What overseas France is
France is not only a European country. Its flag also flies over Caribbean islands, a slice of the Amazon, volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean, a vast spread of Pacific atolls and two small islands off Newfoundland. Together they are called la France d'outre-mer, "France beyond the sea", and their people are French citizens who vote in French elections.
The territories fall into two broad groups, and the difference matters for your trip:
- Overseas départements and regions (DROM). Guadeloupe (971), Martinique (972), French Guiana (973), Réunion (974) and Mayotte (976) are legally as much a part of France as Normandy. They are in the European Union as "outermost regions" and use the euro, but they are not in the Schengen area.
- Overseas collectivities and New Caledonia. Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia (987) and New Caledonia (988) have their own statutes and a lot of self-government. All except Saint-Martin are outside the EU, and the Pacific territories use their own currency.
For Americans, the practical upshot is that each place is a separate trip with its own flights, rules, prices and seasons. You do not pass through mainland France to get to most of them, and a trip to Tahiti has more in common with a trip to Hawaii than with a week in Paris.
Entry rules for US citizens
The rules are simpler than they look, but they differ from mainland France in ways that catch people out. See Entry requirements for mainland France and Schengen.
- Passport, no visa. US citizens can visit any of the territories without a visa for tourism or business for up to 90 days. You need a regular US passport; the 12-page emergency passport is not accepted for visa-free entry.
- Passport validity. The State Department advises six months of validity for French Polynesia, New Caledonia and the French West Indies. Travel with at least that much to avoid problems at airline check-in.
- Return ticket and proof of means. Expect to show an onward or return ticket. Officers may also ask for proof of accommodation and funds, and in New Caledonia, proof of medical insurance.
- Not Schengen. None of the overseas territories is in the Schengen area. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which registers fingerprints and photos at Schengen borders since its rollout in 2025–2026, does not apply. Neither will ETIAS, the €20 travel authorization for visa-free visitors to Schengen, which had no confirmed start date as of October 2026.
- Separate 90-day clocks. Days spent in the overseas territories do not count toward your 90 days in 180 in the Schengen area, and the territories apply their own 90-day limits. A month in Martinique after a month in Paris does not eat into your Schengen allowance. For French Polynesia and New Caledonia, the State Department describes the limit as 90 days in any six months.
- Connections in Paris. Expect passport checks when you connect in Paris to Réunion, Guiana or the Caribbean. Corsair, Air Caraïbes and French Bee fly to the overseas territories from Orly, while most flights from the US land at Charles de Gaulle, an hour or more away by road, so allow at least four hours between flights or stay overnight. See Paris transport.
- Yellow fever for French Guiana. French Guiana has long required proof of yellow fever vaccination for travelers aged 1 and over. Confirm the current rule with the CDC, get the shot at a US travel clinic at least 10 days before you go, and carry the yellow card.
- Transit countries. Your route may cross Canada (for Saint-Pierre), Sint Maarten (the Dutch side, for Saint-Martin and St. Barts), or Australia, New Zealand or Fiji (for New Caledonia). Check each transit country's own rules.
Different from home
Coming home, US Customs treats every territory as a foreign country. Duty-free allowances and food rules are the same as for mainland France, and you cannot bring back fresh fruit, plants or most meat. See Bringing things home.
The French Caribbean
Guadeloupe
A butterfly-shaped pair of islands, with smaller islands around them. Basse-Terre, the western wing, is mountainous rainforest with the La Soufrière volcano, waterfalls and a national park; Grande-Terre, the eastern wing, has white beaches, Sainte-Anne, Saint-François and the cliffs of the Pointe des Châteaux. Day-trip by ferry to Les Saintes, a stunning bay, or to Marie-Galante, an island of sugar mills and rum. In Pointe-à-Pitre, the Mémorial ACTe tells the history of slavery in the Caribbean. Dive in the Cousteau reserve around the Pigeon islets. Air France flies nonstop from Miami year-round, joined by American seasonally.
