🇻🇺 Vanuatu
Visa-free for 30 days, three hours from Brisbane.
No - Australian passport holders can enter Vanuatu without a visa for up to 30 days.
Australian plugs and voltage work as they do at home, one Australian dollar buys about 82.7 VUV, and Arrival card (paper) is compulsory on arrival.
Entry rules last checked 21 October 2026.
Vanuatu is one of the closest genuinely foreign destinations to Australia and one of the simplest to enter - 30 days visa-free, no fee, no form to fill in beforehand. The planning that matters is medical and financial rather than bureaucratic: healthcare is limited, and cash still runs most of the country outside Port Vila.
Your Vanuatu trip setup
21 things Australians need to sort. Tick them off as you go.
Entry requirements
Visa-freeUp to 30 days View detailsFlights
Compare 3 searchs Search flightsConnectivity
Compare 7 plansFrom $12.50 Compare eSIMsTravel insurance
Compare 7 policysFrom $25 Compare insuranceMoney & payments
Compare 5 cards0.43%-0.65% conversion fee Compare cardsAirport transfer
VLI → Port VilaFrom $3 Compare optionsDriving
AU licence OKDrives on the right Compare car hireTravel essentials
No adapter neededTap water: not safe to drink View guideThings to do
Compare 7 experiencesFrom $42 Explore activitiesVanuatu at a glance for Australians
Best time to visit
April-October
The dry season is cooler and far less humid. Cyclone season runs November to April, and it is genuinely disruptive - flights and resorts close, and travel insurance will not cover a cyclone named before you booked.
3h 00m from Brisbane (direct)
Busiest month for Australian travellers: January, quietest March. Vanuatu travel statistics
Health & safety
Smartraveller: Exercise a high degree of caution
Australia has no reciprocal health care agreement with Vanuatu, and Port Vila Central Hospital is limited. Anything serious means an air ambulance to Brisbane, which costs tens of thousands of dollars without cover. There is no hyperbaric chamber in Vanuatu.
Emergency: 112
Money
Resorts, larger restaurants and tour operators in Port Vila take cards, often with a 3-5% surcharge. Markets, villages and the outer islands are cash-only.
ANZ and BRED ATMs in Port Vila and Luganville accept Australian cards. There are effectively none on the outer islands.
Tipping: Not customary in Vanuatu and in some contexts is considered inappropriate. Resorts may add a service charge. A gift or a fair price for a village guide is the local equivalent.
Language & culture
Bislama, English and French
English: Good - English is an official language and widely spoken in Port Vila and the tourism industry
Capital: Port Vila
Australian dollar to Vanuatu vatu
VT82.7 VUV per AUD
Last recorded rate
These are mid-market rates - the rate banks trade at, published by the European Central Bank. It is not what you will be offered. Expect a card or exchange service to take 0.5% to 5% off it, which is exactly what our travel money comparison is for. Past movement doesn't predict future rates, and none of this is financial advice.
View the numbers as a table
Where Australians go in Vanuatu
Port Vila
Luganville
Tanna
Espiritu Santo
Malekula
Vanuatu FAQs for Australian travellers
Do Australians need a visa for Vanuatu?
No. Australian passport holders can enter Vanuatu visa-free for up to 30 days as a tourist, with no fee and nothing to apply for in advance. You fill in a paper arrival card on the plane.
Do I need a power adapter for Vanuatu?
No. Vanuatu uses the same Type I plug as Australia at 220V, so your chargers, hair dryer and everything else plug straight in. It is one of very few overseas destinations where that is true.
When is cyclone season in Vanuatu?
November to April. It is genuinely disruptive - flights are cancelled and resorts close. Buy travel insurance as soon as you book, because policies will not cover a cyclone that was already named at the time you bought the cover.
Is travel insurance essential for Vanuatu?
Yes, with medical evacuation cover. Medical facilities outside Port Vila are very limited and anything serious means an air ambulance to Brisbane costing tens of thousands of dollars. There is also no decompression chamber in Vanuatu, which matters if you plan to dive the SS President Coolidge.
Can I use cards in Vanuatu?
In Port Vila, mostly - resorts, tour operators and larger restaurants take them, often with a 3-5% surcharge. Outside the capital and on the outer islands it is a cash economy, and ATMs are scarce. Withdraw what you need before you leave Port Vila.
Which side of the road does Vanuatu drive on?
The right, unlike Australia. It is the thing most likely to catch an Australian driver out, particularly at junctions and roundabouts on Efate.
Planning Vanuatu?
We will send you the Vanuatu guide as it grows - what to book before you go, which eSIM and travel card are worth it there, and what things actually cost in Australian dollars.