Currency in French Polynesia: what to use and how to exchange

The CFP franc is the currency of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna. It is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of €1 = 119.33 XPF, so the euro price of anything is stable, while the US dollar, Australian dollar and pound move with the market. That means your real cost depends on the day you change money, not on French Polynesian policy.

Prices in French Polynesia are high by Pacific standards: an overwater bungalow, a lagoon tour and a taxi from Faa'a airport are the three costs that surprise people most. Budget pages and cost pages on this site cover the numbers; here the question is only how to hold and move money.

Cash still matters. Pensions on Moorea, Huahine or the Tuamotus, the roulottes in Papeete, the Papeete market, small ferries and village shops often take cash only, or add a card fee. Cards work well at resorts, larger restaurants, car rentals and most hotels on Tahiti and Bora Bora. Carry a mix: enough cash for two or three days on a small island, and a card for the big bills.

Change money at Faa'a airport on arrival or at a bank in Papeete. Airport and bank counters usually give a better rate than hotel front desks, which are convenient but expensive. ATMs are common in Papeete and on the main islands, but thin on outer atolls, so withdraw before you fly to a small island. Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a second card in case one is blocked.

The CFP franc is not traded outside the Pacific, so you cannot buy it at home in most countries. Arrive with euros or US dollars in cash, or use an ATM on arrival, and change what you need locally. Leftover CFP is hard to spend after you leave; change it back before departure or spend it at the airport.

Carry small notes. A 10,000 XPF note is hard to break at a market stall or a food truck, and small islands may not have change early in the day.

Withdraw a buffer before flying to an outer atoll. If the one ATM on the island is empty or broken, the next bank is a flight away.

Ask your pension or small hotel whether they take cards before you book, and whether they add a fee. Some quote in XPF and settle in euros at a rate that is not the official one.

Keep the receipt from any exchange and count your money at the counter. Errors are rare but easier to fix on the spot.

If you are arriving from the US, a no-foreign-transaction-fee card plus a small amount of US dollars in cash covers the first day. Change the rest in Papeete.