One of Australia's nearest Pacific neighbours has quietly tightened its borders. The Solomon Islands has introduced a mandatory electronic tourist visa, meaning holidaymakers can no longer simply turn up with a passport and an onward ticket. Anyone visiting for sightseeing, leisure, tours or holidays now needs to apply online through the Immigration Division's portal before departure.
The good news is the visa itself is fairly flexible: it's valid for a full year, allows multiple entries, and each stay can run up to three months. That's a generous window for a country known for world-class diving around sites like WWII wrecks in Iron Bottom Sound and the reefs of the Marovo Lagoon.
The less welcome part is the price. The visa fee is US$50, and there's a separate US$50 online lodgement fee, so the stated upfront cost is US$100 per person — roughly AU$140. For a family of four, that's over AU$500 before flights and accommodation are even considered.
There's also some confusion around the rollout. Tourism Solomons, the country's official tourism body, has acknowledged that sparse details about how the system works have created "understandable uncertainty" for travellers, airlines and tourism partners. It says it's seeking clarification on several parts of the process and will issue updated guidance once things are confirmed — useful reassurance if you're mid-planning, but a sign the system is still finding its feet. Applications can be lodged via the Immigration Division's site at immigration.gov.sb/visiting.
Timing matters here. The e-visa news landed just a week after Solomon Airlines announced it was cutting its Brisbane–Honiara route to three flights a week, citing fleet availability, network needs and market conditions. So visitors from Australia — by far the largest source market — now face both a new pre-travel step and fewer flight options.
If the Solomon Islands is on your list, don't let this put you off entirely. The country remains one of the Pacific's least crowded, with genuine off-the-beaten-path appeal: jungle-clad islands, traditional villages, and some of the best snorkelling and diving in the region. But plan ahead. Build the visa application into your booking timeline, factor in the extra cost, and keep an eye on Tourism Solomons' channels for clarified rules before you commit to dates. Travellers who like their destinations uncrowded and their paperwork straightforward may want to apply early and expect a few teething issues while the new system beds in.
Story via Karryon.
