Pitcairn Island is a British Overseas Territory, so there is no British Embassy, and the Pitcairn Island government will support you if you need help.
\nNo travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
\n\nIf you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
\n\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
\n\nSign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
\n\nFollow FCDO:
\n\nThis information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Pitcairn Island’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
\n\nThe authorities on Pitcairn Island set and enforce entry rules. This includes all visitors and potential new settlers to have comprehensive travel insurance, including medical evacuation cover. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, visit the Pitcairn Islands government website.
\n\nThe Pitcairn Islands group is made up of the islands of Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno. Pitcairn is the only inhabited island. There is no airport on the islands. Most travel to Pitcairn is via a Government of Pitcairn Islands-chartered supply ship, which regularly operates between Mangareva in French Polynesia and Pitcairn Island (about 300km away).
\nYour passport must be valid for the duration of your stay on Pitcairn Island and have blank pages for stamps.
\n\nCheck with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
\n\nYou will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
\n\nYou can visit Pitcairn Island for up to 14 days without a visa if you plan to arrive and depart on the same ship. Visits of more than 14 days require a Long-Term Visit Visa, see more information on visas.
\n\nYou must fill in a landing card on arrival.
\n\nTo stay on Pitcairn Island for more than 14 days, you must contact the immigration officer for entry clearance before making any travel plans.
\n\nSee more information on visas on the official Pitcairn Island tourism website.
\n\nIf you want to visit Pitcairn Island for more than 14 days with children aged 15 and under, you must contact Pitcairn Island Immigration before making any travel plans. You must complete an entry clearance application for any child wishing to visit the island.
\n\nFCDO does not allow its staff or contracted staff based on Pitcairn to be accompanied by their children due to limited medical facilities.
\n\nTo enter Pitcairn Island, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
\n\nFor full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Pitcairn Islands guide.
\n\nThere are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Pitcairn Island. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
\n\nIt is illegal to import:
\n\nThere are strict controls on plant and animal product imports. Travellers with pets should get advice before travelling.
\n\nFor more information contact the Pitcairn Islands government.
\n\n","slug":"entry-requirements","title":"Entry requirements"},{"body":"There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
\n\nUK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Find out how to reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad.
\n\nAlthough there’s no recent history of terrorism on Pitcairn Island, attacks cannot be ruled out.
\n\nCrime against visitors is uncommon.
\n\nPitcairn Island is a British Overseas Territory and has its own laws.
\n\nIt is illegal to import or sell alcohol without a licence.
\n\nIt is also illegal to drink alcohol in a number of public places, including but not limited to all roads, the Landing, the Public Square and the Western Harbour.
\n\nThe main religion on Pitcairn is Seventh Day Adventism, and the Sabbath is observed on Saturday. All religions are welcome in the church.
\n\nThere is one grocery store on Pitcairn Island, which is open for 2 hours on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
\n\nThere are no hotels but self-catering and homestay accommodation with local families is available. You must book accommodation in advance in order to travel to Pitcairn.
\n\nThere is no mobile phone network on Pitcairn. VoIP calls are possible but only from people’s houses.
\n\nInternet facilities are available to the public at the Landing and outside the grocery store, and at most homes on the island through Starlink. Homestay guests will normally have access to local wifi facilities, possibly at additional cost.
\n\nSame-sex marriage has been legal on Pitcairn Island since 2015.
\n\nRead more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
\n\nPitcairn Island has walking trails with varying degrees of difficulty. Trails to Down Rope, Tautama and Christian’s Cave are narrow, slippery and not well marked – you should only go on these trails if an islander comes with you.
\n\nCliffs on Pitcairn are unstable and may crumble.
\n\nSee water safety on holiday from the Royal Life Saving Society.
\n\nIt can take days and possibly weeks to get medical treatment if you’re seriously injured during outdoor activities. Serious cases require medical evacuation by boat to Mangareva and then flight to Tahiti, or boat/flight to New Zealand, due to limited medical facilities on Pitcairn.
\n\nThere are a limited number of concrete roads on Pitcairn, mostly in Adamstown. Other roads are dirt tracks.
\n\nPeople walk or use quad bikes to get around. Most visitors walk because all quad bikes are privately owned. Longer-term visitors who want to use a quad bike must pass a short driving test, set by the Police Officer, to get a licence.
\n\nYou cannot travel to Pitcairn by air. Pitcairn is visited around 20 times a year by a supply ship, the Silver Supporter, travelling from the island of Mangareva in French Polynesia. See the Pitcairn Islands Tourism website for shipping service information, including sailing dates and passenger fares.
\n\nThere is no harbour or jetty on Pitcairn. Visitors transfer from the Silver Supporter supply ship to Pitcairn in a longboat. This can be difficult in poor weather, particularly for people with limited mobility. Crew provide life jackets, full instructions and help during the transfer.
\n\nVisitors coming ashore from cruise liners normally use the vessels’ own tenders.
\n\nFind out what you can do to prepare for and respond to extreme weather and natural hazards.
\n\nThere is a risk of landslides or rockfalls on Pitcairn following heavy rain.
\n\nCyclones do not normally affect Pitcairn.
\n\n","slug":"safety-and-security","title":"Safety and security"},{"body":"Before you travel check that:
\n\nThis is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.
\n\nThere is no mobile network on Pitcairn Island. In an emergency, outside clinic hours, the doctor can be called on 984 0132 using an islander’s VoIP line or by asking them to make a call out on VHF radio. See Healthcare (below) for clinic opening hours.
\n\nContact your insurance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.
\n\nAt least 8 weeks before your trip:
\n\nBiting insects including mosquitoes are prevalent day and night on Pitcairn, visitors are recommended to bring effective insect repellents and to take precautions to avoid being bitten.
\n\nSee what health risks you’ll face on Pitcairn Island.
\n\nThe legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.
\n\nRead best practice when travelling with medicines on TravelHealthPro.
\n\nThe island’s clinic is open from 9am and midday Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. No appointment is necessary. Visitors must pay for any medical assistance they receive before leaving Pitcairn. It is staffed by a GP and a nurse, and has a limited supply of prescription medication. In cases of serious illness or injury the nearest hospital facilities are at least 2 days away by ship, in Tahiti or New Zealand.
\n\nThere is no airport on Pitcairn, and the speed of evacuation in a medical emergency will be dependent on the availability of the supply ship or other passing vessels. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
\n\nRead FCDO guidance on travel and mental health. There is also mental health guidance on TravelHealthPro.
\n\n","slug":"health","title":"Health"},{"body":"The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.
\n\nPitcairn Island is a British Overseas Territory, so there is no British Embassy, and the Pitcairn Island government will support you if you need help.
\nThere is a Pitcairn police officer, but there are no other emergency services on Pitcairn Island.
\n\nIf you spot a fire, tell the nearest islander who will use VHF radio to raise the alarm. Follow islanders’ instructions if there is a fire.
\n\nContact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.
\n\nFor refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.
\n\nFind out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:
\n\nIf you’re on Pitcairn Island and you need emergency help, ask your host or an islander to put a call out on VHF radio or contact the Police Officer on telephone 984 0141 or Administrator on 984 0131.
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