Papeete Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (29/100)
Is Papeete safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Papeete scores 29/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates French Polynesia Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, updated 2 Dec 2024); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Political instability (score 10)
Natural disasters (score 25)
September 27, 2026
Papeete, French Polynesia has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 29 out of 100 (moderate risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is natural disasters at 25/100; the lowest-rated category is political instability at 10/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the French Polynesia travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Papeete to visit in 2026?
Papeete currently sits at 29/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the moderate-risk tier. Most travelers will be fine with normal precautions, but a few categories below score high enough that planning matters. The highest-rated risk category for Papeete is natural disasters (25/100), and the lowest is political instability (10/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (32/100) and health and medical access (35/100).
A score of 29 is higher than the scores of 26% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Jul 20, 2026
Papeete is currently assessed as low overall risk, with a baseline composite score of 18 out of 100. The U.S. State Department places it at advisory level 1, indicating normal travel conditions. The CDC notes a Level 1 health notice for global dengue, suggesting a low but present dengue risk.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 09:02 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Natural disasters (score 25/100): Check seasonal hazard (hurricane, monsoon, earthquake) for your dates. Identify hotel evacuation routes on arrival.
- Crime (score 22/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Papeete
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime transit and exploration in central areas are generally safe and routine. Standard alertness in crowded transit hubs and tourist plazas is adequate.
After dark, keep to well-illuminated thoroughfares and busy dining/entertainment quarters. Use verified taxis or rideshare apps when returning late.
Safety by Traveler Type in Papeete
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Papeete for solo travelers (Crime 22/100 · Transport 20/100), women traveling solo (Crime 22/100), families with children (Health 15/100 · Natural disaster 25/100), older travelers (Health 15/100 · Transport 20/100), business travelers (Digital 15/100 · Money 25/100 · Transport 20/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 15/100 · Political 10/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | low |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | low |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Papeete
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions
French Polynesia - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
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Green notification for tropical cyclone ONE-26. Population affected by Category 1 (120 km/h) wind speeds or higher is 0 (0 in Tropical Storm). GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-16
From 16/10/2026 to 16/10/2026, a Tropical Storm (maximum wind speed of 120 km/h) ONE-26 was active in SEPacific. The cyclone affects these countries: Cook Islands, French Polynesia (vulnerability High). Estimated population affected by category 1 (120 km/h) wind speeds or higher
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 09:02:20 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Papeete happened in December (1 of 1 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the French Polynesia travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the French Polynesia entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
Emergency numbers (French Polynesia)
| Police | 17 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 15 |
| Fire | 18 |
| General | 112 |
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | medium |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | high |
Papeete serves as the primary administrative hub for the region, providing the main access point for medical services. Travelers should be aware that specialized care may require evacuation from the islands.
Common scam patterns
- Street Scams. These include pickpocketing, distraction theft, and the use of fake petitions to target tourists. These activities are primarily reported in busy tourist areas. Tip: Maintain awareness of your surroundings and keep personal belongings secure in crowded locations.
- Tour and Activity Scams. Travelers may encounter unlicensed guides, fake tickets, or bait-and-switch excursion offers. These scams often involve deceptive pricing or services that do not match the advertised description. Tip: Only book tours and activities through reputable, licensed operators.
Area notes
- Papeete city centre. The central district hosts most hotels, shops and attractions.
- Faa'a. Area around Faa'a International Airport, close to the city but less frequented by tourists.
- Hilton Hotel Tahiti vicinity. The hotel area is noted for its green certification and staff training, indicating a well‑maintained environment.
- Paofai Gardens. A notable public space in the city often visited by tourists.
- Papeete City Center. As the administrative and industrial hub, it requires standard urban safety precautions.
Frequently asked questions about Papeete
Is Papeete safe to visit?
Papeete currently scores 29/100 on our composite travel risk index (moderate risk; lower is safer). It already includes the current US State Department advisory for French Polynesia (Level 1 of 4). Official advice can change quickly, so check it again shortly before you travel.
Sources: Travel Risk Calculator — Papeete · Methodology
How bad is crime in Papeete?
Our crime score for Papeete is 22/100 (low). Documented scams here: street scams and tour and activity scams.
Sources: Travel Risk Calculator — Papeete
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Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | 18 → 29 | low → moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Jul 12, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
Every editorial change to Papeete's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Papeete
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Papeete, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.