Passport, visa and customs
New Caledonia is neither a French overseas region nor an overseas collectivity; it has a sui generis status with broad powers of self-government. It is not part of the Schenghen area within which citizens of EU countries can move from one country to another without border controls. Overseas visitors must therefore comply with specific requirements for entry and stays in New Caledonia.
The essential
- Passport & visa
- Customs formalities & plant health checks
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Visiting New Caledonia : Do you need a visa or not ?
You are a national from a European Union country
Whatever the length of stay:
- Passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the return date
- You are exempt from needing a visa
- If you wish to engage in paid employment in New Caledonia you will have to provide a work contract and request a work permit to be issued by the government of New Caledonia. Please, consult the Direction du Travail et de l’Emploi de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (DTENC) website (fr)
For more information, contact: etrangers@nouvelle-caledonie.gouv.fr
You are a national from a country that is not part of the European Union
Please note!
Same rules apply to tourist and cruise ship passengers, please read carefully.
Cruise ship stopover
Passengers are exempt from the visa requirement if they meet one of the following criteria:
- they hold a valid residence permit issued by a Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland
- or they hold a valid residence permit issued by Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Canada, Japan and the United States of America authorising readmission to these States
- or they hold a valid visa issued by a French authority for another part of the territory of France.
To check if you need a short-stay visa, please consult the visa wizard on the official visa website for France.
If the stopover in New Caledonia lasts less than 24 consecutive hours:
- The following nationalities are also exempt from the visa requirement: Bahrain, Belarus, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Stays of 3 months or less than 3 months
- Passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the return date
- The supporting documents about:
- Your livelihood in New Caledonia (example: bank card for international use, cash, etc.)
- Your guarantees of return (ticket for returning to your country of origin or residence)
- Your travel insurance certificate or health insurance (covering any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent health attention and/or emergency hospital treatment) Minimum coverage : 30 000€
- The purpose of your stay
To check if you need a short-stay visa, please consult the visa wizard on the official visa website for France.
Helpful links: List of websites for French consular posts abroad (fr)
Long stays of more than 3 months
- Passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the return date
- A valid long stay visa expressly mentioning that it is valid for New Caledonia, which must be requested from the consulate or the French Embassy in your place of residence before you arrive in New Caledonia.
- Depending on the reason for and the duration of your stay, you must attach the necessary supporting documents (accommodation, resources, medical and hospital insurance, guarantee of return to your country of origin, supporting documents relating to the nature of your stay, etc.)
- On your arrival, ask the French New Caledonian High Commission for a valid New Caledonia residence permit to be issued
Helpful links:
Go to the section headed "conditions of residence for foreign nationals in New Caledonia"/"national from a country which is not part of the European Union" (fr)
French consular posts abroad (fr)
Foreign embassies and consulates in France (fr)
Consulates general in New Caledonia (fr)
Honorary consulates in New Caledonia (fr)
For more information, contact: etrangers@nouvelle-caledonie.gouv.fr
Customs formalities & plant health checks
. International regulations on the importing of arms, narcotics and counterfeit goods are, of course, enforced in New Caledonia
. However, specific regulations also apply to the importing of plants, animals and foodstuffs. These products must be declared when entering New Caledonia and be covered by appropriate veterinary and/or phytosanitary certificate.
- Importing cheese and processed meat is prohibited to ensure New Caledonian livestock is protected from infection.
- To preserve New Caledonia’s immense wealth of endemic plant species, one of the greatest in the world, the import of plant products (seeds, plants, flowers) is also prohibited unless you hold a phytosanitary certificate authorising such import.
Before packing your suitcase, check the list of products that do not require an import permit and certificate
. Import quotas also apply to some commodities, such as tobacco, alcohol, coffee and perfume.
. New Caledonia has implemented a raft of regulations protecting animal and plant species: the export of some species is strictly prohibited.
. On both import and export, the parcels are subject to restrictions.
Please ensure you know exactly what restrictions apply before boarding or making purchases to avoid any hassle at customs!