Fiji exemption status for spouses of citizens

The exemption is for a non-citizen who is legally married to a Fiji citizen and holds a valid foreign passport; the widow or widower of a Fiji citizen may also apply. People who are not legally married to a Fiji citizen, including de facto partners, and foreign citizens who are divorced from a Fiji citizen are not eligible. If you apply from outside Fiji, your passport must be valid for more than one year from the date of application and intended arrival.

Prepare a request letter signed by the Fiji citizen spouse, a copy of your passport bio page, two recent passport-size colour photos, a certified or notarised copy of the marriage certificate, proof of the spouse's Fiji citizenship such as a Fiji passport, birth certificate or naturalisation certificate, a police clearance from your country of citizenship or residence (valid one year), a medical report from within three months of lodgement, a copy of your current permit if you already live in Fiji, and a copy of your arrival stamp. All documents must be in English or translated and notarised in your country of residence.

All permit applications are lodged online through the IMMI HUB portal and paid online by M-PAiSA, Visa or Mastercard, with service fees of 2% (M-PAiSA) or 2.5% (Mastercard) charged by the providers. Documents that need an English translation must be translated and notarised in the applicant's country of residence; certification is by a notary public, commissioner of oaths or lawyer, or attestation by the foreign ministry of the issuing country. Progress is tracked in the portal, and the ministry answers enquiries only after 30 working days for permits and 21 working days for visas.

Fiji's citizenship framework provides registration as a pathway for certain categories, including spouses of Fiji citizens, subject to the applicable requirements, and dual citizenship is permitted. The ministry's fee schedule lists separate application, oath and certificate fees for registration by a spouse or former spouse under section 8(7) of the Citizenship Decree 2009. Naturalisation for other foreign nationals is currently on hold pending the Citizenship (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

Initial approval is granted for one year, or until the passport expires if it has less than a year left. The exemption may then be extended on approval, and approved extensions are valid for three years. The status remains valid only while the holder stays legally married to the Fiji citizen spouse; there is no application fee.

Exemption status allows the holder to enter, reside and study in Fiji without obtaining a permit, and to study at tertiary institutions without a student permit. It does not authorise employment: holders must obtain a valid work permit first. The spouse of a Fiji citizen is the one exception to the rule that a first long-term work permit must be lodged from outside Fiji, so it can be applied for from inside the country.