Tahiti and French Polynesia Local Currency

TRAVEL ADVICE

Visa Requirements

Nationals of many countries do not require a visa to visit French Polynesia for a period..

Travel Health

There are occasional outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease dengue fever in French..

Local Currency

The currency is the franc cours pacifique (CFP) or simply the 'franc'. The note..

Weather

French Polynesia has a typical climate for a tropical, oceanic island. Temperatures and..

Local Customs

When arriving in French Polynesia you may be welcomed with a traditional garland made of..

Languages

French and Tahitian are the official languages, but English is spoken and understood in..

Transport Options

The major international airport is Faaa Airport in Papeete, on Tahiti. Getting between..

Local Food

For a true island cuisine experience try a feast called a tamaaraa when food is cooked in..

Local Timezones

French Polynesia is 10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-10) except for the Gambier..

Dutyfree Limits

The following is a basic guide to what travelers may bring into French Polynesia without..

states of Tahiti and French Polynesia

Society Islands Information

The Society Islands Archipelago (composed of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands) is a group of high, tropical..

Tuamotu-Gambier Islands Information

The largest of the Polynesian archipelagos includes 76 islands and atolls extending over more than 20,000 square kms...

Marquesas Islands Information

The Marquesas archipelago, with its powerful landscapes, its cliffs and sharp peaks and its deep valleys, imposes its..

Austral Islands Information

Hundreds of miles to the south of Tahiti lie the Austral islands, a chain of five high islands located on the Tropic of..

INDEX OF ALL states AND LOCATIONS

Local Currency

The currency is the franc cours pacifique (CFP) or simply the 'franc'. The note denominations are 500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 CFP and coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 CFP. The CFP is linked to the euro so it is a stable currency. It fluctuates between 80-90 CFP per 1 US dollar. A rough calculation would be to divide the CFP by 100 to get the US dollar value.

ATMs are known as a billetterie in French and are readily available on the more developed islands. Many post offices have billetteries that dispense cash against MasterCard and Visa cards. Smaller islands may not have ATMs so be sure to get enough cash before leaving the larger islands.

Most visitors exchange some money at the airport or at their hotels but charges for changing money and traveller's cheques are high. Most credit cards, predominantly MasterCard and Visa, are readily accepted in all tourist areas although there may be a minimum purchase amount. Note: banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

A TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée; value-added tax) adds 6% to your hotel bill plus there is a 5% government tax and the taxe de séjour (accommodation tax or daily tax).

Highlights of Tahiti and French Polynesia

Bora Bora Information

270 kilometres northwest of Tahiti, Bora Bora the pearl of the Pacific undoubtedly has the world's most beautiful..

Tahiti Information

Tahiti is the beating heart of French Polynesia. It is both the gate to the country with Tahiti Faa'a airport and the..

Rangiroa Information

Slightly over an hour away from Tahiti on flights that run daily, Rangiroa is a gigantic atoll,the largest in..

Tahaa Information

Just a few minutes away from Raiatea's airport by shuttle boat,Tahaa “The vanilla island”has retained the..

Fakarava Information

450 kilometres from Papeete, Fakarava is the second largest atoll of Polynesia. Like her big sister Rangiroa,this..

Rurutu Information

Protected from the ocean's fury by a small coral reef, Rurutu the “gushing rock” in the Polynesian language is the..

Tikehau Information

300 kilometres northeast of Tahiti and a few kilometres from Rangiroa,Tikehau,with its nearly perfect circular blue..

Raiatea Information

40 minutes on a direct flight from Tahiti- Faa’a,Raiatea was the first island settled by Polynesians and the starting..

INDEX OF ALL LOCATIONS