Just Landed in French Polynesia? Your First 7 Days

Three operators serve French Polynesia: Vini (the incumbent, with by far the widest coverage across all five archipelagos), Vodafone and Ora (both strongest around Tahiti and Moorea). 4G, and increasingly 4G+, is solid around Papeete, Moorea and the main tourist islands, but coverage is patchy or absent on remote atolls in the Tuamotus and Marquesas, where hotel Wi-Fi or satellite is often the only option. Fixed home broadband and fibre are available in and around Papeete through Vini and OPT.

Typical cost: Prepaid tourist SIMs with several GB of data run roughly XPF 2,000-4,000; monthly postpaid plans with generous data start around XPF 3,000-5,000. Home fibre packages typically run XPF 5,000-9,000 per month.

The currency is the CFP franc (XPF), pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of roughly 119.33 XPF to the euro, so it does not float day to day. Everything imported is expensive and the overall cost of living is high, so budget more than you would for mainland France and keep a cash buffer for the smaller islands.

Opening an account: The main retail banks are Banque de Tahiti, Banque Socredo and BNP Paribas Nouvelle-Caledonie (which operates in Polynesia). Opening an account as a newcomer usually needs your passport, residence permit or visa, and proof of a local address, and can take a few weeks. Ask specifically about non-resident or transitional options if your papers are still pending, and expect monthly account-holding fees that are higher than you may be used to.

Cash: Cards work in Papeete supermarkets, malls, hotels and larger restaurants, but keep cash for ferries, roulottes (food trucks), the Papeete market, taxis, tradespeople and anything on the smaller islands, where card terminals are rare and connectivity for them unreliable. ATMs are common on Tahiti and Moorea but scarce or absent on outer atolls, so withdraw enough before you travel.

Tipping: Tipping is not part of Polynesian culture and is not expected; there is no service-charge norm to worry about and staff are paid a proper wage. Rounding up or leaving small change for genuinely exceptional service is welcomed but never required, and nobody will chase you for it.

There is no compulsory municipal address-registration step for arriving residents in French Polynesia, unlike the resident-registration systems used in many countries. Your legal status is governed by your French long-stay visa or residence permit rather than a local town-hall registration. Non-EU nationals should follow up on any carte de sejour or visa-validation formalities through the Haut-commissariat de la Republique, and it is strongly advisable to register voluntarily with your home country's embassy or consulate so you can be contacted in an emergency. Keep proof of address and your permit documents to hand, as banks, employers and the CPS will ask for them.

Where: Haut-commissariat de la Republique in Papeete for residence-permit and visa matters; your embassy or consulate for voluntary registration

There is no Uber or ride-hailing anywhere in French Polynesia. On Tahiti, licensed metered taxis and the public RTC bus network (the modern successor to the old open-sided 'Le Truck') serve Papeete and the coast, but buses are infrequent, stop running in the evening and do not cover everywhere, so most residents drive or ride scooters. Buying or renting a car quickly becomes essential if you live outside central Papeete. Inter-island travel is by Air Tahiti domestic flights and by ferry.

From the airport: Faa'a International Airport (PPT) sits about 5 km west of central Papeete. Metered taxis from the official rank cost roughly XPF 2,000-2,500 into town by day and more at night and on Sundays, when a surcharge applies. Some hotels run shuttles, and RTC buses pass near the airport during the day but not late into the evening, so a taxi or a pre-arranged pickup is the reliable late-arrival option.

Housing is expensive and supply is tight, especially for furnished rentals near Papeete and on Moorea, and the best places often go before they are ever advertised. Look through local agencies (agences immobilieres), the Petites Annonces classifieds, the newspaper La Depeche de Tahiti, and Facebook Marketplace and housing groups; word of mouth, church networks and workplace noticeboards fill many places first. Viewing in person and having your paperwork ready gives you a real edge in a competitive market.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom around Papeete typically runs XPF 100,000-160,000 (roughly EUR 840-1,340) per month; a comparable place further out drops to XPF 70,000-110,000, while larger houses, furnished units and anything with a lagoon view cost considerably more.

Deposit norm: Expect one to two months' rent as a deposit (caution or depot de garantie) plus the first month upfront, and landlords sometimes ask for a local guarantor or proof of stable income. Get a written lease and a signed inventory (etat des lieux) to protect your deposit at move-out.

French Polynesia runs its own social-security scheme, the CPS (Caisse de Prevoyance Sociale), which is separate from mainland French assurance maladie, so a mainland Carte Vitale does not automatically cover you here. The main public hospital is the Centre Hospitalier de la Polynesie francaise (commonly called Taaone) in Pirae, near Papeete, which handles most serious cases. Outer islands have only clinics or dispensaries staffed by a nurse or visiting doctor, so anything major means an evacuation to Tahiti.

How to access it: Register with the CPS once you are working or resident to obtain cover and a member number, then choose a GP (medecin traitant / medecin generaliste) for routine care and go to the Taaone hospital or call SAMU on 15 for emergencies. Private clinics such as the Clinique Cardella and Clinique Paofai in Papeete are also available. Pharmacies are widespread in Papeete and on Moorea but limited or absent on smaller islands.

Insurance: Until CPS cover is active, keep comprehensive private health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation, because an air ambulance from a remote atoll to Tahiti (or onward to New Zealand or mainland France for specialist care) can cost enormous sums. A top-up private mutuelle is also worth considering, as the CPS does not reimburse everything in full.

• Greet people and take time for small talk before getting to business; a warm 'ia ora na' (hello) and 'maururu' (thank you) go a long way and are genuinely appreciated.
• Accept the relaxed 'fiu' pace: offices close for a long midday break and much of the territory shuts on Sundays, so plan errands and appointments around it rather than fighting it.
• Dress modestly away from the beach and cover up when entering shops, churches, offices or someone's home; beachwear in town reads as disrespectful.
• Respect that Sunday is reserved for church and family for many Polynesians, and keep noise, work and demands to a minimum on that day.
• Learn a little French even if your Tahitian never comes; making the effort in the language of administration is noticed and opens doors that English alone will not.
• Accept hospitality graciously and reciprocate; sharing food, especially fish and fruit from someone's garden or catch, is a core part of community life here.
• Ask before photographing people, ceremonies or private property, and be respectful around marae (sacred sites) and cultural events.

• Everything imported is costly and some goods simply run out between supply ships; do not assume mainland availability, prices or delivery times.
• Reef, currents and marine hazards (stonefish, coral cuts, sea urchins and strong lagoon passes) injure newcomers regularly, so get local advice before swimming or snorkelling anywhere unfamiliar.
• Cyclone season roughly November to April brings heavy rain, swell and occasional storms that can cut off islands, close the airport and delay ferries for days.
• Administrative processes run slowly and often require French, patience and in-person visits; start paperwork early and expect to make more than one trip.
• The strong sun, dengue and mosquito-borne illnesses, and dehydration are real health risks; use repellent, sunscreen and stay hydrated, especially when island-hopping.