A Fiji family holiday offers everything we’ve all been craving these many long months spent at home. Sandy beaches, strong cocktails, salmon-coloured sunsets, and plenty of time spent soaking in an infinity pool await. But first, there are a few extra steps you need to take in your journey to paradise.
Visitors must stay in a CFC-approved hotel such as the Sofitel Denarau.
With the flight time from Sydney to Fiji a very short 4 hours, the extra paperwork will quickly be forgotten when you step into Nadi airport and smell those first fragrant hits of frangipani.
What you need to know before travelling from Australia to Fiji
- Check Smart Traveller to see if there are any up-to-date travel warnings. Also, be aware that if there is a “Do not travel” notice in place it may void some of your travel insurance. Don’t forget to register your trip while you are there so the government knows where you are if something happens while you are away.
- Buy a travel insurance policy that covers ‘COVID-19 Medical Coverage’. We went with Cover More.
- Those over 18 years of age need to be double vaccinated. Have your international vaccination certificate ready at check-in for both flights and hotels. Follow the instructions here to download it.
- At the moment, you need to get a private pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test with a negative result. We pre-booked our PCR test with Histopath and took the printed receipt with the barcode to a drive-thru testing facility where they scanned it and sent it off for the extraordinary test. We received our negative result via text that afternoon and the full pathology report via email the following morning. You need to print the full PDF and carry it with your travel documents, Histopath is also offering pre-departure airport testing for those flying from Sydney to Fiji or Melbourne to Fiji. We paid $AUD100 for ours but different labs have their own pricing and the airport tests are already about $AUD80
- The Care Fiji Commitment outlines the steps both locals and visitors are taking to keep everyone as safe as possible during the pandemic. Part of this mandate is that hotels and tour operators need to be deemed safe and added to the approved lists on their CFC site. You will need to pre-book and pay for your transfers to and from the hotel with an approved CFC company. We simply booked through our CFC-approved hotels.
- You have to prepay the first few nights of your CFC-approved hotel. We chose the Sofitel in Denarau and the Intercontinental in Natadola Bay for our recent trip.
- Pack and wear a mask at the airports and on the plane.
- Download the CareFIJI app. It works the same way our QR check-ins work at home. You simply scan the QR code when entering a cafe or shop.
Preparing to return home
- We had to undergo 72 hours of hotel-based quarantine. This has since been scrapped by the Fiji government. But, it’s a good idea to check this before booking your tickets.
- You need to have a Rapid Antigen Test within 48 hours of entering the country. This can generally be organised through your hotel. Ours was processed within 30 minutes and we were free to continue to enjoy the hotel and safe travel zones outside.
- Within 72 hours of your departure from Fiji, you will need to do another PCR test. We did ours at the hotel. It is recommended you get it as soon as you are able to within that window to allow for processing time.
- You’ll need to complete your Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours out from your flight. You can do these on the ATD app. However, it does take a little time to complete and lodge so don’t leave it for Nadi airport.
- There is currently a nightly curfew in place in Fiji. Check here for updates to the Fiji curfew rules.
These are just some of the things you need to know about travelling from Australia to Fiji right now. So, please check with Tourism Fiji and Smart Traveller before you jump on your flight to Fiji.
With requirements changing regularly in line with the international health landscape please treat this as a general guide only. You will need to do your own research and check with your individual government bodies before booking your Fiji holiday.
Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.
She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.
As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.
Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.
Skye is based in Sydney, working to master the balance between motherhood and her appetite for adventure.
Read more about Skye’s story here.