidays: Kiribati's main holidays include New Year's Day, Independence Day, Easter, Ascension Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  

Common etiquette: People of all ages and genders in Kiribati do not use titles, but use names instead. But in diplomatic occasions, they adhere to internationally recognized terms. When participating in public events held in the local council hall (Maneaba), one should wait for the host to greet them before following them in and taking off their shoes. If invited to dance with performers, they should be accepted, and refusal is considered disrespectful to local etiquette. When walking for photography or other reasons, one should bend down appropriately to show respect.

Main taboos: Touching a child's head is considered disrespectful and offensive to their family. Do not touch a child's head. In the local council hall, the traditional sitting posture is cross legged, not leaning against a pillar, and not pointing the toes or soles of the feet towards the opposite person, otherwise it will be considered impolite.  

Religion: Most of the local people in Kiribati follow Catholicism, Protestantism, and other religious traditions such as pre meal prayer and attending church services.

Main customs and habits such as clothing, diet, and funerals: Elderly people in Kiribati have a high social status and are highly respected by the public. Traditional clothing in Kiribati is woven from local plant fibers such as coconut trees.  

The main foods of Kiribati people are rice and fish, with some tropical fruits such as coconuts, bananas, and breadfruit. People like to eat fish, but due to the lack or high cost of vegetables, they don't eat them often.

Communications Power

Vodafone Kiribati Co., Ltd. and Ocean Link Co., Ltd. provide mobile communication services. The capital Tarawa and a small number of outer islands support mobile 4G mobile Internet access services. However, because the Internet connection relies on satellite communication, the Internet access charges are high and are greatly affected by weather conditions. Domestic telecommunications operators have roaming services in Kiribati, but the signal strength is average.  

The power interface type is three-phase flat head (the same as Australia). The voltage is 240V. Domestic electrical three hole plugs can be used normally, while dual hole plugs must be used with adapters or plugs.  

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