What Can You Not Bring into Fiji?
Fiji border control has strict rules on what visitors can bring into the country. The majority of restricted or prohibited items are those which pose a threat to the health and biosecurity of the country. For this reason, it’s best to be mindful about what you pack in your luggage and know what to declare when arriving in Fiji.
The article below will go over the most common examples of things that you will need to declare when arriving in Fiji. Declaring is done through the Passenger Arrival Card, which is given to you to complete during your flight into Fiji, as well as declaring verbally when you are at customs in Fiji. For more information on the biosecurity process, head to our Arrival Advice: Customs & Biosecurity in Fiji. You’ll also get more tips in our Everything You Need to Know About Arriving in Fiji.
What Happens if You Have Risk Goods?
The most important thing to remember when arriving in Fiji is to: Declare, Declare, Declare! If you are unsure whether you need to declare something or not, declare it anyway! That way, you won’t get an instant fine.
Disposing of Risk Items Before Passing Through Biosecurity
Amnesty bins are readily available in Fiji’s international airports before passing through Biosecurity so that you can dispose of any declarable or risk items that you have not declared on your Passenger Arrival Card. Dispose of any potential risk items that you have not declared into these bins. Ask a Biosecurity officer for advice if you are unsure.
What Happens to Undeclared Risk Items?
When passing through Biosecurity, if any restricted, prohibited or declarable items are found in your luggage or in your possession, which you have not declared on your Passenger Arrival Card, you may be fined an instant FJ$400. You are also liable for prosecution with a maximum fine of FJ$20,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment
What if Your Declared Item is Prohibited?
If you have declared an item that is deemed to be unsafe by Biosecurity officers, then the item may require treatment at your expense. Alternatively, you may have the option of the item being destroyed immediately or re-exported to the country of origin under Biosecurity supervision at your expense.
© PexelsDeclaring Food When Arriving in Fiji
You must declare all food that you are bringing into Fiji. No matter what type of food it is, you should declare it anyway. While some foods are allowed to pass through the border, many foods will be inspected and dealt with accordingly. Food that is considered a risk item will be inspected and likely destroyed if it deemed unsafe.
Foods that are considered a risk item include:
- Meat
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Dried mushrooms or fungi
- Honey or honey/bee products
- Seeds for eating or processing into food
- Nuts, herbs, spices and un-popped popcorn
- Dried, cooked or preserved fruit and vegetables
- Fresh fruit and vegetables.
© PexelsDeclaring Plants and Plant Products
All plants and plant material must also be declared when arriving in Fiji. Many plant products will either need to be treated, need a permit or are strictly prohibited. Examples of plant products that you need to declare are (but are not limited to)…
- Fresh or dried flowers
- Items made of bamboo, cane, rattan, coconut straw, etc.
- Items made of wood, like drums, carvings, masks, utensils, tools, etc.
- Corn and/or straw souvenirs such as items stuffed with seeds or straw.
© PexelsDeclaring Animals and Animal Products
Any kind of animal, including reptiles, birds, aquatic life, etc. must be declared. Importing live animals requires a permit, where permission is granted on a case by case basis by the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji.
On top of that, any animal products must be declared. Animal products refer to (but is not limited to):
- All uncanned meat
- Airline food such as sandwiches containing meat
- Special diet food
- Fish and any type of seafood product
- Shells
- Animal skins or any item made of animal skins
- Feathers
- Bones
- Masks with animal fur or hair
- Eggs
- Honey and honey products
- Pet food
- Noodles
- Mayonnaise.
© PxhereDeclaring Camping and Sports Gear
Equipment that has been used in the outdoors, such as camping and sporting equipment, can be the carrier of pests and diseases. For this reason, you are asked to declare any camping or sporting equipment when arriving in Fiji. While you are allowed to bring such equipment into Fiji, it must be free from dirt or soil. Make sure all your gear is well cleaned before packing it for Fiji.
