Kiribati Travel Guide

Nationals and citizens of the following countries are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati where the intended duration of their stay is 30 days or less: Belize, Federated States of Micronesia, Macao (only in respect of holders of Macao Special Administrative Region Passports), Marshall Islands, Palau, Republic of China (Taiwan), Republic of Korea (South Korea).

Australian dollars, denoted by the symbol "$" ( ISO code: AUD), are used as the official currency. While Australian banknotes are used, Kiribati issues its own coins in denominations of 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1 and $2, but it is pegged at a 1:1 rate to the Australian dollar.

By plane

Air Kiribati has two turboprop aircraft for inter-island travel. Flights travel to all Outer Islands in the Gilbert group regularly. Coral Sun Airways offers a scheduling alternative to Air Kiribati and can also be chartered for private use.

English is the official language of Kiribati along with the native Kiribati or Gilbertese. While English is used heavily in South Tarawa, the further away from the capital you go the stronger the Kiribati tongue. Most people on Kiritimati Island speak some English.

Kiribati is generally a safe place to travel. However, it may be risky to be outside after dark in Betio or along the beach in South Tarawa, especially for single females. However, virtually all problems are caused by drunk males, not career criminals.

Don't drink the water without boiling or filtering. Chemical treatment is not recommended as it may not prevent giardiasis. The lagoon (especially around Betio) is heavily contaminated, and may make the entire island segment smell bad at times. No matter how inviting it looks, always ask first before going into the water anywhere on South Tarawa. This is also a good idea on other islands.

Vodafone has a subsidiary on Kiribati with a 3G 900 network covering most inhabited islands, also with 4G support at some of them. Direct access through eSIM for tourists is expensive at around USD $50 for 1GB eSIM valid for a month; there are also merely a few eSIM providers having offers as of 2025, Maya Mobile being one of them. Generic "international" eSIM's like Roamless or Airalo Global+ may as a happy surprise work even though not officially noted, but this should in no way be counted on.

Before going to swim it might be a good idea to ask the landowner. There might be stone figures of religious importance around which certain rules should be followed.