Fiji

Work

Those travelling to Fiji for reasons other than a holiday must declare this on their arrival card. They will be given a visa for 14 days and will have to apply for subsequent extensions. Those wishing to live or work in Fiji for more than six months will require a working visa. These can be difficult to get and need to be organised at least two months prior to travelling to Fiji. Application forms can be obtained from any Fijian embassy and must be completed and sent by the applicant to the immigration authorities in Fiji. Your application will normally only be approved if supported by a prospective employer and if a person with your skills cannot be found locally. Unemployment is a problem in Fiji and consequently finding work once you're in the country is difficult. If you want to conduct business in Fiji, contact the Fiji Trade & Investment Board (331 5988; www.ftib.org.fj; 6th fl, Civic Tower, Government Bldgs, Victoria Pde, Suva).

Business hours

Fijians are not known for their punctuality and usually adhere to 'Fiji time'. Post offices and most shops and cafés open between 8am and 9am and close at around 5pm weekdays, or 1pm on Saturday. Banks are open 9am to 4pm on weekdays, though some close at 3pm on Friday. A few Internet cafés and shops are open for limited hours on Sunday but the general rule is to assume everything will be closed. For indigenous Fijians it is a day for church, rest and spending time with family.

Restaurants generally open for lunch (11am to 2pm) and dinner (6pm to 9pm or 10pm) from Monday to Saturday as well as dinner on Sunday. Many remain open from 11am to 10pm. Bars in Suva and Nadi are open from late afternoon to around midnight on weeknights but extend their hours into early morning from Thursday to Saturday. Resort bars have more flexible schedules and cater to guests' drinking preferences (ie daiquiris at 10am).

Government offices are open from 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4pm Friday.

Many places in Fiji close for lunch from 1pm to 2pm.