Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in New Caledonia, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. In New Caledonia, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you, and driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. There are also some things that might be legal in New Caledonia, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in New Caledonia, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not in New Caledonia and other places to which you travel.

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in that country, others may not. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: We are not aware of any special currency or customs circumstances for this country.

New Caledonia is a small, remote tropical island. The main international airport in New Caledonia, La Tontouta, offers a limited number of international flights each day, mainly to Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. A number of cruise ships, most from Australia, do visit New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands each week, but they generally do not take on passengers within the Territory. Transportation may be interrupted due to weather, political or labor disputes, economic difficulties, or other reasons. If you travel to New Caledonia and an emergency arises, you should be prepared to remain in New Caledonia until the emergency passes or to arrange for a private air or sea charter from the island, which may cost thousands of dollars. For more information, please see our Emergency Assistance for U.S. Citizens information page. .

Carry a copy of your U.S. passport with you at all times, so that if questioned by local officials, you will have proof of identity and U.S. citizenship readily available. If detained, immediately ask detention law enforcement officials to notify a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji.

Customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from New Caledonia of items such as agricultural products. Please contact the Embassy of France in Washington or one of the French consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Tropical Storms: The cyclone season in the South Pacific is November through April. The Fiji Meteorological Service maintains a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) in Nadi serving the Southwest Pacific Region. It collaborates with the French Meteorological Service and the French High Commission, which in turn alert the press and the public when necessary. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) web site.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: According to French law, same sex marriage is allowed and applies to all French territories. Laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity have been enacted in France since 1985. New Caledonian residents who have chosen special customary law status, i.e. Kanaks, Wallisian and Futunans, are governed by customary law which does not allow same-sex marriages. For more detailed information about LGBT rights in New Caledonia, you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in New Caledonia, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation different from what you find in the United States. The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical or mental disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, and the provision of other state services. The government generally enforces these provisions effectively.

Given that New Caledonia subscribes to laws that require disability accommodations, many new buildings with public or community space are accessible. However, some existing buildings as well as transportation systems do not yet meet these requirements.