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NOW UNTIL 1 JULY

Current Requirements for International Travel to Vanuatu (until 30 June 2022)

The below requirements are stipulated by the Vanuatu Ministry of Health under the current Public Health Emergency and are in line with Recovery Level 1 for Shefa Province as per the Roadmap for Safe Recovery. These requirements are expected to remain in place until 30 June 2022.

Visit the Vanuatu Ministry of Health website to stay current with the latest information.

 

BEFORE TRAVEL TO VANUATU

Entry Restriction

Any travels to Vanuatu are currently restricted to Vanuatu citizens, permanent residents, and other priority groups of travelers per the approval of the Health Emergency Advisory Committee. This restriction is expected to ease from 1 July 2022.

To view border measures and immigration border requirements, visit https://immigration.gov.vu.

Obtaining Health Clearance

Full vaccination against COVID-19 required: All travelers to Vanuatu who are 18 years and older are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. To be considered “fully vaccinated,” travelers must have received the final dose of the primary series of a recognized vaccine product, as indicated below. This list may be subject to change

  • Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, also known as: Comirnaty, BNT162b2, COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (nucleoside-modified) 
  • Moderna vaccine, also known as: SpikeVax, mRNA-1273, CX-024414, COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Moderna, TAK-919 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, also known as: AZD1222, Vaxzevria, Covishield, ChAdOx1 nCoV19, ChAdOx1-S, AZD2816
  • Johnson & Johnson vaccine, also known as: Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, Ad26.COV2.S, JNJ78436735, Ad26COVS1, VAC31518
  • Sinovac vaccine, also known as: CoronaVac, PiCoVacc. 
  • Sinopharm vaccine, also known as: BBIBP-CorV, BIBP vaccine, Zhong’aikewei, Hayat-Vax, Vero Cell 
  • Covovax vaccine, also known as: Nuvaxovid (Novavax), NVX-CoV2373, TAK-019, SARS-CoV-2 rS with Matrix-M1 adjuvant 
  • Covaxin vaccine, also known as: B.BV152 
  • Sputnik V vaccine, also known as: Gam-COVID-Vac

Travelers to Vanuatu should be vaccinated:

  • 14 days before departure from the travel origin if vaccinated with two recommended doses OR;
  • 28 days before departure from the travel origin if vaccinated with one recommended dose.

Exemption from the requirement of full vaccination lies at the discretion of the Government of Vanuatu. Citizens requesting such exemption can access a request form by emailing the Vanuatu Ministry of Health Pre-Travel Team at [email protected] and submitting the request two weeks before travel. However, as there is no guarantee that requests will be approved, travelers should plan accordingly. 

Eligibility for this exemption is extremely limited and is not available to non-Vanuatu citizens.

COVID-19 PCR test result required: Like all countries, all adults and children (including Vanuatu citizens and permanent residents) are required to undertake a COVID-19 PCR test between 24 - 72 hours before departure to Vanuatu. If travelers have one or more connecting flights to Vanuatu, the PCR test should be taken from their initial travel origin for the first flight.

Complete online Registration via Vanuatu Electronic Traveler System (VETS): Travelers (including adults and children) seeking a health clearance are required to upload the following (in PDF, JPEG, or GIF format) to the VETS:

  1. Passport. Travelers should provide details of the passport they will use for entry to Vanuatu.
  2. Visa. Most applicable to non-Vanuatu citizens only. 
  3. COVID-19 vaccination certification.  This should be an official certificate in English, showing the name, date of birth, vaccine type, the number of doses received, and dates received. It must be uploaded to the VETS by all eligible people 18 years and over at least 24 hours before departure from the travel origin. Travelers who have tested positive for COVID-19 previously should provide results from their most recent positive test.
  4. COVID-19 PCR Negative Test Result. Travelers are required to upload an English version of the PCR test issued by a recognized laboratory or testing center in the country of travel origin. This should be uploaded at least 24 hours before departure from the travel origin.

Travel approval Required: Travelers should receive travel approval from the Ministry of Health before boarding at their original port of departure. 