Martinique
The island of flowers and rhum agricole, made from fresh cane juice and protected by France's only appellation for rum. The north is dominated by Mont Pelée, whose 1902 eruption destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre and killed nearly all its residents; its volcanoes and forests became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023. The south has the island's best beaches, including Les Salines. Visit distilleries such as Habitation Clément, the Balata botanical garden, and the rainforest road. American Airlines flies nonstop from Miami. Martinique saw protests and a curfew over the high cost of living in late 2024.
Saint-Barthélemy (St. Barts)
A tiny, hilly island of white beaches, villas and designer boutiques, and one of the most expensive places in the Caribbean. It was Swedish from 1784 to 1878, which is why the capital is called Gustavia. There are no high-rises, casinos or big resorts. The airport runway is only about 2,100 feet (646 m) long, with a famous swooping approach over a hilltop road; only small planes with specially trained pilots can land. Fly from St. Maarten (about 15 minutes), San Juan or St. Thomas, or take the ferry from St. Maarten (about 45 minutes to an hour). New Year's Eve and the spring regattas are peak season.
Saint-Martin
The French northern half of an island shared with Dutch Sint Maarten, with no border controls between them. The French side is quieter and more French in feel, with the market town of Marigot, the nude and family sections of Orient Bay, and Grand Case, the island's restaurant capital, where beach grills called lolos sit beside fine-dining rooms. Most visitors fly into Princess Juliana airport (SXM) on the Dutch side, which has nonstops from many US cities. Hurricane Irma devastated the island in 2017; it has largely rebuilt.
Insider tip
St. Maarten's airport has the widest choice of US flights to the French Caribbean: American from Charlotte, Miami and Philadelphia; Delta from Atlanta and New York-JFK; JetBlue from Boston, Fort Lauderdale and JFK; United from Newark; Southwest from Baltimore and Orlando, plus seasonal routes from Chicago, Washington-Dulles and Minneapolis. From there, St. Barts and the French side of Saint-Martin are a short hop.
For Guadeloupe and Martinique, the dry season (carême) runs from about December to April, the best time to go. Carnival builds through January and February and peaks in the days before Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 10 in 2027. In November 2026, the Route du Rhum, a solo transatlantic sailing race from Saint-Malo in Brittany, finishes in Pointe-à-Pitre, and Martinique hosts surfing's French Masters (November 4–8) and the Raid des Alizés, a women's adventure race (November 24–29). Sargassum seaweed washes up on some Atlantic-facing beaches, mostly from spring to fall, and can smell strongly; ask your hotel about the beach before booking.
French Guiana
French Guiana
France's only territory on the South American mainland, between Suriname and Brazil, a little smaller than Indiana and almost entirely Amazon rainforest. It is the largest of the EU's outermost regions and its biggest expanse of forest. Come for wildlife, river trips in dugout canoes, leatherback turtles nesting on the beaches at Awala-Yalimapo, and the grim history of the penal colonies, which held tens of thousands of convicts from 1852 to 1953: the Îles du Salut, including Devil's Island, and the transportation camp at Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. Cayenne, the capital, is small and multicultural.
Watching a rocket launch at Kourou
The Guiana Space Centre at Kourou is Europe's spaceport, where Ariane 6 (first flown in July 2024) and Vega C launch a handful of times a year. The space center has offered free guided tours and visitor exhibitions by reservation; check the CNES site for the current program, and bring your passport. To watch a launch, register in advance through the space center for a public viewing site, or watch from public spots along the coast. Launch dates often slip by days or weeks, so build slack into your trip. The Îles du Salut are evacuated during launches.
- Getting there. There are no nonstop flights from the US. Air France and Air Caraïbes fly from Paris in about 9 hours; Air France also flies from Martinique and Guadeloupe and from Belém and Fortaleza in Brazil.
- Best season. The drier months from about August to November. It rains heavily from December to June, with a short dry spell in March. Guiana is outside the hurricane belt.
- Practical notes. Medical care is limited outside Cayenne and Kourou. Use an established tour company for the interior, avoid driving at night, and the State Department recommends an International Driving Permit.
