Does Nauru still offer visa on arrival with confirmed accommodations?

I plan to fly there next month. I see the last update here was 7 months ago saying that VOA is available with confirmed accommodations, is that still the case? I'm a US citizen.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/nauru.html

This says that you do need a visa, but if you are transiting then you don't need a visa for a stay of up to three days. Proof of onward flight is necessary.

Please post when you're back to let others know how it went, since I'm also planning to visit soon.

Hmm, I wonder if "transit" includes going from Brisbane to Nauru to Brisbane return, instead of "onward."

I've emailed Nauru Airlines and also emailed the Nauru consulate at the address here:

http://www.visahunter.com/visa/nauru/how-to-get-a-tourist-visa-for-nauru/

I'll report back on what they say.

As a follow up, I emailed the Brisbane office of Nauru Airlines, and they responded back and told me that the info on various websites about being able to get a visa on arrival for short visits to Nauru without prior permission was incorrect. They sent me a copy of the visa application and advised me as follows:

Visas for Nauru are issued on arrival (A$100); however, visitors still require obtaining a Permit Entry letter prior to arriving in Nauru.

Once these documents are received, it will usually take up to 5 working days to process the application.

Please ensure applicant’s submit all the required documents to avoid delays or may result in refusal of the application.

Email visa application to nauru.consulate@brisbane.gov.nr copy in charisma.capelle@brisbane.gov.nr

TOURIST ENTRY VISA

• Scanned colour copy of passport bio-data page

• Copy of confirmed return E-ticket or Itinerary

• Copy of confirmed accommodation

• Brief letter/email of purpose of visit

• A$100 payable to Immigration on arrival in Nauru

I emailed all the info to the consulate about 15 days before my flight, I heard nothing back, then I emailed them 4 days before my flight, got no response again, then I called them a few times and they assured me everything was in order and they would send me the "entry permit," then they finally emailed it to me the day before my flight to Nauru.

My flight was initially supposed to leave Brisbane at 7 a.m. and go non-stop to Nauru, then they changed it to a 5:30 a.m. departure with a refueling stop in Honiara, but what actually happened is we left at 5:30 a.m. and didn't stop in Honiara. They also skipped the refueling stop in Honiara on the return flight.

When I checked in for the flight from Birsbane to Nauru, the agent asked me if I had a visa, and I showed her the printout of the entry permit from the consulate. I get the feeling that without that printout, I may not have been allowed to board the plane, so I recommend that people go through this process and get the entry permit to make sure that the airline lets you on the plane.

My entry permit said I was authorized to get a visa on arrival upon payment of applicable fees (I understood this to be $100). On arrival, I showed the permit to the immigration officer, told him I was staying for two days, then he had a back and forth discussion with his colleague about whether I had to pay, and ended up deciding that my two day Brisbane-Nauru-Brisbane visit was a "transit" so I was stamped in without paying anything.

I stayed at the Menen Hotel, it's not great, but there are few options on the island. Menen has a restaurant and an ATM in the lobby. For $35 the "concierge" will give you a 2 hour tour of the island in the hotel shuttle bus.

There are quite a few refugees wandering around the island, I sense that some Nauruans don't like them much, so you might be treated better if you try to look more like a tourist/aid worker and less like a refugee.

If you are interested in buying Nauru postcards, they have a few stacks of cards for sale for $1 each behind the counter at the post office. Try not to go to the post office on Friday afternoon because half the island will be there picking up their welfare/phosphate checks. They also sell Nauru stamps and possibly a small number of postcards in the duty free shop at the airport departure lounge, both commemorative stamps and I think functional stamps also.

An expat I met recommend that I hike the "bomber track" to see a downed American plane (the "Coral Princess"). I didn't get a chance to do it but here's a good blog entry about it:

http://jouljet.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/finding-scattered-remains-of-b-25-coral.html

Hey thanks for the detailed report. That's really helpful!

Can you please share how much the Menen Hotel charges? Also, was it easy/straightforward to get a booking confirmation from them for the visa application?

Thanks again!

