Vanuatu

Is Vanuatu safe to visit?

Yes, if you respect the ground and the weather. Crime is low; UNODC recorded 0.33 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 2020, among the lowest rates in the world, though WHO's modelled estimate for 2021 is higher at 2.2. What sets Vanuatu apart is its exposure to nature. It sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, with more than 2,000 seismic events a year, active volcanoes on seven islands and a long cyclone season. We score Vanuatu 71, below Fiji and Samoa, almost entirely because of natural hazards and health.

The December 2024 earthquake

On 17 December 2024 a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck 24 km west-north-west of Port Vila at a depth of about 54 km, according to the US Geological Survey. Vila Central Hospital confirmed 14 deaths, and more than 2,300 people were still in evacuation centres or with host families a week later. Landslides blocked roads, and power, water and phone networks were damaged.

Recovery has gone far enough for the US to lower its advisory from Level 3 to Level 1 in May 2025. 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 still notes that some areas remain closed while damaged buildings are assessed and that landslides have cut off some places. For a visitor, the practical points are:

• Check with your hotel that it has reopened and how its building fared.
• Do not enter cordoned areas or damaged buildings.
• Learn what to do in a strong quake: drop, cover and hold on, then move away from the coast if the shaking was long or strong, because a tsunami can follow.

Volcanoes and cyclones

Volcanoes are part of the attraction. Mount Yasur on Tanna draws visitors to its crater rim at dusk, and guided treks cross the ash plains of Ambrym. 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 lists active volcanoes on Ambae, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Lopevi, Tanna and Vanua Lava, and alert levels can rise suddenly. When they do, rims close and flights to the island may stop. Go with licensed local guides and check the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department alert level before you travel.

Cyclone season runs from November to May. Cyclone Pam flattened much of Port Vila in March 2015, and in March 2023 two severe cyclones crossed the country within a week. Storms bring floods and landslides and cut air and sea links to the outer islands. If you travel in the season, build in spare days before your international flight.

Health: malaria and limited care

Vanuatu is one of the few Pacific destinations where malaria is still a risk. CDC recommends prescription malaria tablets, and dengue and chikungunya are also present, so use repellent day and night. Avoid large reef fish such as barracuda, which can carry ciguatera toxin.

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 calls medical facilities basic. Port Vila has clinics with Australian-trained GPs for minor problems, but anything serious means evacuation to Australia or New Zealand. There are two recompression chambers, both in Port Vila, so divers on Espiritu Santo, including those visiting the SS President Coolidge wreck, should ask how their operator would reach one. Insurance with medical evacuation is essential.

Roads, boats and crime

WHO estimatedWHO 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 14.9 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, higher than in Fiji or Samoa. Many roads are unsurfaced and unlit, driving standards are poor, and public minibuses may not be insured. Avoid driving at night or after heavy rain, and ask your hotel to recommend a driver.

Getting between islands is the other transport risk. Air Vanuatu is not operating, so domestic routes depend on small local carriers whose schedules change with the weather. Inter-island boats are infrequent, 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 says many do not have current seaworthiness certificates.

Crime is low but not absent. The FCDO reports violent burglaries and attacks on foreigners, including tourists at bars and nightclubs in Port Vila. Take a taxi back from a night out and lock doors and windows in self-catering bungalows. Land is owned by custom, so expect to pay a small visiting fee to walk on some land and an entry fee at most beaches.

How we scored it

Violent crime (90) and conflict (90) are the strongest factors, with petty crime (80) close behind. Natural hazards (35) are the weakest by far, reflecting the 2024 earthquake and the constant volcanic and cyclone risk, followed by health (52) for malaria and the need for evacuation, and road safety (58). Confidence is medium because the WHO road estimate is from 2019 and Vanuatu 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.