Fiji

Is Fiji safe to visit?

Yes, for nearly everyone. The US keeps Fiji at Level 1, the lowest level, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls the risk of serious crime generally low. UNODC recorded 2.1 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, a little above New Zealand but far below most of the Caribbean. The risks that actually hurt visitors are roads, the sea, cyclones and the distance to good hospital care. We score Fiji 78.

Most visitors stay on the Coral Coast, Denarau or the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands, where crime against guests is rare. Suva, the capital, is busier and has more theft, but it is not a dangerous city by regional standards.

Roads are the biggest risk

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 5.3 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, about twice the UK rate (its older 2019 series gave 13.5), and the trend is going the wrong way. In November 2025 Fiji's police commissioner reported a 73% rise in road deaths compared with the same period a year earlier and blamed "poor and bad driving behavior and blatant disregard of road rules". Pedestrians make up a large share of the victims.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says many roads are in poor condition, lack street lights and have people and stray animals on them after dark. Vehicle rules are rarely enforced. For a visitor, that means:

• Do not drive outside towns at night. Plan transfers from Nadi airport to arrive in daylight if you can.
• Use only taxis and minibuses with yellow registration plates; unlicensed minibuses are often uninsured.
• Wear a seatbelt in the back too, and do not let a driver speed on the Queens Road.

The sea and boats

Fiji's reefs are the reason many people go, and they bring the second big risk. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns of strong rip currents along reefs and river mouths, and advises swimming at beaches with lifeguards or with reliable local knowledge. Ferry and boat transfers between islands are routine, but overloaded boats in poor weather do capsize. Check there are life jackets for everyone before you board, and do not get on a boat that looks full.

Divers should know that Fiji has only one recompression chamber, at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, and the FCDO says it is not always working. Ask your dive operator whether it is running, carry insurance that covers evacuation, and dive conservatively.

Cyclones, floods and earthquakes

Cyclone season runs from November to April. In February 2016 Cyclone Winston, one of the strongest storms recorded in the southern hemisphere, killed 44 people in Fiji. Most seasons are milder. Tropical Cyclone Vaianu hit the Western Division on 7–8 April 2026, displacing 2,182 people into 60 evacuation centres; one death was reported. Flooding and landslides after heavy rain often close roads on Viti Levu.

Fiji also sits in an earthquake zone, and large quakes elsewhere in the Pacific can trigger tsunami warnings. Learn the evacuation route at your hotel. If you travel in cyclone season, book flexible transfers and follow the Fiji Meteorological Service.

Health and medical care

There is no malaria in Fiji. Dengue, Zika and chikungunya are spread by day-biting mosquitoes, so use repellent, and leptospirosis is a risk after floods. CDC recommends hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines for most travellers. The bigger issue is care: the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says facilities are limited, hospitals usually ask for cash, and serious cases are often flown to Australia or New Zealand. Travel insurance with medical evacuation is essential, not optional.

Kava ceremonies are part of village visits. The FCDO notes a risk of liver toxicity from kava; one shell to be polite is fine for most people, but go easy if you take medicines that affect the liver.

Crime and the law

Petty theft and card skimming are the usual problems. Keep valuables out of sight in Suva and Nadi town, use ATMs inside banks or malls, and lock car doors. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports serious sexual assaults against foreign women, so women walking alone at night in towns or isolated areas should take a taxi instead.

Drug laws are strict; any amount of cannabis carries a three-month prison sentence. Topless bathing is illegal, and in villages you should cover your shoulders and knees.

How we scored it

Conflict (88) and violent crime (82) are Fiji's strongest factors, and petty crime (75) is reasonable. Natural hazards (60) are the weakest because of cyclones, and health (66) is held back by limited hospital care. Road safety (81) is scored on WHO's 2021 estimate of 5.3 deaths per 100,000, set three points lower for the 2025 jump in deaths. Confidence is medium because WHO's two road estimates differ widely and Fiji is not covered by the Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary. Fiji sits a little below the Maldives, whose roads are safer still.