Micronesia (Federated States of)
Phone Code
+691
Capital
Palikir
Population
115,000
Native Name
Micronesia
Region
Oceania
Micronesia
Timezones
Chuuk Time
UTC+10:00
+2 more
On This Page
Micronesia (Federated States of), the Western Pacific island nation comprising Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae states with pristine diving sites, traditional island cultures, and remote tropical landscapes, offers different entry requirements for U.S. and other Western visitors. U.S. State Department confirms U.S. citizens may enter the FSM to live, work, or study indefinitely without visas or non-citizen registration requirements per the Compact of Free Association, noting there is no limit to the length of time U.S. citizens can remain in the FSM, requiring U.S. passport valid for at least 180 days from the time of entry. UK Foreign Office states British passport holders do not need visa for stays of 30 days or less, requiring passport remain valid for at least 120 days after the date you arrive, noting for longer visits you must obtain entry permit beforehand. Entry procedures: U.S. State Department specifies travelers need completed FSM Immigration Arrival and Departure Record and completed FSM Customs Form distributed by airlines before arrival. UK Foreign Office notes may be required to show return or onward ticket at border control and must complete Customs, Immigration & Quarantine Form (CIQ Form) unless holding valid entry permit. Domestic travel: UK Foreign Office confirms "You will need to clear immigration even for a domestic flight," advising carry passport for all flights within the FSM. Departure tax: U.S. State Department notes FSM imposes departure taxes which you must pay when you leave each island, recommending bringing cash as credit cards and ATMs not available at airports. UK Foreign Office confirms departure tax of 20 US dollars applies when leaving country. Vaccination: U.S. State Department confirms valid international certificate of vaccination required for travelers coming from region infected with smallpox, yellow fever, or cholera, recommending current measles vaccination.
Micronesia Visa & Immigration System
Micronesia (Federated States of) offers different entry requirements depending on nationality, with special provisions for U.S. citizens under Compact of Free Association. U.S. citizens indefinite stay: U.S. State Department confirms U.S. citizens may enter the FSM to live, work, or study indefinitely without visas or non-citizen registration requirements per the Compact of Free Association, noting there is no limit to the length of time U.S. citizens can remain in the FSM. U.S. passport requirements: U.S. State Department requires U.S. passport valid for at least 180 days from time of entry. UK citizens visa-free 30 days: UK Foreign Office states British passport holders do not need visa for stays of 30 days or less. UK passport requirements: UK Foreign Office requires passport remain valid for at least 120 days after date you arrive, noting passports reported as lost or stolen will result in entry denial. Entry permit for longer stays: UK Foreign Office confirms for visits longer than 30 days, must obtain entry permit beforehand. Entry procedures: U.S. State Department specifies travelers need completed FSM Immigration Arrival and Departure Record and completed FSM Customs Form (distributed by airlines before arrival). UK Foreign Office notes all arrivals must complete Customs, Immigration & Quarantine Form (CIQ Form) unless holding valid entry permit. Border control: UK Foreign Office confirms may be required to show return or onward ticket at border control. Domestic travel requirements: UK Foreign Office states "You will need to clear immigration even for a domestic flight," advising carry passport for all flights within the FSM, noting traveling between FSM states by commercial aircraft considered international travel per U.S. State Department. Departure taxes: U.S. State Department notes FSM imposes departure taxes which must pay when leaving each island, recommending bringing cash as credit cards and ATMs not available at airports. UK Foreign Office confirms departure tax of 20 US dollars when leaving country. Currency declaration: U.S. State Department requires amounts equivalent to $10,000 or above must be declared upon entry. Vaccination requirements: U.S. State Department confirms valid international certificate of vaccination required for travelers coming from region infected with smallpox, yellow fever, or cholera, recommending current measles vaccination. Customs: UK Foreign Office notes strict rules govern permitted goods, confirming must declare anything prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Common Visa Types
Visa-Free Entry - U.S. Citizens (Indefinite stay)
Indefinite residence, work, and study in Micronesia for U.S. citizens under Compact of Free Association. U.S. State Department confirms U.S. citizens may enter the FSM to live, work, or study indefinitely without visas or non-citizen registration requirements per the Compact of Free Association, noting there is no limit to the length of time U.S. citizens can remain in the FSM. Requirements include U.S. passport valid at least 180 days from entry, completed FSM Immigration Arrival and Departure Record, completed FSM Customs Form, vaccination certificate if arriving from infected regions (smallpox, yellow fever, or cholera), and cash for departure taxes. Suitable for island living, remote work, diving expeditions, cultural immersion, and long-term stays.
