Contents
Summary
Entry and exit requirements
Safety and security
Local travel
Laws that apply to you
Health issues
Where to get help
Additional information
Summary
- We advise you to exercise normal safety precautions in Tonga.
- Exercise common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour, as you would in Australia.
- Cyclone season in Tonga is from November to April. However, tropical storms and cyclones may occur in other months. See the Natural Disasters section below for more detailed advice.
- Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
- organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
- register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency
- subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
Entry and exit
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Tonga for the most up to date information.
Tongan border control regulations require that your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. It is possible that if you attempt to travel with less than six months validity, the airline will not allow you to board. In the unlikely event that the airline overlooks this requirement you may be fined on arrival. Your passport may be impounded by Tongan border control officers until such time as the fine is paid. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Safety and security
Terrorism
Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Civil unrest/political tension
We advise you to exercise normal safety precautions in Tonga. Exercise common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour, as you would in Australia. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
Crime
Crime levels in Tonga are moderate. There has been a recent rise in house break-ins and property theft attributed to the economic downturn. There have also been some incidences of violent assault associated with robbery and a number of armed robberies of commercial premises. Security risks increase after dark.
Sexual assaults against foreigners have occurred, including on public beaches. Females in particular should avoid going out alone at night or alone to isolated locations, including beaches.
Money and valuables
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Both Westpac and ANZ are represented in Tonga. ATMs will accept a variety of Australian cards, but you should ask your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas. While ATMs are easily accessible on the main island of Tongatapu, the more remote island groups have limited services. Australian dollars can be cashed at local banks. You should check with your accommodation provider prior to travel and check which payment method is acceptable.
Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that electronic devices, such as laptops, expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
Local travel
Driving in Tonga can be hazardous, particularly at night, due to poor visibility, the quality of roads and the significant volume of pedestrian and animal traffic. For further advice, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.
Following the sinking in August 2009 of the inter-island ferry, Princess Ashika, inter-island travel between the main island groups was not possible. In December 2010, the replacement ferry, the MV ‘Otuanga ‘ofa, was commissioned and has recommenced an inter-island service. This ferry meets internationally recognised safety standards. Other smaller locally operated passenger ferries also sail between the island groups. The Ministry of Transport has recently named some of these ferries as not complying with a number of safety requirements. Operators have been given a fixed time in which they must comply or risk losing their operating licence. In the interim, the number of passengers approved for carriage on these vessels has been reduced by 50 per cent. The ferries concerned travel between Tongatapu and Ha’apai, Tongatapu and Vav’au, and Tongatapu and ‘Eua. Care should be taken in checking safety equipment and passenger numbers before embarking on inter-island ferries.
The safety standards Australians might expect of small boat operators for tour purposes are not always met. Sufficient life jackets for boats, rafts and kayaks are not always provided. You are advised to check the operators' credentials and safety equipment beforehand and ensure your travel insurance policy covers your planned activities.
It is a legal requirement when riding motor scooters hired in Tonga that helmets be worn when riding. Helmets may not be provided when hiring scooters. It may also be necessary to obtain a temporary Tongan driver’s licence in order to hire a scooter or car. Contact the Ministry of Transport for more information. When hiring motor scooters be sure to check your travel insurance to see if you are covered for this activity.
Swimming: Care should be taken when swimming on beaches with outlying coral reefs. Strong rips can occur at breaks in the reef and pose a significant risk to swimmers and surfers. Tourists have drowned in the past. Advice should be sought from locals on danger spots before going swimming.
Airline safety
Please refer to our travel bulletin for information about Aviation Safety and Security.
Laws
When you are in Tonga, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Offences such as stealing and sexual and physical assault may attract corporal punishment.
Sodomy is illegal in Tonga.
Child pornography is illegal. Other forms of pornography may attract criminal penalties.
Random breath testing for alcohol has been introduced in Tonga with a blood/alcohol limit of .03. If your test reading is between .03 and .05 there is an on the spot fine of TOP200 and for readings of greater than .05 you will be charged and will have to appear in court.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties for up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.