The Indian Ocean: Réunion and Mayotte
Réunion
A volcanic island east of Madagascar with some of the most spectacular hiking on earth. The Piton de la Fournaise is one of the world's most active volcanoes and erupts often, including in February 2026. During eruptions, authorities close or restrict access to the crater area. Three huge collapsed craters, the cirques of Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie, form a UNESCO World Heritage site; Mafate has no roads at all and is reached on foot or by helicopter. The Piton des Neiges, at about 10,070 feet (3,070 m), is the highest point in the Indian Ocean. The island's culture blends African, Malagasy, Indian, Chinese and French roots, and its Creole food is excellent. Because of shark attacks, swimming and surfing are banned along much of the coast; swim inside the lagoons on the west coast and in supervised zones. The famous 100-mile Grand Raid ultra race crosses the island each October.
Mayotte
A small island in the Comoros archipelago, surrounded by one of the world's largest enclosed lagoons, with sea turtles, dolphins and humpback whales from about July to October. It is France's poorest département, mostly Muslim, with high unemployment and serious problems with crime and water supply. Cyclone Chido struck on December 14, 2024, destroying tens of thousands of homes and killing at least 40 people officially, with many more feared uncounted.
Watch out
Mayotte is not a straightforward vacation destination right now. As of late 2026, the UK government advised that most services had been restored after Chido, but that water and power outages can still occur and that not all hospital services were back. The CDC had Level 2 health notices for chikungunya (March 2026) and malaria (June 2026) on the island. If you need to go for family or work, travel with local contacts, check travel.state.gov and the CDC before you book, and carry insurance that covers medical evacuation.
- Getting to Réunion. No nonstops from the US. Fly to Paris, then about 11 hours to Réunion on Air France or Air Austral from Charles de Gaulle, or Corsair or French Bee from Orly. French Bee also flies to Orly from several US cities, including Newark and San Francisco, so you can book the whole trip on one airline and avoid changing Paris airports. Other routes run via Mauritius, Johannesburg and Bangkok.
- Best season. May to November, the cool, dry austral winter, is best for hiking and comfortable at the coast. December to April is hot and humid, and the cyclone season. Cyclone Garance hit Réunion in early 2025.
- Health. Réunion had a large chikungunya epidemic in 2025, and dengue circulates in both islands. See the health section below.
The Pacific: French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna
French Polynesia
118 islands in five archipelagos, spread over an area of ocean as large as Western Europe. Most Americans visit three of them, and the classic trip is a week split between two or three islands.
Tahiti
The main island and gateway, with the capital, Papeete, and its covered market. Most visitors pass through quickly, but the island's wild south coast, black-sand beaches and the Teahupo'o surf break, which hosted Olympic surfing in 2024, deserve a day.
Moorea
A jagged green island 30 to 45 minutes from Papeete by fast ferry, with hikes, pineapple plantations, and snorkeling with rays and reef sharks in the lagoon. Cheaper and more relaxed than Bora Bora.
Bora Bora
The honeymoon island, about 50 minutes from Tahiti on Air Tahiti, with overwater bungalows around a turquoise lagoon below Mount Otemanu. Resorts are on outer islets (motus) reached by hotel boat. Expect top-tier prices for everything $$$$.
Rangiroa, Fakarava and beyond
The Tuamotu atolls offer some of the world's best diving, with walls of sharks in the passes. The remote Marquesas, where Gauguin and Jacques Brel are buried, are reached by plane or by the Aranui freighter-cruise ship.
- Getting there. Nonstops of about 8 hours run from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui and Air France, and from San Francisco on United and French Bee. Hawaiian Airlines (now part of the Alaska Airlines group) flies from Honolulu. Air Tahiti Nui ended its Seattle flights in January 2026, but Hawaiian plans three weekly Seattle nonstops from June 11, 2027. Inter-island flights are on Air Tahiti, which sells multi-island passes.
- Best season. May to October, the drier and slightly cooler season, which is also humpback whale season from about July. July brings the Heiva festival of dance and sport. November to April is hot, humid and rainier, with occasional cyclones.
- Time zone. Tahiti is on the same time as Hawaii.
- Safety. The State Department rates French Polynesia Level 1, exercise normal precautions.
New Caledonia
A long, mountainous main island, Grande Terre, in the southwest Pacific east of Australia, with Nouméa as its capital, the beaches of the Île des Pins and the Loyalty Islands, and one of the largest lagoons in the world, listed by UNESCO. Kanak culture is strong; visit the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, designed by Renzo Piano, in Nouméa. The territory holds a large share of the world's nickel reserves.