Visa-Free Entry - UK Citizens (30 days)
Short-term tourism and visits to Micronesian islands. UK Foreign Office states British passport holders do not need visa for stays of 30 days or less. Requirements include passport valid at least 120 days after arrival date, completed Customs, Immigration & Quarantine Form (CIQ Form), return or onward ticket (may be required at border control), vaccination certificate if arriving from infected regions, and $20 USD cash for departure tax. Suitable for diving trips, island hopping, cultural tourism, and short visits to Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, or Kosrae.
Entry Permit (For stays over 30 days)
Extended stays in Micronesia beyond 30-day visa-free period. UK Foreign Office confirms for visits longer than 30 days, must obtain entry permit beforehand. Requirements include passport valid at least 120 days after arrival, completed entry permit application submitted before travel, return or onward ticket, vaccination certificate if arriving from infected regions, and $20 USD cash for departure tax. Contact Federated States of Micronesia Immigration Office for application procedures. Recommended for extended tourism, volunteer work, research projects, and long-term cultural experiences.
Important Information for Micronesia Travelers
Travel Guide
Micronesia (Federated States of Micronesia) is four island states — Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae — scattered across 2.6 million km² of the western Pacific: a territory as large as Western Europe with only 702 km² of land. Each state is a destination in its own right. Chuuk Lagoon (Truk Lagoon) holds the world's largest collection of WWII-era ship wrecks — more than 60 Japanese vessels, submarines, and aircraft from 1944, now encrusted with coral and inhabited by thousands of fish, accessible to divers of all levels. Yap is the planet's most reliable destination for giant manta ray encounters: resident mantas congregate in the Mi'il and Goofnuw channels from December to April almost without exception, and Yap's culture is equally distinctive — the massive stone rai discs, some up to 3 metres in diameter, still function as ceremonial currency. Pohnpei holds Nan Madol, a ceremonial city built on 92 artificial basalt islets in the ocean between the 10th and 16th centuries — the 'Venice of the Pacific' — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kosrae, the least-visited, has pristine reefs, dense rainforest, and an almost total absence of mass tourism. U.S. citizens enter indefinitely under the Compact of Free Association; other nationalities enter 30 days visa-free. The dollar is the currency; the departure tax ($20 per island) is cash-only.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Chuuk Lagoon (Truk Lagoon) is the world's most celebrated wreck diving destination: over 60 Japanese vessels, submarines, aircraft, and cargo ships from February 1944 now coral-encrusted and teeming with marine life in water with visibility up to 40 m. Notable wrecks include the Fujikawa Maru (Zero fighters on deck), Shinkoku Maru (arguably the world's most beautiful dive), and Sankisan Maru. Suitable for divers of all levels; multiple dive operators on Weno island.
Yap offers two things found nowhere else in combination: resident giant manta rays that gather in known channels (Mi'il and Goofnuw) from December to April with near-certain encounter rates, and the rai — massive limestone discs quarried in Palau and transported by canoe, some 3 metres in diameter, still used in ceremonial exchange. Village culture is preserved and visited with local guides. Manta season is one of the world's most reliable wildlife experiences.
Nan Madol is a ceremonial city built on 92 artificial islets of stacked basalt columns in a coastal lagoon off Pohnpei, constructed between the 10th and 16th centuries as the ritual centre of the Saudeleur dynasty. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016. No other megalithic complex in the Pacific matches its scale or mystery. Accessible by boat from Kolonia; guided tours available. Combined with Pohnpei's cloud-shrouded mountain interior and the highest point in Micronesia.
Kosrae is Micronesia's least-visited state: an almost perfectly circular volcanic island rising steeply from the ocean, covered in dense rainforest, ringed by some of the most pristine coral reef in the Pacific. Dive sites include dramatic walls, coral gardens, and a near-total absence of other divers. The Lelu Ruins — a stone fortification complex from the 13th–14th centuries — are Kosrae's equivalent of Nan Madol.
