French Polynesia visitors must undergo 14 days of quarantine in Tahiti before traveling to other islands
Editor's Note
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new information. It was first published on March 6, 2020.
Beginning March 17, the South Pacific nation of French Polynesia will require all qualified travelers arriving on international flights to undergo mandatory self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Visitors will only be permitted to progress to additional Polynesian islands such as Bora Bora after the 14 days are complete. As of now, the requirement will be go into effect through March 31, and could be renewed at that point.
This restriction builds upon the March 9 mandate, which required all travelers, regardless of nationality, to provide a medical certificate of clean health before entering the country. The certificate must be dated within five days of the last port of departure.
The measure will be in effect through March 31, when the government will re-evaluate the situation and potentially extend the requirement to a later date.
Related: Everything you need to know about traveling during the coronavirus outbreak.
The medical requirement is an expansion of a previous measure which went into effect in February, which required a clean bill of health from all travelers who visited or transited through the following countries within 30 days prior to arriving in French Polynesia:
China
Cambodia
Hong-Kong
India
Japan
Macau
Malaysia
Nepal
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Philippines
Iran
Italy: Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news.
Since Feb. 27, ocean liners also have been required to enter French Polynesia exclusively through the port of entry of Papeete in Tahiti.
Furthermore, non-American travelers headed to the United States on Air Tahiti Nui cannot have entered or transited through China or Iran within 14 days of their departure date to the U.S., according to an announcement published on the airline's website this week. However, this restriction does not apply to American citizens holding an American passport, or legal permanent residents who possess a permanent resident card (green card) or a parole letter.
For more on the coronavirus outbreak, see:
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.