Local customs
There are strict standards of dress and behaviour in Tonga and you should take care not to offend. Women in particular should dress modestly and wear clothing that covers the shoulders and knees. Bikinis can be worn on island resorts, however swimwear should be more modest if swimming on the public beaches on the main islands. Topless bathing is not accepted. Men are not permitted to go shirtless in public areas, unless on island resorts.
Tonga is officially a Christian country with a high level of religious observance and a very conservative culture. Sabbath observance laws strictly limit Sunday activities, including business transactions, most restaurants, cafes and bars, and sporting events. Other activities, such as general exercise, running, swimming and snorkelling are regarded as illegal on Sundays, unless on island resorts.
Information for dual nationals
Our Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.
Health
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.
Hospital and medical facilities in Tonga are very limited and evacuation may be required even in cases of minor illness or accident. Medical evacuation, at considerable expense, would normally be to Australia or New Zealand.
If you intend to go scuba diving, you should be aware that there are no decompression chambers in Tonga. Serious cases of decompression sickness are evacuated to the nearest treatment centre in Townsville, Queensland. All registered dive companies carry basic treatment equipment to meet PADI standards.
Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness dengue fever occur, particularly during the wet season. It is strongly recommended you take precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes, including using insect repellent, wearing long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing and ensuring your accommodation is mosquito proof. Seek medical advice if you have a fever. For further information see the World Health Organization's factsheet on dengue fever.
Water-borne, food-borne, and other infectious diseases (including tuberculosis and filariasis) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. There have been several reported occurrences of typhoid in villages outside of Nuku’alofa. Practicing good personal hygiene should help avoid contracting this and other gastro-intestinal diseases. You are advised to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, and avoid ice cubes and raw or undercooked food. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
Where to get help
In Tonga, Australians and Canadians can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian High Commission, Nuku'alofa
Salote Road
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Telephone (676) 23 244
Facsimile (676) 23 243
Email: ahctonga@dfat.gov.au
If you are travelling to Tonga, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the above mission, you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
Additional information
Natural disasters, severe weather and climate
Tonga is located in an active earthquake zone and minor quakes are common. All oceanic regions of the world can experience tsunamis, but in the Indian and Pacific Oceans there is a more frequent occurrence of large, destructive tsunamis because of the many large earthquakes along major tectonic plate boundaries and ocean trenches. In September 2009, an earthquake near Samoa caused a tsunami to strike parts of Tonga. Nine people were killed on the island of Niuatoputapu. See the Tsunami Awareness brochure.
Cyclone season is between November and April when flooding, gale force winds and disruptions to services may occur. However, tropical storms and cyclones may occur in other months. Monitor local media reports and weather services and follow the instructions of local emergency officials.
If you are travelling to Tonga during cyclone season, you should contact your tour operator to check whether services at your planned destination have been affected.
The direction and strength of tropical cyclones can change with little warning. Cyclone and storm information for the Pacific Ocean region is available from the Tonga Meteorological Service, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, US Navy , USA National Weather Service Forecast Office, the Fiji Meteorological Service, the World Meteorological Organisation Severe Weather Information Centre and the Humanitarian Early Warning Service.
In the event of an approaching cyclone, you should identify your closest safe location. Flights in and out of affected areas could be delayed or suspended. Available flights may fill quickly. The cyclone could also affect access to sea ports in the region. In some areas, adequate shelter from a severe cyclone may not be available to all who may choose to stay. You should familiarise yourself with your accommodation or cruise ship evacuation plans. You should carry your travel documents at all times (i.e. passport, photo identification) or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. We also suggest that you contact friends and family in Australia with updates about your welfare and whereabouts. For further information, see our Travel Bulletin: Severe Weather – Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons.
If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities. Emergency updates from the Tongan National Emergency Management Office will be transmitted on radio station Radio 1 at frequency 1017 AM which is transmitted to all island groups.
Wildlife
Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
For parents
For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling with Children brochure.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities in Tonga we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.