Travelers will receive an email from their relevant Vanuatu Foreign Mission or a mission in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, or New Caledonia (for travelers with one or more international connections). The email will contain a link from VETS, outlining the traveler’s:

  • contact details in Vanuatu
  • Flight details to Vanuatu
  • COVID-19 test results
  • Vaccination information and certificate(s)
  • Quarantine requirements in Vanuatu 
  • Your travel history 
  • Health status

UPON ARRIVAL IN VANUATU

Quarantine

All travelers to Vanuatu are required to complete either:

  • 3 days of quarantine: if travel originated in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, or Fiji and there was no travel to other countries within the previous 14-day period, OR 
  • 7 days of quarantine: if travel originated or included any other countries not specified above within the 14-day period prior to travel

Symptom Monitoring and Testing during Quarantine 

The health team will conduct symptom monitoring via phone during the quarantine period. Any traveler who develops COVID-19 symptoms during quarantine must report this to the health team, quarantine hotel management, or Community Isolation Center staff immediately. 

The health team will swab and test all travelers for COVID-19 at least once during quarantine. Swabbing may be conducted on day 2 or 3 for those required to complete 3 days of quarantine or on day 6 for those required to complete 7 days of quarantine. 

The Ministry of Health will manage permission for release from quarantine based on a negative test result and an absence of COVID-19 symptoms.

 

Extended Isolation

During or after quarantine, any traveler who tests positive for COVID-19 or develops symptoms of COVID-19 and cannot get tested is required to be isolated for 7 days. The locations allowed for isolation are: 

For citizens and permanent residents: 

  • Home isolation if requirements are met, OR 
  • Community Isolation Center, if available and home isolation requirements are not met.

For other international visitors: 

  • Hotel and resorts with approved isolation Standard Operating Procedures

Travelers traveling under the “Visiting Families and Relatives (VFR)” category who intend to stay at private homes (e.g. family, friends, Airbnb) are permitted to home isolate if requirements are met. The entire household, including the positive individual and all those residing in the same location and who cannot be physically separated for the isolation period, must also undergo isolation unless authorized otherwise by the Ministry of Health. 

Release from isolation will generally be allowed after 7 days have passed since the first positive test or since symptoms first developed, and if there has been no fever for the past 3 days and any symptoms are improving. Release does not require a negative PCR or negative RAT result.

 

Arrival by Sea

The above requirements also apply to those entering Vanuatu by sea, with the exception of quarantine duration before berthing. For international arrivals by sea, the number of full days at sea will be subtracted from the quarantine duration if there is proof of travel dates and if there has been no exposure to COVID-19 cases during the journey.

 

Domestic Travel

Domestic travel restrictions are outlined in the MoH Guidelines on Travel Under Recovery Levels. There are currently no specific restrictions that apply to international travelers who have recently arrived in Vanuatu and have completed quarantine.​

FROM 1 JULY 2022

The below outlines changes to requirements expected from 1 July 2022 in line with Recovery Level 1 for Shefa Province as per the Roadmap for Safe Recovery. Actual requirements may differ if there are significant changes in the global, regional or local situation. Under the current Public Health Emergency, this will be at the discretion of the Health Emergency Advisory Committee (HEAC). Information on updated requirements will be available on the Ministry of Health COVID-19 web page and will supersede previous information.

From 1 July 2022, the following changes to current requirements (as of 11 May 2022) are expected: 

  1. Foreign nationals (non-citizens and non-residents), including tourists, can travel to Vanuatu, increasing flights and passenger volumes (Contact travel providers for further details)
  2. Travel insurance that includes appropriate COVID-19-related coverage will be required for all foreign nationals, including those visiting family and friends. Therefore, before traveling to Vanuatu, travel insurance (insurance certificate) evidence should be uploaded to VETS as part of the health clearance process. Vanuatu citizens and permanent residents are exempt from this requirement. Insurance requirements are currently under development. 
  3. Before traveling to Vanuatu, results from a certified negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or a certificate of infection and recovery (within 28 days of departure) will be accepted as an alternative to a negative PCR test result. Requirements for these are currently under development. 
  4. Upon arrival, there will be no quarantine required for any travelers.
  5. All travelers (adults and children), including citizens and permanent residents, will need to undertake a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) 48 to 72 hours after arrival in Vanuatu at the expense of the traveler. Therefore, before traveling to Vanuatu, travelers should provide evidence of booking and pre-payment for this test. The portal for test bookings is under development.
  6. The situation at the time will determine onward domestic travel to other provinces.