The news that Fiji is dropping pre-arrival Covid-19 testing requirements is a welcome one for divers wishing to explore some of the world’s healthiest and most vibrant soft coral reef systems on the planet.

Effective 1 May 2022, fully vaccinated visitors to Fiji will no longer be required to produce a pre-arrival negative COVID-19 test prior to entry, a move that reduces costs and lends greater convenience to those traveling to the country.

The change applies to all visitors entering Fiji by air or sea who were previously required to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or rapid antigen test (RAT) prior to their arrival to Fiji.

This step is in line with best practice for entry requirements among highly vaccinated societies and follows countries such as Australia and Singapore which have also removed COVID-19 testing as an entry prerequisite.

The current requirement to book an in-country pre-COVID RAT test, prior to departing for Fiji, remains. The test must be done within 48 – 72 hours of arrival. In-country tests must be booked prior to arrival to Fiji on https://entrytestfiji.com/.

Commencing 1 May 2022, the vaccination requirement for entry into Fiji has also been widened. All visitors above the age of 16 years must now display proof of full COVID-19 vaccination prior to entering the country.

The lowering of the age requirement for the vaccine prerequisite comes as more children globally are granted access to vaccines. Fiji’s key visitor markets have considerably high coverage of vaccination amongst those below the 18-year age threshold.

In Australia, the vaccine coverage for ages 16 and above is significant across all key visitor market states of New South Wales (95%), Victoria (94%), and Queensland (92%). New Zealand has a vaccination coverage of 95 percent for those 12 years and above. In the United States, vaccine coverage for those between the ages of 12 and 17 years the vaccine coverage is 77.4 percent.

Requiring that all tourists aged 16 years and above provide proof of vaccination prior to visitors to Fiji further reduces the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 and allows Fiji to capture a greater percentage of the fully vaccinated tourism market.

All other existing conditions for entry remain applicable and can be reviewed at https://www.mcttt.gov.fj/.

These moves follow Fiji’s continued effort to strengthen its in-country testing program and wider community surveillance efforts designed to ensure the safety of visitors and Fijians alike.

The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce will continue to review Fiji’s entry requirements and COVID safe measures, with a focus on strengthening community surveillance and the robustness of the in-country testing digital platform, supplemented by the already high vaccination rates.

With thanks to Volivoli Beach Resort (pictured) for the story.