Beyond Yap's main island, Ulithi Atoll, Woleai, and other remote outer islands offer a level of isolation that few destinations on earth can match: traditional navigation, weaving culture, pristine lagoons, and communities that have had limited contact with mass tourism. Charter flights and occasional field-trip ships are the only access. For travellers seeking genuine remoteness.
Money & Currency
U.S. Dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Practical Money Tips
US Dollar (USD) is the only currency — the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has no national currency; all transactions in USD; banking infrastructure is limited to Pohnpei; bring ample USD cash before inter-island travel to Yap, Chuuk, or Kosrae
The Federated States of Micronesia uses the US Dollar exclusively — it has never issued its own currency. This is straightforward for US travellers, but visitors from Europe, Australia, and other regions must obtain USD before travelling. Pohnpei (Palikir/Kolonia) has the only meaningful banking infrastructure in the FSM — ATMs and card acceptance exist primarily here. The other three states (Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae) have very limited banking with minimal or no ATM coverage. The FSM is an extremely remote destination: flights connect via Guam (United Airlines), Honolulu, or Manila. Exchange USD at home or in Guam/Honolulu before the connecting flight. Approximate rate: 1 EUR ≈ USD 1.05–1.12.
ATMs on Pohnpei only — FSM Development Bank, Bank of Guam, Bank of FSM in Kolonia; very limited ATM coverage in Chuuk (Weno) and Yap; no ATMs in Kosrae; withdraw all needed cash on Pohnpei before inter-island flights
Pohnpei (the main island in Kolonia) has ATMs at FSM Development Bank, Bank of Guam, and Bank of FSM. These accept Visa and Mastercard. Chuuk's main town (Weno) has one or two bank branches with ATMs, but reliability can be variable. Yap has limited banking (Bank of Guam branch) — ATM availability is not guaranteed. Kosrae has essentially no reliable ATM access for international cards — bring all the cash you need from Pohnpei or from your transit hub. International card fees apply (typically USD 2–4 per withdrawal). Strategy: withdraw a USD cash reserve on Pohnpei sufficient to cover all inter-island activities.
Cards accepted at main Pohnpei hotels and some restaurants — no Apple Pay or Google Pay anywhere in FSM; Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae are essentially cash-only; plan all outer-island budgets in USD cash
Card acceptance in the FSM is limited. On Pohnpei, the main hotels (Pohnpei Village Hotel, Oa View Hotel), larger restaurants, and dive operators accept Visa and Mastercard. Apple Pay and Google Pay are not supported — no NFC payment infrastructure exists in the FSM. In Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae, nearly everything is cash-only: guesthouses, local restaurants, boat charters, village dive operations, and transport. Even tourist-facing dive resorts in Chuuk (famous for WWII Truk Lagoon wrecks) and Yap (known for manta rays and traditional stone money) often require USD cash for day-to-day charges.
Remote Pacific pricing: Pohnpei guesthouse USD 40–100/night; Chuuk or Yap dive resort USD 100–250/night; restaurant meal USD 8–18; inter-island United Airlines flight USD 150–350; dive USD 60–100; Yap manta ray dive USD 80–120
The FSM is not cheap despite its underdeveloped infrastructure — island isolation drives up prices for everything that must be imported (fuel, food, equipment). Guesthouse on Pohnpei: USD 40–100/night. Live-aboard or dive resort in Chuuk: USD 100–250/night all-inclusive. Local restaurant meal: USD 8–18. US-equivalent prices for packaged supermarket goods (at a premium). Inter-island United Airlines flights (the 'Island Hopper' service connecting Honolulu–Majuro–Pohnpei–Chuuk–Guam): USD 150–350 per segment. PADI dive in Chuuk Lagoon (WWII wrecks): USD 60–100. Yap manta ray dive: USD 80–120. Stone money (rai) viewing on Yap: cultural site access varies, typically free or small donation.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
Cities with missions
Where this country maintains embassies or consulates
Explore different regions and their cities.
Micronesia (Federated States of) Embassies Worldwide
Popular Destinations
Top destinations with verified missions
All Countries by Continent
Embassies in Micronesia (Federated States of)
These foreign embassies and consulates are based here. Choose a mission to open its in-depth guide and contact details.
Need help checking visa requirements or applying for your trip to Micronesia?
Apply for Micronesia visa