With less than 200 annual visitors, Nauru is world’s least visited country. Officially known as the Republic of Nauru, it has a population of 11,200 and a 21 km square area, what makes it the second smallest sovereign state in the world after Vatican City.
However, traveling to Nauru is a unique experience on its own. Participating in the game fishing, relaxing at the Anibore Bay, diving, and scuba diving, are only some of the many reasons why people visit Nauru despite the hardship one may encounter when trying to get a visa for there.
Following find everything you need to know about a Nauru visa, including who should apply, how, where and when.
Who Needs a Visa for Nauru?
Everyone needs a visa to enter Nauru! Yet, the way a visa is obtained depends on a traveler’s nationality and purpose of entry. Those traveling to Nauru according to their nationality may be subject to one of the three following visa application procedures:
- First, there are a few countries, the nationals of which can get a visa-on-arrival for Nauru free of charge.
- Secondly, nationals of several other countries need to apply for a Nauru visa from their country of residence, but they follow simplified visa procedures.
- And lastly, there are the remaining world nationals who need to follow standard visa procedures in their country of residence to get a visa to travel to Nauru.
Nationals of the following 15 countries may obtain a free visa-on-arrival:
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- Israel
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Russia
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Taiwan
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- United Arab Emirates[6]
- Vanuatu
Nationals of the following 66 countries are issued visas under a simplified procedure, which means visitors do not have to submit a criminal record certificate and a certificate of medical fitness together with visa application.
- European Union
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- Brunei
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Comoros
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guinea Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Iceland
- India
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Timor-Leste
- Trinidad and Tobago
The rest of the world nationals will need to apply for a visa following the standard procedures explained below in this article, before they undertake a trip to Nauru.
Also, please note that transit visas are not required if the connecting flight leaves within three hours of arrival in Nauru.
Nauru Visa Requirements
The main part of the application procedures for a Nauru visa is collecting and submitting the required documents. To apply for a Nauru visa, an applicant needs to collect and submit the following documents.
- Completed Nauru visa application form.
- A copy of your passport, valid for at least three more months beyond your intended stay in Nauru.
- A recent passport photo with a white background.
- A hotel reservation or sponsorship from a resident of Nauru.
- Copies of your flight bookings to and from Nauru as well as any other Pacific islands you are visiting.
- Criminal record certificate.
- Certificate of medical fitness.
- A certificate of employment/work contract.
- A letter of invitation from a Nauruan citizen (for Australian and New Zealand passports only).
- International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from infected area within 5 days.
In addition, please note that business visitors must have a local sponsor.
Nauru Visa Application Process
Unlike most world immigration authorities that want applicants to submit documents in person and then conduct an interview, when applying for a Nauru visa, you instead need to send them your originals documents by email, all scanned in color.
Visa applications are made by emailing the Nauru Immigration with necessary details and scanned documents in the following email – visa@naurugov.nr – which then will process it and inform you on their decision. The visa processing may take about a month, though if you can connect with a contact on Nauru – such as a missionary – your visa process will be expedited and in many cases your application will be approved in less than a week.
Once your visa is approved, Nauru’s Department of Justice and Border Control will then email you a copy of your visa certificate, which is enough to gain entry to the country. Print this copy and have it with you when you travel to Nauru.
When to Apply for a Nauru Visa?
The best time to apply for a Nauru Visa is about one to two months prior to your intended trip, in order to give enough time to the relevant authorities to process your visa.
How Much Does a Nauru Visa Cost?
A visa to Nauru costs $50 AUD for every visa applicant, following a standard or simplified visa application procedure. Visas on arrival are free.
Another exception is that journalists reporting on Nauru detention center will be charged $8000 AUD for a three-month visa. The fee has been applying on journalists since early 2014.
List of Diplomatic Missions of Nauru
Due to its short budget and small population, Nauru has almost no representations in the world. Its only representative diplomatic missions are as follows:
- Embassy in Taipei, Taiwan
- Consulate General in Thailand, Bangkok
- Consulate General in Brisbane, Australia
- High Commission in Suva, Fiji
Is Nauru a Safe Country to Visit?
Nauru is a relatively safe country, as there is no recent history of terrorism in there and crime is almost non-existent. It does not have an army, but it has its own police forces.
Travelers should be careful not to pet or even approach wild dogs, as they may attack. Water should be drunk only after being boiled, as Nauru is subject to periodic outbreaks of typhoid.
How to Travel to Nauru?
You can reach Nauru with its national carrier Nauru Airlines which flies to Nauru International Airport from:
- Brisbane (Australia),
- Tarawa (Kiribati),
- Kosrae (Micronesia),
- Majuro (Marshall Islands),
- Nadi (Fiji)
- Pohnpei (Micronesia).
Though their schedules change throughout the year, you can always find further details available in their website.
What Can a Tourist do in Nauru?
Due to its small area, Nauru has little to offer to tourists. However, that does not mean that the island country is not worth visiting. Following find some of the things a tourist can see and do in Nauru:
- Cruise Ride – you can see the amazing harbors, deep and calm waters of Nauru’s oceans.
- Yaren – the defacto capital of Nauru is home to the largest community in Nauru, where the airpor is also situated.
- Buada Lagoon – the only freshwater lagoon in Nauru is rounded by palm trees and vegetation, which may be the only plant species on the land. It may take a short time to see, but its worth it while you are on the island.
- Anibare Bay – the most tropical beach in Nauru is a strip of white coral sand that stretches more than a mile across the island coast.
- Command Ridge – climb up the highest point in Nauru and you will be able to see the entire country. Up there you will be able to see two rotating six-barrel guns and a communications bunker with Japanese writing, which the Japanese themselves left there after the World War II.