The President of French Polynesia, Mr. Edouard Fritch, and the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia, Mr Dominique Sorin, have confirmed the reopening of The Islands of Tahiti to tourism on May 1st.
This reopening will be first extended to the countries identified with “limited epidemic risk” and for the time being, only the United States is concerned.
Travel from “countries with high epidemic risk” will remain restricted to the three compelling reasons (health, family, work) for the time being. The health situation in France and in Europe does not allow an opening at this stage. It will be necessary to verify the effects of their confinement that needs to be lifted by the national authorities before allowing the access to these markets.
This gradual reopening is accompanied by a new travelers health protocol that takes into account vaccinated travelers and those who are immunized in order to continue controlling the health situation in The Islands Of Tahiti and to protect its population as well as its visitors, as follows :
Since May 1st, The Islands of Tahiti are reopen to tourism for travelers residing in the USA for at least 30 days prior to depature. Vaccinated and immune travelers who have been in the US for 30 consecutive days prior to departure and strictly follow the new and improved entry and stay conditions are not subject to quarantine.
The new entry and stay protocols take into account vaccinated travelers and those who are immunized in order to continue managing the health situation in The Islands of Tahiti and to protect its population as well as its visitors.
Important: registration on Etis.pf must be filled between 30 to 6 days the latest, prior to departure in order to obtain authorization to travel. It is the gateway for all entry and stay formalities where you will be guided by the instructions and directed to the protocol and forms that correspond to your profile.
ANTIGENIC TESTS AT DEPARTURE FROM TAHITI
For passengers departing to the United States requiring a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding, the test center at the Faa’a international airport will be open on days when flights to the US are scheduled from noon until 6:30 PM.
This new protocol, applicable to travelers coming from the United States may change in the coming weeks.
The authorities of French Polynesia have declared a state of health emergency with the application of reinforced measures through June 1, 2021.
A curfew is in effect on the islands of Tahiti and Moorea. All trips, circulation or movement in public areas are prohibited, every day, between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am through June 1, 2021 with the possibility to be extended. The official statement can be downloaded on the website of the High Commission.
Statement from Tahiti Tourism : May 24, 2021
The global health challenge we all are living at the present time is unprecedented. However, each one of us are reminded what really matters such as protecting ourselves with simple actions, participating in the fight against the epidemic by respecting the current sanitary measures, paying attention to the echoes of our beautiful “Earth”, taking time to surround ourselves with our loved ones… and many more.
The health and safety of all have always been at the core priority of TAHITI EXPERIENCES and even more so today. Please be assured that we will do everything we can to complete successfully the missions of the agency. Jointly with the local authorities and all our partners, we will provide regular updates of all current and future measures and recommendations.
Today, we can state that French Polynesia still shows a positive record in the fight against the COVID-19. We owe the result of this sucess to the preventive actions and the handling of the situation by all of us.
On this optimistic note, I wish to tell you how much we look forward to welcoming you again into our Islands!
Thank you, Mauru’uru,
Teriitahi, Herald NANAI
General Manager
Wearing a mask is mandatory on the plane and in airports for each trip.
Travelers resident in France going to the airport to take a flight for Overseas destinations must be able to present, during a control, the exemption certificate for travel during curfew hours (available on the website of the Ministry of the Interior).
COVID-19 Test
A SARS-CoV-2 virus genome test (e.g. the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test) has to be carried out by all travelers aged 11 years or over in a health authority center (hospital, clinic, medical centre, Covid-19 testing Center, or medical analysis laboratory) within 3 days before the flight to Tahiti (at the passenger’s expense).
The results of this test must be negative and will need to be presented to airline staff upon check-in prior to boarding the flight to French Polynesia.
No boarding will be allowed if the test is positive.
Sanitary entry form (ETIS)
After obtaining the negative test results, each adult must fill out a digital Sanitary entry form online on the dedicated platform – Etis.pf/en/ – mainly agreeing to:
The Sanitary entry form is filled online on the dedicated digital platform ETIS.pf [Electronic Travel Information System].
Once completed a receipt with an ETIS number will be issued by email;
A printout of this receipt must be presented upon check-in together with the test results in order to be able to board the flight to French Polynesia and both documents will need to be presented upon arrival at Tahiti’s Faa’a international airport.
The printout receipt of the health engagement form is to be kept with the traveler at all times and in all places during their stay in French Polynesia. See example HERE
Compelling Reason
The passenger needs to fill up a form to justify one of a compelling reason to travel to French Polynesia on the website of The Ministry of the Interior (“travel for leasure” to French Polynesia is one, please see the form)
Travelers from French Polynesia are exempt from entry restrictions in France. This system could evolve according to the sanitary situation.
More details on https://outre-mer.gouv.fr/nouvelles-modalites-pour-les-voyages-entre-les-outre-mer-et-lhexagone.
Statement from Tahiti Tourism : January 19, 2021
*conditions are subject to modifications
Beginning January 26, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all passengers 2 years of age or older on a flight to the United States, regardless of their immunization status, to present at check-in :
Virological tests for nucleic acid amplification RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests are tests accepted and authorized by the French Polynesian Health Authority.
Test result documents must clearly state the name of the medical authority that performed the test, the date of the test, the type of test performed, the name of the traveler and the test result. In case of a negative result, the document must clearly state “NEGATIVE RNA SARS-COV2 NON-DETECTED” or “NEGATIVE RNA SARS-COV2 NON-DETECTED” or “COVID 19 NON-DETECTED”.
French Polynesia’s authorities are getting organized to respond to this new requirement applicable from January 26, 2021. Details on the evolution of the sampling system, the communication of results, as well as on the set up of a collection center on the island of Bora Bora will be communicated in the coming days.
For travelers traveling to the United States, please find the list of collection sites available on this link.
For the latest updates please visit our regularly updated Covid-19 Travel Information for The Islands of Tahiti
In the context of the crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic, TAHITI EXPERIENCES has committed to Tahiti Tourism to apply a common and united commercial policy by proposing modifications without penalty or refund without charge within 12 months from the initial date of stay in case of cancellation.
The specifics of the agreement apply to cancellations and change requests for any new reservation made between May 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021 for travel within French Polynesia between July 15, 2020 and December 31, 2021 – with the exception of group requests.
The cancellation or change fees will be waived in the case of :
In the event of a request for cancellation or modification of reservations except in the cases defined above, standard conditions apply. See booking terms & conditions.
Given this exceptional situation, TAHITI EXPERIENCES still strongly recommends that our clients have a Travel Protection Plan or Travel Insurance, which takes into account the epidemic risk associated with COVID-19, when traveling.
TAHITI EXPERIENCES invites you to follow and respect the usual barrier gestures, recommended by the Ministry of Tourism and Health Department of French Polynesia :
“The Health Department updates its recommendations regularly to protect your health and recommends the right things to do against the COVID-19”
TAHITI EXPERIENCES would like to express its sincere gratitude to those who through their work or actions, have contributed and continue to do so today, to fight the COVID-19. We will be forever grateful!
We also wish to thank each one of you, because by respecting the rules of social distancing and barrier gestures, we can now be reunited with our loved ones, families and children in complete serenity.
Last but not least, none of this would have been possible without the hard work of the Government and High Commission of French Polynesia.
Mauru’uru, Thank you,
TAHITI EXPERIENCES
