Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Living in Tonga Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga
reece81 07:47 UTC 12 Apr 2009 | Hey, I might be moving out to Tonga for a year. Has anyone lived / worked in Tonga for a length of time What is the accommodation like? What is the expat scene like? Are there any opportunities for volunteering? Any hints or tips? Would really appreciate any feedback you might be able to give me!!! Thanks!! Edited by: reece81 |
harrychorpita 18:15 UTC 13 Apr 2009 | Do you mean you've been offered a job? Because visitors are given a 30 day visa which may/may not be extended depending-you can't just show up and announce you're moving in. | 1
reece81 23:17 UTC 13 Apr 2009 | Hey, Thanks for your reply. Yes, I'll be working out there for one of the local Newspapers. Does that mean my girlfriend may have trouble getting a work visa? | 2
amaile 01:49 UTC 14 Apr 2009 | Once your girl friend comes into Tonga with Visitor's visa, she will either have to leave Tonga or pay T$1,000 or so to change her visa status. She will need a work permit to be paid in Tonga. Visitor's permit is extendable up to 6 months. Work permit need to be applied for by the employer. Rental house is from T$500 to T$2000 per month, depending on size and condition. Quite a big expat community here in Tonga. | 3
pago 03:41 UTC 14 Apr 2009 | Your employer should have all the answers! | 4
leo_walsh 05:16 UTC 22 Apr 2009 | As above. Rent in Sopu is around TOP800 per month. Housing is clean and comfortable. The lifestyle is different. You may have tank water or not, you may have a vehicle or not. These all cost. Tongans don't tend to take care of their cars and there are some mobile wrecks around. However there are plenty of resources for expats. The Nuku'alofa club is great, but men only. The golf club is hilarious, and then there's the fishing club. that covers all of the areas where the business cognoscenti frequent. be subtle, be friendly, and be patient, and you will have a ball in Tonga. | 5