New Caledonia - Immigration
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.
Immigration Procedure:
Immigration rules are similar to those of mainland France. All visitors (including French citizens) require a valid passport issued less than 10 years before and valid for at least 3 months after the envisaged departure date.
All visitors must have sufficient financial means. The means of subsistence shall be assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay and by reference to the average prices for accommodation and food in the Member States.
It is also a requirement to have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in New Caledonia, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death.
Visas:
Consult the France visa website:
https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/welcome-page
If you are an EU National you do not need a visa to enter New Caledonia, whatever the length of stay.
All other nationalities should consult the visa wizard on the official visa website for France.
If you do require a visa in advance, contact a French Consulate General at a consular section or embassy. Applications must be made in person and can take from 1 day to 3 weeks and cost approx. 40 euros. Note that the visa application must specify “France + New Caledonia”.
The short-term visa is for 3-months and is non-renewable and will be the only one issued in a 6 month period. Ask for the maximum stay even if you plan to leave before that.
See the France-Visas website for information on short stay visas. Go to the bottom of the page for details for the overseas territories.
Long stay visas are for more than 3 months. See the France-Visas website for information on Long-stay visa requirements.
Incoming Crew and Guests:
If arriving by plane and departing by yacht, the cabin crew will require proof of this before boarding the plane. To obtain this, the skipper must visit the Immigration Office with 2 copies of a letter giving name, flight date, and number and confirming they will be joining the yacht as crew and departing aboard the yacht. The ship’s papers will also be required. Both copies will be stamped and one copy of this must be faxed through to the crew before departure. It can be in English.
If leaving by plane, then both the skipper and crew (with air ticket) must go to the Immigration Office and have the crew officially removed from the crew list.
See this useful report if wanting to spend longer than 90 days or plan to leave the boat for a while.
Last updated: July 2022
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This is a summary of our experience arriving in and leaving New Caledonia in May 2022.
Prior to leaving for New Caledonia, we were in contact with a health official there who demanded pre-departure Covid-tests and a number of forms. We sent the forms but couldn’t do the tests because of timing. It turned out that neither the tests nor the forms were actually needed for clearing into New Caledonia.
Upon approaching Marina Port Moselle we called them on the VHF (several times, until they answered – keep trying!). They assigned a berth (the q-pontoon no longer exists) and had marina personnel waiting for us to take the lines. At the marina office, we filled in some forms, including those for customs. There is no longer a need to go to the Customs Office unless they tell you otherwise.
Our next stop was the Immigration Office, which we visited the next morning as they are only open until 11:30h. Use the map and picture of the office that the marina provides, as the entrance is not well signposted. That left only the post-arrival Covid test to be done the next day (you are asked to do it on the second day after arrival). It can be done at one pharmacy in town, for free.
To check out we had to go to immigration (again before 11:30h), customs, and the port authority.
SAFETY RELATED – CRUISERS ROBBED AT ATM
Just a few days ago a couple arrived in Noumea on their sailboat. They were planning to go out to dinner with friends of ours who were already there. They stopped at an ATM and were robbed. The woman was thrown to the ground where she sustained a broken wrist that required pins. She also received multiple lacerations on her body.
BE CAREFUL! Don’t use ATMs after dark and always be aware of your surroundings. At a time when inflation is hitting hard around the world more crime is likely to occur.
Feedback received from Sonja Novotny:
Our boat (with its previous owners) arrived July 2019 and we arrived in February 2020 to take possession of it. The borders closed March 2020 and both our personal visas and the boat have been renewed continually with no charges or maintenance requirements. The boat customs officials asked us how long we expect to stay and then gave us another three months past our estimate. The travel visa office has extended our visas every month without question, and the most recent visit resulted in a three month extension, without us even asking for it.
Everyone has been incredibly helpful and kind. They understand that the only country currently open to us is Fiji and they’re in a lockdown crisis at the moment, and no one suggested we leave during cyclone season.
We’ve been very fortunate to be here!
