French Polynesia visitors must undergo 14 days of quarantine in Tahiti before traveling to other islands

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.

Related: Check out the latest updates on airlines’ coronavirus-related waivers, cancellations and route suspensions.

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

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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:

• What does the deadly coronavirus mean for travelers?
• Myth-busting: Will a face mask keep you safe from viruses on a plane?
• Extreme measures cruise lines are taking