The Government of Kiribati reaffirmed that the country’s border reopening from 10 January 2022 is limited to Kiribati nationals and essential Technical Assistants (TA) only. Holiday and leisure travel by foreign nationals into Kiribati will remain closed and any amendment to this condition will be advised once approved.
The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) has welcomed the announcement and acknowledges that this partial reopening takes the destination a step closer towards the organisations vision for a safe, smart, and sustainable restart to tourism in Kiribati.
The Kiribati COVID-19 Task-force in its press statement delivered on Tuesday 11th January 2022 emphasized that the opening of the borders will consider the “New Normal” travel conditions based on an updated travel Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Kiribati. All arrivals into Kiribati will be controlled through the major ports on South Tarawa.
The Taskforce further clarified that all inbound travellers will be thoroughly monitored, and passengers will be strictly checked before departure and upon arrival in Kiribati. All incoming passengers will be required to provide proof of vaccination, COVID-19 test results, and will be quarantined upon arrival. Extra quarantine days for travellers from high-risk countries will be imposed in line with updated travel SOPs to safeguard Kiribati from COVID-19.
The Taskforce confirmed that travellers from countries with active community transmissions of COVID-19 like Fiji and Australia, are required to be quarantined ten days before their departure and to be tested 48 hours before their flights. Upon arrival, these passengers will be tested again and quarantined for 14 days. Passengers who test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to board inbound flights.
Inbound travellers from COVID-19 free countries like the Nauru and the Marshall Islands are also required to have their tests 48 hours before departure. Upon arrival, these passengers will be tested again by the medical team and required to spend 7 days in quarantine.
The Taskforce wishes to assure the public that the Government will strictly implement its new SOPs to ensure that Kiribati is safeguarded from COVID-19 and its new variants.