Thanks,
Sonja
While in Nouméa New Caledonia we needed assistance with our roller furling as it broke on the way from Fiji. “Little Wing’s” crew can highly recommend the services of Laurent Du Vaure of Pacific Accastillage located on the boardwalk at Port Moselle Harbor. He speaks English and has a great support team to help with any the necessary boatwork and finding parts. boat.savoirvivre@yahoo.fr
First time paying someone for a bottom paint job on a 39ft catamaran in Noumea. Does $1700 sound fair? Low? High? Any advice appreciated!
Any information on the best way to have parts sent from the US? Thanks
You can send spares parts to New Caledonia to a marina address, but make sure that “yacht in transit: xxxxx” is mentioned in the address.
FedEx or DHL are the recommended couriers. Get a copy of your customs clearance (IFT) at Customs office and show it to DHL or Fedex (by email is recommended) so they you will be exempt from of paying taxes.
Noumea Yacht Services will receive your parts and arrange customs clearance, but charge a fee for the service.
Immigration is notifying everyone that as of January 2019, it will be a requirement to have a health insurance certificate which includes repatriation when you clear in. I’m not sure what is going to happen if you arrive without this insurance.
The best thing you can do is buy the Rocket Guide to New Caledonia…
https://cruising-newcaledonia.com/
This comment only applies to the Bulletin au large, or the offshore forecast.
The new information provided above for the local forecasts is correct.
The information about weather forecasts on VHF is also outdated. They stopped doing that years ago. Today you have to listen on Ch16 and Noumea Radio will announce that the weather forecast will be broadcast on Ch65.
It seems to happen around 1130 and 1630…but it’s not consistent, sometimes early, sometimes late, so leave Ch16 on all the time and wait for it.
After 6 weeks in New Caledonia, I realize my post below is not 100% correct. How it works is, for example, the 400CFP/24hr option…
It runs at up to 6mbps for the first 200mb and then drops to around 1mbps for the remainder of the 24hrs, so it is in effect always on. BUT our experience is that it is not always LTE or even 3G.
In a lot of bays, we have been in all you get is E or EDGE which is VERY VERY slow. Otherwise, on 3G it works OK. The rest of my comments about this arcane system still stand.
The post about the internet is misleading. Unless you sign up for a monthly plan there is no “unlimited” internet. The carte Liberte only gives you two options as detailed 100Mb for one hour @ 90 CFP (~A$1.20) or 200Mb for 24 hours @ 400CFP (~A$6).
I know because I just bought one. 200mB gets you nowhere…some web pages use that just to open the home page. You cannot recharge your account via the internet, you can only do it with vouchers bought at Mobilis agents…
It’s a last century system because it’s govt run and there’s no competition. By comparison, the Digicel product in Vanuatu is very user-friendly and inexpensive.
This isn’t…it’s expensive…very …and inconvenient as you have to keep sending text messages to keep it going…pathetic for 2018!
Regulations on pets aboard have changed and you’d be totally nuts to have a cat or dog aboard. The requirements are summarized on https://davar.gouv.nc/sites/default/files/atoms/files/procedure_cnct_yachts.pdf – there will be a 125 Euro fee for mandatory quarantine (even if you are stopping for a day for fuel) and you require extensive vet documentation from the previous countries plus advance notification and submission of importation documents prior to arrival.
Internet for yachts is now super good in New Caledonia – 3G and 4G LTE – and available almost everywhere around Grande Terre and the other islands. For what you’ll need and how to set it up visit
http://ncvan.us/nci
The Cruising Guide to New Caledonia (on the same website) gives you mobile phone/ internet reception at all 212 anchorages
The hard copy book by Joel Marc et. al. Cruising Guide to New Caledonia (South Pacific)is long out of print and very difficult to find.
See the comparison between the old book (done in the 1990’s) to the DVD interactive program here:
http://ncvan.us/book
It’s always been that way…if you need a Visa…Eu passport people don’t have that issue
Note: This restriction only applies to cruisers whose nationality requires them to have a visa for New Caledonia. Others are allowed a maximum stay of 90 days in any 6 month period.
The Noonsite Team
New staff and new policies at Customs and Immigration, New Caledonia. Recently, cruisers who left their boat in New Caledonia to fly home for a month were not granted a new 3-month visa after they returned to New Caledonia.
And we’re required to depart at the end of their first 3-month visa. Be sure you confirm with officials before planning to leave your boat in NewCal to fly out and back to renew your visa.