Watch out
Violent unrest broke out in May 2024 over changes to voting rules and lasted for months: 14 people died, the international airport closed from mid-May to early June 2024, and a curfew stayed in place until December 2024. A deal on the territory's future, signed at Bougival near Paris in July 2025, stalled when the main pro-independence coalition rejected it, and the political process remained unresolved into 2026. In May 2026, the State Department lowered its advisory to Level 2, exercise increased caution. It warns that protests can turn violent with little notice, that roads into and out of Nouméa may close during unrest, and that you should take extra care outside Nouméa at night. The UK government notes that limits on sales of alcohol and fuel and on public gatherings may still apply. Check current advice before you book, and confirm that your hotels and tours are operating, since the economy was hit hard.
- Getting there. There are no nonstop flights from the US or Europe. Connect through Sydney or Brisbane (Aircalin, Qantas), Auckland (Air New Zealand, Aircalin), Nadi in Fiji (Fiji Airways, which flies to Nadi from Los Angeles and San Francisco, among other US cities) or Papeete (Aircalin).
- Best season. September to December is warm and dry; April and May are also pleasant. The cyclone season runs from about mid-December to mid-March.
Wallis and Futuna
Two small island groups between Fiji and Samoa, home to about 11,000 people and three traditional Polynesian kingdoms that still share power with the French state. There is very little tourism: a handful of small hotels, few restaurants, one bank, mostly unpaved roads on Futuna, and lagoons, crater lakes and Catholic churches with no crowds at all. The only scheduled flights to Wallis are Aircalin's from Nouméa. Futuna has a short airstrip and limited links with Wallis, so confirm current service before you plan. Wallisian and Futunan are the everyday languages. Go only if you love remote places and can be flexible.
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
The last remnant of New France, two small islands about 15 miles (25 km) off the south coast of Newfoundland, with about 5,800 people, French bakeries, colorful wooden houses and the euro. Saint-Pierre was a hub for smuggling liquor into the US during Prohibition. Take the boat to the abandoned fishing village on the Île aux Marins, hike Miquelon-Langlade's wild coast, and watch for whales and puffins in summer.
- Getting there. Air Saint-Pierre flies from Halifax (about 1.5 hours), St. John's, Newfoundland (about 45 minutes) and Montréal, and runs seasonal summer flights to Paris. SPM Ferries sails from Fortune, Newfoundland, in about 90 minutes; check the timetable, which varies by day.
- Best season. June to September. Fog is common in early summer, and winters are cold and snowy. There are no hurricanes to speak of, though autumn storms can be fierce.
- Practical notes. You will usually travel through Canada, so carry your passport. Canadian dollars are widely accepted, at a less favorable rate. The islands are two hours ahead of New York year-round.
Money and costs
- Euro. Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, Saint-Martin, St. Barts and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon use the euro. US dollars are widely accepted on Saint-Martin and St. Barts.
- CFP franc (XPF). French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna use the CFP franc, pegged to the euro at about 119.3 francs per euro. That makes 1,000 XPF about €8.38 (about $9.40), a handy rule of thumb. Exchange money on arrival or use ATMs; CFP francs are hard to find or exchange in the US.
- Prices. Expect to pay more than in mainland France for almost everything, because most goods are shipped in. Groceries in the Caribbean and Pacific territories can cost a third or more above Paris prices. St. Barts and Bora Bora are among the most expensive destinations in the world, while Guadeloupe and Martinique have good-value guesthouses (gîtes) and Creole restaurants.
- Cards. Cards are widely accepted in towns and resorts, but carry cash for markets, small islands, food trucks and taxis. See Money.
Health: dengue, chikungunya and more
Mosquito-borne diseases are the main health risk across the tropical territories. There is no reliable way to avoid them other than avoiding bites.
- Dengue circulates in all the tropical territories, with periodic epidemics in the Caribbean, Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte and the Pacific. The CDC's global dengue notice in 2026 included New Caledonia.
- Chikungunya causes fever and joint pain that can last months. Réunion had a major epidemic in 2025; in 2026 the CDC posted Level 2 notices for Mayotte and French Guiana. Vaccine recommendations for travelers changed in 2025, so ask a US travel clinic which vaccine, if any, suits you, especially if you are over 65.
