Tonga Travel Advice
Local laws and customs
Tongan society is very conservative and highly religious. You will
be expected to dress modestly and respect local customs and culture.
Please be aware that Tonga strictly observes the Sabbath. On Sundays
any recreational activities undertaken outside of your Island resort may
be seen as provocative Homosexuality is technically illegal in many
Pacific countries and the law is occasionally enforced. Open displays of
affection between same-sex partners may cause offence.
Homosexuality is technically illegal in many Pacific countries and
the law is occasionally enforced. Open displays of affection between
same-sex partners may cause offence. Drug taking in all forms is
illegal. Importing or exporting illegal drugs attracts a maximum
penalty of 30 years hard labour and/or a fine of several hundred
thousand US dollars. Those found guilty of cultivating or distributing
illegal drugs are likely to receive similarly severe punishment.
Entry requirements
Visas
As a British passport holder visiting Tonga as a tourist or on
business you are normally given permission to enter the country for a
period not exceeding 30 days, provided that you are in possession of a
passport valid for a minimum of six months from the date of entry, an
onward air or sea ticket, adequate funds and relevant health
certificates. If you wish to extend your stay you must obtain
permission from the Principal Immigration Officer.
Passport Validity
Passports should be valid for a minimum of six months from the
date of entry into Tonga.
Travelling with children
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should
be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental
responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in
some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For
further information on exactly what is required please contact the
Immigration Division: Head of Immigration Division, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs PO ox 821 Nuku'alofa TONGA Tel: +676 26 969; Fax: +676 26 971
Health
Health facilities are basic in Tonga. The range of drugs available
is limited and modern equipment is in short supply. Medical evacuation
from Tonga is required for most non-basic medical problems. You should
therefore ensure your policy covers you for medical evacuation by air
ambulance.
Dengue Fever occurs in Tonga, with an increase in cases reported in
2008; Dengue Fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. There is no vaccination
against Dengue Fever but there are preventative measures that you can
take, as advised on the National Travel Network
and Centre (NaTHNaC) website.
A valid Yellow Fever certificate is required by all travellers over
one year old who have been in an infected area prior to arrival in
Tonga. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to
HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.
You should seek medical advice before travelling to Tonga and ensure
that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.
Natural disasters
Tonga is part of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire'; earthquakes, tidal
waves, tsunamis and volcanic activity can occur at any time.
The 'Ring-of-Fire' is a horse-shoe-shaped zone of frequent
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that surrounds the basin of the
Pacific Ocean. It is 40,000kms long and is associated with a nearly
continuous series of oceanic trenches, island arcs, and volcanic
mountain ranges and/or plate movements.
90% of the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest
earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which is a direct consequence
of plate tectonics and the movement of collisions of crustal plates.
These events can be disorientating and disturbing, and they can
trigger tsunami alerts. For more information on earthquakes and their
effects, please visit: www.earthquake.usgs.gov.
Earthquakes
A major earthquake (8.3 on the Richter scale) struck 130 km SE of
Samoa at 0648 am on 30 September 2009, generating a tsunami. There are
reports of deaths and injuries in addition to property damage as a
result of the tsunami on the island of Niuatoputapu. We advise against
all but essential travel to this island.
An underwater volcano
erupted near the Tongan island of Hunga Ha'apai on 17 March 2009. The
island is about 60 km north east of Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa.
Tropical Cyclones
The tropical cyclone season in Tonga normally runs from November to
April. You should monitor local and international weather updates from
the World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO). You can also access http://www.met.gov.to/ for updates. See Tropical
cyclones for more information.
General
Insurance
We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel
and medical insurance before leaving UK. You should check any
exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you
want to undertake, particularly if you plan to engage in adventure
sports. Medical evacuation from Tonga is required for most non-basic
medical problems. You should therefore ensure that your policy covers
you for medical evacuation by air ambulance.
If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see When Things Go Wrong.
Representation
There is no resident British diplomatic mission in Tonga. Routine
consular matters are covered by the British High Commission in Suva,
but in an emergency the New Zealand High Commission in Nuku'alofa can be
contacted. See below for contact details.
Registration
Register with the FCO's LOCATE service to
tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live
abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to
you in an emergency. More information about registering with LOCATE
can be found here.
Replacing your passport
If you require a new passport, application forms can be
downloaded from the Internet at: http://ukinfiji.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/passport-forms.
The British High Commission in Suva does not issue passports, but
applications for new passports should be submitted to the High
Commission for processing. Where possible, you are advised to apply at
least two months before your passport is due to expire. Please note that
you can apply up to nine months before your current passport expires.
Any remaining period of validity will be credited to your replacement
passport. You will be allowed to retain your old passport while waiting
for the replacement to be processed and returned.
We advise you to keep a photocopy of the relevant pages of your
passport, to avoid any complications.
Where necessary the New Zealand High Commission can issue an
Emergency Passport. Emergency Passports are not machine readable, and
are valid only for a single journey back to the UK using agreed transit
points, or to Commonwealth countries, provided a prior arrangement
exists with the authorities of the Commonwealth country concerned.
Money
ATMs are available in the capital cities of Tongatapu, Ha'apai
and ‘Eua.
Local Travel
The tropical cyclone season from November to April can
seriously affect local travel. If you are contemplating sea journeys in
particular during this period, you should obtain a weather report from
the Tongan Meteorological Office; (Tel: 23401) or on the Tongan Met
website: http://www.met.gov.to/.
Road Travel
You can obtain a local visitor's driving licence on the production
of a full UK driving licence. Roads are generally in good condition but
can be narrow and are sometimes potholed. The low speed limits are
strictly applied with on the spot fines. Care should be taken when
driving after dark and there is sometimes a risk of rock falls
particularly after heavy rain.?
For more general information see Driving Abroad
Air Travel
Internal flights are not always on schedule and can be subject
to adverse weather conditions.
Safety and security
Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism in Tonga. But you should be
aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which
could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and
foreign travellers.
For more general information see Terrorism Abroad.
Crime
Contact Details
New Zealand High Commission, Nuku`alofaAddress:Corner
Taufa`ahau and Salote Roads, Nuku`alofa, Tonga Postal Address: PO Box
830, Nuku`alofa, Tonga Telephone +676 23122 Facsimile _676 23487 Email nzhcnuk@kalianet.to Office
Hours Mon - Fri 0800-1230, 1300-1600