Camping and sporting equipment refers to:
- Tents
- Used sporting shoes/boots and tracking shoes/boots/gear
- Camping equipment
- Bicycle
- Golf clubs
- Fishing equipment, such as rods, reels and nets, etc.
© PexelsDeclaring Biological Items
You also must declare any biological items or goods that may carry biological items. That’s why your passenger arrival card will ask if you have “any equipment used with animals, fish or plants, including bee-keeping equipment, saddle, or any other used equipment,” as well as “biological specimens”.
Biological items that you must declare include:
- Vaccines
- Culture
- Blood
- Live/dried/preserved insects or fungi
- Any other kind of biological specimens
- Bee-keeping equipment
- Saddle
- Clothing, shoes and OHS equipment used with animals, fish or plants
- Any other kind of plating products or used equipment
- Soil
- Rock
- Earth
- Mineral sample
- Tools used in farms.
© PexelsOther Biosecurity Risks to Declare
While all of the above items mentioned must be declared for health and biosecurity reasons, the following items must also be declared in order to pass through Customs.
Medicines and Drugs
If you are carrying prescription medicine or controlled drugs, then you need a prescription from your physician. The prescription must be under the name of you or someone travelling with you. Learn more about health and safety in Fiji in How to Keep Safe in Fiji.
Dangerous drugs, as well as utensils used to prepare drugs like Cannabis utensils and Opium pipes, are prohibited from being brought into Fiji, including:
- Raw or prepared opium
- Indian hemp
- Cocaine
- Methamphetamines
- Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
- Synthetic drugs
- and others, as stated in the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004.
Weapons and Firearms
It is prohibited to bring certain types of weapons with you, such as flick knives, swordsticks, knuckle-dusters and weapons designed to give the appearance of another object. Importing firearms is restricted and subject to obtaining an import permit from the Fiji Police. Even if you do have a firearms permit from the Fiji Police, you still must declare the firearms for safe-keeping.
Drones
Drones must also be declared at Customs and Biosecurity. While you are able to bring drones into Fiji, you must fill out the appropriate paperwork on arrival. You will need your drone’s serial number for this, which can usually be found at the bottom of the drone under the battery.
Holy Water and Human Remains (Ash)
You must also declare if you have holy water or human remains.
© FijiPocketGuide.comWhat Else Do You Need to Declare?
For the remainder of items that you need to declare when arriving in Fiji, they must meet certain allowances that visitors can bring into Fiji for personal use. If the value of your items is above the allowances then you may need to pay duty tax on them.
Personal Items
Your personal items, such as clothing, toiletries and cosmetics, jewellery, cameras, laptops, etc. are free of duty as long as you own them at the time of arriving in Fiji and they are for your own personal use, rather than intended for gifts, for sale or exchange. The items in your luggage must be what a passenger would reasonably be expected to have in their bags.
Alcohol and Tabacco
You may bring alcohol and tobacco into Fiji as long as the traveller is no younger than 17 years old, they are for personal use and not for sale, and they are not being carried on behalf of another person.
There are also allowances on the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring into Fiji, which is as follows:
- 200 cigarettes, 200g of tobacco products, 200g of cigars, or a mixture of these, as long as it’s not more than 200g
- 4.5l of wine or beer, and 2.25l of spirits or liqueur, or a mixture of these as long as they don’t exceed the equivalent quantity under liquor, wine and beer.
Other Dutiable Goods
You may bring other dutiable goods into Fiji with you as long as their value does not exceed FJ$1,000, the goods must be with you, and they are intended for personal use, not for sale.
For more about Duty Free shopping and allowances in Fiji, see Duty Free Allowances in Fiji.
Currency
If you are in possession of FJ$10,000 or more in Fijian dollars or the foreign equivalent then this needs to be declared, as you will need to fill out a Border Currency Reporting form.
More About What to Declare When Arriving in Fiji and Other Travel Tips