- Malaria is present in parts of French Guiana's interior and, in 2026, in Mayotte. Ask about preventive medication.
- Yellow fever vaccination is required for French Guiana.
- Measles. The CDC advises all international travelers to be fully vaccinated.
- Use a repellent with DEET, picaridin or IR3535, and reapply after swimming.
- Wear long sleeves at dawn and dusk and sleep under air conditioning or a net.
- Avoid swimming in rivers after heavy rain, a common source of leptospirosis.
- Buy travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. Medicare does not cover you abroad. See Safety & health.
Hurricane and cyclone seasons
| Area | Storm season | Peak risk |
|---|---|---|
| Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, St. Barts | June 1–November 30 (Atlantic hurricanes) | August–October |
| Réunion, Mayotte | About November or December to April | January–March |
| New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna | About November to April | Mid-December to mid-March |
| French Polynesia | November to April | Cyclones are less frequent here than further west |
| French Guiana, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon | Outside the main storm belts | Heavy rain in Guiana December–June |
French authorities use color-coded cyclone alerts that escalate to red and purple, and at the top levels you are required to stay indoors. Choose refundable bookings in storm season, and follow Météo-France for the territory you are in.
US State Department advice
As of October 2026, the State Department rated the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin and St. Barts) and French Polynesia Level 1, exercise normal precautions, and New Caledonia Level 2, exercise increased caution. Its French Guiana page advises normal precautions. Mainland France is Level 2 because of terrorism and civil unrest. For the other territories, look them up on travel.state.gov before you go, and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for alerts.
US consular help is far away. The US Embassy in Barbados covers the French West Indies, and the State Department warns that its ability to help in New Caledonia is extremely limited. See Safety for emergency numbers and embassy contacts.
Tips for Americans
- Your US driver's license works for short visits; carry an International Driving Permit too, which the State Department recommends for French Guiana.
- Check that your phone plan or eSIM covers the specific territory. Many "Europe" eSIMs exclude the Pacific territories. See Staying connected.
- Outside St. Barts, Saint-Martin and big resorts, English is less widely spoken than in Paris. A few phrases go a long way. See French phrases.
- Many shops close at midday and on Sunday afternoons, as in rural France.
- Do not assume EU rules apply. Pacific territories set many of their own laws, from alcohol sales to customs.
- Time differences are large: Tahiti is 5 or 6 hours behind New York, Réunion 8 or 9 hours ahead, New Caledonia 15 or 16 hours ahead. See Converters.
Comparison table
| Territory | Currency | Nonstop from the US | Best season | Storm season | State Dept (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guadeloupe | Euro | Miami (Air France; American seasonal) | December–April | June–November | Level 1 |
| Martinique | Euro | Miami (American) | December–April | June–November | Level 1 |
| Saint-Martin | Euro, US$ accepted | Many, via St. Maarten (SXM) | December–April | June–November | Level 1 |
| St. Barts | Euro, US$ accepted | None; short flight from SXM, San Juan or St. Thomas | December–April | June–November | Level 1 |
| French Guiana | Euro | None; via Paris or the Caribbean | August–November | None (rainy December–June) | Normal precautions (page last updated 2018) |
| Réunion | Euro | None; via Paris | May–November | December–April | Check travel.state.gov |
| Mayotte | Euro | None; via Réunion or Nairobi | May–October | December–April | Check; CDC notices in 2026 |
| French Polynesia | CFP franc | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu | May–October | November–April | Level 1 |
| New Caledonia | CFP franc | None; via Australia, NZ, Fiji or Tahiti | September–December | Mid-December–mid-March | Level 2 |
| Wallis and Futuna | CFP franc | None; via Nouméa | May–October | November–April | Check travel.state.gov |
| Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon | Euro | None; via Halifax, St. John's or Montréal | June–September | None | Check travel.state.gov |
Related pages
- Entry requirements for mainland France, EES and ETIAS.
- Flights from the US.
- The outdoors for diving, hiking and beaches.
- Travel by interest for honeymoons.
- Safety & health and Money.
- All regions.
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