Welcome to the Tahiti Guide!
This guide covers all of French Polynesia, not only Tahiti island. The job market is small and most hiring goes to long-term residents. It suits French citizens first, then French speakers with hotel or kitchen experience whose employer will apply for a permit.
Who hires
Hotels and restaurants employed about 9,000 people in 2025, when about 281,000 tourists came. In September 2026, 49 international-class hotels had 2,739 rooms, about 85% of them on Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea. The territory's airlines and the main public hospital are based on Tahiti. From 2023 to mid-2025 fewer than 1 in 100 job offers were classed as urgent, mainly for kitchen staff, hotel receptionists, nurses and pharmacists.
When hiring happens
Hotels stay open all year, so work is year-round. The busy months are June to September and the quiet months November to March.
Where you live and what it costs
Resorts on outer islands such as Bora Bora and Moorea usually house staff. On Tahiti island, ask the employer. Pay is in CFP francs (XPF), fixed to the euro. A restaurant dish of the day costs from XPF 2,000 (about USD 19) and a baguette XPF 60 (about USD 0.56). These are tourism authority prices, read in November 2026. Prices were 31% above mainland France in 2022, and more for restaurants, alcohol, food and housing. The minimum wage was XPF 173,182 a month before deductions in 2025 (about USD 1,620).
Daily life
French is the language of work and government, and Tahitian is widely spoken. Shops sell alcohol until 8 pm, or noon on Sundays and public holidays. Patients from other islands who need specialist care are flown to Tahiti. On days off people swim, snorkel, surf, paddle outrigger canoes and hike.
Getting there and around
The only international airport is Tahiti-Faa'a, near Papeete. Flights come from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Auckland, Tokyo, Nouméa and Rarotonga. Paris flights stop in the United States. To change planes there you usually need a US visa or ESTA. Domestic flights go to the other islands. In July 2026 the Papeete to Moorea ferry cost XPF 1,650 one way for residents (about USD 15) and XPF 2,350 for visitors (about USD 22). Buses on Tahiti charge one fare for any distance.
What to watch for
- French Polynesia has its own labour and immigration rules, not those of mainland France. Permits for staff from outside Europe are rare.
- Some adverts say "no income tax". Other deductions still come off your pay.
- The cyclone and heavy-rain season is November to April.
- Read your own government's travel advice for Tahiti before you travel.
Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa.
Before you apply
Below this guide, "Can I work in Tahiti?" gives the answer for your passport, and "What the job usually comes with" covers housing, meals, flights and leave.
Can I work in Tahiti?
Never pay anyone for a visa or a job offer. A real employer pays the permit costs and never asks you for money.
How it works
How it works: A permit for everyone except French citizens, other EU citizens included; local priority for 128 listed jobs.
Watch for: Permits for staff from outside Europe are rare.
Official source: SEFI: foreign workers in French Polynesia. Checked November 2026.
What the job usually comes with in Tahiti
Usual for Tahiti, varies by employer. Checked November 2026.
| Housing | Staff village at outer-island resorts |
|---|---|
| Meals | Meals on duty or an allowance (by law) |
| Flights | The employer pays the round trip (by law) |
| Service charge | 4% of revenue, paid as a yearly bonus (by law); 2 to 4 months' pay at the top |
| Contract | 12-month fixed term common |
| Leave | 30 days; 39-hour week, 2 rest days |
| Income tax | No income tax, but a 0.5% to 28% solidarity levy and about 12% social charges |
Senior staff often get more than line staff, for example a single room or a yearly home flight. Ask the employer what the job includes before you accept.
Guidance, not legal advice. Rules change; your employer confirms the details for your case.