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
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Micronesia — the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) — is four island states scattered across 2.6 million square kilometres of the western Pacific: Yap of the stone money and resident manta rays, Chuuk with the world's greatest concentration of divable WWII wrecks, Pohnpei with the ancient basalt city of Nan Madol, and rainforested, barely visited Kosrae. Entry runs on two tracks: US citizens may live, work and study in the FSM indefinitely under the Compact of Free Association, while most other nationalities enter without a visa for stays of up to 30 days — longer visits need an entry permit arranged before travel.
Micronesia Visa & Immigration System
The FSM's entry system has two distinct tracks. US citizens hold a unique position under the Compact of Free Association: they may enter to live, work or study indefinitely, with no visa and no time limit — just a US passport valid for at least 180 days from entry plus the FSM arrival/departure record and customs form distributed on the flight in. Most other nationalities, including the UK and EU countries, enter without a visa for stays of 30 days or less, with a passport valid at least 120 days beyond arrival, the Customs, Immigration & Quarantine (CIQ) form completed on arrival, and possibly a return or onward ticket to show at the border. Anyone planning more than 30 days applies for an entry permit through FSM Immigration BEFORE travelling. Two practicalities catch visitors out: flights between the four states clear immigration on every leg — carry your passport even on domestic hops — and each island charges a departure tax payable in cash when you leave (airports have no ATMs or card facilities, so set the cash aside early; check the current amounts). Amounts equivalent to US$10,000 or more must be declared on entry, and an international vaccination certificate is required when arriving from regions the FSM lists as disease risks — a current measles vaccination is recommended for all visitors.
Common Visa Types
Visa-Free Entry - U.S. Citizens (Indefinite stay)
Indefinite residence, work and study for US citizens under the Compact of Free Association — no visa, no registration, no time limit. Bring a US passport valid at least 180 days from entry, the FSM arrival/departure record and customs form, and cash for the per-island departure taxes. The Compact makes the FSM one of the simplest long-stay destinations anywhere for US passport holders, whether for remote work, diving seasons or island living.
Visa-Free Entry - Most Nationalities (30 days)
Short visits for tourism, diving and island-hopping across Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae — no visa needed for stays of 30 days or less for most nationalities, including the UK and EU countries. Bring a passport valid at least 120 days beyond arrival, complete the CIQ form on arrival, and be ready to show a return or onward ticket. Set aside cash for each island's departure tax.
Entry Permit (For stays over 30 days)
Stays beyond the 30-day visitor window — extended tourism, volunteer work, research or family visits. The entry permit must be arranged with FSM Immigration BEFORE travel, not on arrival; the other visitor requirements (120-day passport validity, onward ticket, CIQ form, cash departure taxes) still apply. Contact the FSM Immigration Office well ahead of the trip for current procedures.
Important Information for Micronesia Travelers
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. US citizens enter indefinitely under the Compact of Free Association; most other nationalities get 30 days visa-free. The dollar is the currency, and each island's cash-only departure tax is the one practicality to plan for.
Discover Micronesia (Federated States of)
Chuuk's underwater museum was created in two days: Operation Hailstone, the US carrier strike of 17-18 February 1944, caught the Japanese Combined Fleet's anchorage at rest and sent more than 60 ships and hundreds of aircraft to the lagoon floor, where eighty years of coral growth have turned a battlefield into the world's most celebrated wreck-diving destination. The fleet grades itself naturally: the Fujikawa Maru — Zero fighters still crated in its holds — and the coral-gardened Shinkoku Maru sit shallow enough for relaxed recreational profiles; the deeper San Francisco Maru, its deck cargo of tanks and mines intact at technical depths, is the famous prize for trained divers. Operators on Weno and two liveaboards work the lagoon year-round in warm, generally calm water. The wrecks are war graves and protected historic sites in one — penetration is guided, artefacts stay where they lie, and the Japanese memorial above Eten island frames what the lagoon actually holds.
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.
Accredited missions for Micronesia (Federated States of)
Most nationalities don't for visits of 30 days or less — you complete the CIQ form on arrival and show a passport valid at least 120 days beyond arrival. US citizens are a special case: under the Compact of Free Association they can stay, live and work in the FSM indefinitely with no visa at all. Stays over 30 days for other nationalities need an entry permit arranged before travel.
Each of the four states — Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae — operates its own entry controls, and flights between them are processed like international arrivals. Keep your passport in hand luggage for every leg, and budget cash for each island's departure tax as you go.
It depends on one question: wrecks, mantas or ruins. Chuuk is the world's premier WWII wreck-diving lagoon; Yap pairs near-guaranteed manta encounters (December to April) with the Pacific's most intact traditional culture; Pohnpei combines the Nan Madol ruins with a lush, mountainous interior. Kosrae suits divers and hikers who want pristine reefs with almost no other visitors.
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.