They charge $150 AUD per night. They do respond to emails within a day or two and will send you a confirmation. PM me if you need a copy of the Nauru entry permit/visa application and I'll email it to you.

Thanks, I'll PM you for that info.

Wow, that's pretty steep! Last I saw, they were charging 95 AUD. I guess demand has allowed them to jack up their prices.

Is the Menen Hotel the only one in town? I saw online there's another hotel, but according to what I found online, it's on the other side of the island -- I just don't know how accurate that is, since there's so much conflicting info online regarding Nauru.

The other hotel is more centrally located. It's called Aiwo something. I rode by it, it looked pretty run down. I think the Menen might be a better bet even though it's about a 40 minute walk in the heat into "town." You can always hitchhike or if you walk locals sometimes just stop and offer you a ride if you don't look like a refugee.

hi matt, have u be there at the end?

I was there six weeks ago.

wow
what an amazing experience
where r u going next?

Afghanistan?

are u going to afghanistan? i have spent 7 months there

Hello guys,

any current updates about VOA for Nauru? I also found online the information to get the VOA for 30 days for free if you have a valid passport, return ticket, a confirmed hotel reservation and if you are from some countries in Europe, USA etc.

It would be very important to know if it may work like written above. Im also planning to visit Nauru in Oktober.
In case I need a hotel reservation. Do you know if I could book a hotel reservation and cancel it afterwards? I may stay private on the island.

Looking forward to get any reply. would be soo helpful.

thanks so much :)

I just contacted the consulate in Brisbane regarding my visa for my trip there in August. I was told that a confirmed booking is necessary. If you want to book and then cancel, that shouldn't be a problem...

See my post #3. You should book a hotel and get the visa arranged in advance by email through the Brisbane consulate

@mattlv thanks but as far as I understand this, I need to apply at the Brisbane consulate for a entry permit and the visa itself I get on arrival and also have to pay on arrival. Is this correct?

Im also wondering as Im german citizen, if I only need the entry permit and could transit 5 or 6 days visa free and free of charge. Ive read this on differennt websides. but I know you have a different experience.

very complicated to stay only a few days on the island....

Matt do you know, since there is only 1 real hotel on the island, if its possibe to cancel the reservation and stay private?

Thanks so much in advance for your help and infos :)

No, you need to send an email to the brisbane consulate, with your application form, requesting that they email you the entry permit. Then you pay only on arrival.

I can't say for sure that you need the entry permit in advance. What I can tell you is that I emailed Nauru Airlines' Brisbane office and they told me that yes, I needed to get the entry permit from the Brisbane consulate, and they said that information on the internet saying this was unnecessary was incorrect.

Also, the Nauru Airlines check in agent who checked me in for the flight to Nauru asked to see my entry permit.

Maybe they will let you on the flight if you don't have the entry permit, maybe they won't, but the process of getting the entry permit is pretty easy and it's free.

Yes, I think you could book the hotel, get the permit, and cancel. On the other hand, everyone on the island knows everyone else so I guess it's possible the hotel could get your visa canceled if you cancel the room.

I was in Nauru about 6 weeks ago. I emailed the Brisbane consulate the visa form (hotel reservations at Menen hotel) and they sent me an entry permit a few days later. Though they got both my name and passport # wrong. Emailed them and they sent a new one, still with wrong name! I didn't receive the corrected entry permit before I flew to Nauru. They didn't ask for entry permit though at checkin in Fiji, but did want to see visa # on arrival. They didn't charge me for the visa as I was only staying 2 nights.

Nauru was my final country #197 so a bit of an accomplishment :)

I would like to apply for the entry permit in Brisbane but the problem is that they also require accommodation information and the Menen Hotel is fully booked. I would like to stay private (couchsurfing) anyway but don´t know where yet. but I can´t even make a reservation at the hotel and cancel afterwards because its fully booked.

Does anybody has any idea what I can do? Nauru is really challenging me at the moment.
Maybe somebody here who has visted the island has some contacts where I can ask about accommodation, not actually to stay but at least get an address to get my papers. I can also do camping in a backyard as I only want to stay for 2 days, I only want to transit on my way back to europe.

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