Regional Information - Foreign Ownership > French Polynesia, Oceania

Feature Island

Regional Information

French Polynesia is the stuff artists dream of… Gauguin was famous for his depiction of this romantic region. Polynesia is made up of several groups of islands including Tahiti and the Society Islands. Bora Bora is perhaps one of the most beautiful islands in the world, but island dreamers will want to pull their heads out of the clouds when it comes to buying private island property in her blue lagoon. Prices run high for a piece of paradise. Islands purchases by foreigners are also subject to the scrutiny of government approval.

French Polynesia, Oceania

Foreign Ownership of Islands in French Polynesia, Oceania

In order to buy a private island in French Polynesia, foreign investors require an authorization permit from the government. This permit is more likely to be approved if the project is business related and creates employment for locals, such as a hotel or resort. If you want to buy a private island in French Polynesia for your own private residence, it will be considerably more difficult because personal investment doesn’t add to the local economy.

In French Polynesia, you should remain open to the possibility of renting an island with a long term lease of 30 years or more. This is much easier than obtaining a purchase permit. Leases are available for both commercial and private uses. All business regarding land purchase and lease is conducted in French. If you don’t have a fluent understanding of the language, it’s highly recommended that you use the services of translator or bilingual lawyer.

Regional Statistics for French Polynesia, Oceania

Location:: Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Population:: 274,578
Languages:: French (official), Polynesian (official), Asian languages, other
Capital:: Papeete
Currency:: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique (CPF) franc
Climate:: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Temperature Range:: +21 to +34
Terrain:: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Natural Hazards:: occasional cyclonic storms in January