What Documents Do I Need to Travel to the Marshall Islands?

One of the most essential travel documents you need for the Marshall Islands is, of course, your passport.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you intend to leave the Marshall Islands (passport expiry maths: not fun, but very necessary).

You will need to show your passport before boarding your flight to the Marshall Islands, during your transit stops, and again on arrival.

Do You Need a Visa?

Depending on your passport, you may be able to enter the Marshall Islands under a visa exemption/waiver, receive a visa on arrival or need to apply for a visitor visa before travelling.

Most visa-exempt and visa-on-arrival travellers also need a confirmed return or onward travel ticket, plus any visas required for their onward or return destination. Find out more in our guide, Marshall Islands Tourist Visa: Do You Need a Visa to Visit the Marshall Islands?

If you are travelling for work, study, research, residence or another non-tourism purpose, you will need the appropriate visa or permit for your stay.

Something that many people don't realise is that you need to have your return flights booked before even arriving in the Marshall Islands. As a backup, it is best to have these documents available, even if just a digital copy, to show when you check in for your flight and/or at Immigration upon arrival. Either way, the information below should help.

How to Get Your Flight Ticket Details for Your Tourist Visa for the Marshall Islands

Ticket/Booking Information for Your Arrival Flight to the Marshall Islands

After booking your flight to the Marshall Islands, you should have received an email detailing your booking reference, departure time, flight number, etc. This is sometimes called an “E-Ticket”. Print this out and also save a digital copy so you can provide this to airport staff on check-in for your flight to the Marshall Islands.

After check-in at the airport, you will be provided with a boarding pass, listing your name, seat number, boarding gate, etc. Don’t lose it! There are better ways to add drama to your island getaway.

Ticket/Booking Information for Your Departure Flight From the Marshall Islands

You also need evidence of a confirmed return or onward travel ticket out of the Marshall Islands. This is one of the listed entry requirements for many visa-waiver and visa-on-arrival travellers.

If you have booked a return flight from the Marshall Islands, your departure details should usually be included in your airline booking email. If you have booked a separate onward flight or travel ticket, print it out and/or have a digital copy ready to show airline staff and immigration officials.

Make sure you also have any applicable visas required for your onward or return destination, as this is also an entry requirement for the Marshall Islands. See Marshall Islands Tourist Visa: Do You Need a Visa to Visit the Marshall Islands? to learn more about entry requirements.

On your flight to the Marshall Islands, airline staff will usually hand out the Customs Declaration Form for you to complete and give to border officials on arrival. The form may be given to you when you check in for your flight, handed out during the flight, or at border control once you land.

The travel documents already discussed in the guide, such as your passport, boarding pass and flight details, will provide most of the information you need to complete the forms. One extra piece of information you’ll want to have handy is the name of your accommodation in the Marshall Islands, or your local host’s contact details if staying privately.

The arrival card asks for standard travel information, including:

• Your full name, date of birth, nationality and passport details
• Your flight number and port of embarkation
• Your intended length of stay
• Your purpose of visit, such as tourism, business or visiting family
• Your accommodation details in the Marshall Islands
• Customs declarations, such as food, plant materials, animals, currency amounts or commercial goods

Have your accommodation details, flight information and passport ready when filling out all arrival forms to make the process smoother once you land.

Learn more about the Arrival Card in our complete guide, Arriving in the Marshall Islands: Airport Customs, Biosecurity & Arrival Process.

Although you may want to ensure your routine vaccinations are up to date as per the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, there are certain vaccination certificates required to enter the Marshall Islands.

Your measles or MMR vaccination must be up to date. Children aged four and under may need to show proof of having had the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine at the border.

It's also worth noting that cholera and yellow fever immunisations are required for those arriving from infected areas.

You no longer need to show a COVID-19 vaccination certificate to enter the Marshall Islands.

We keep an updated list of all the recommended and/or mandatory vaccines for a visit to the Marshall Islands in our article, Do You Need Vaccines to Travel to the Marshall Islands?

All of the documents detailed above are mandatory for travel to the Marshall Islands unless stated otherwise. The following travel documents and paperwork are optional or only apply to specific situations.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance ensures financial cover in the event that travel plans need to be changed, theft or loss of personal items, you need medical attention, etc. Travel insurance policies cover (and don’t cover) a range of circumstances where you otherwise might have significant expenses.

The most comprehensive travel protection we’ve found is Global Rescue, which not only offers insurance policy add-ons but actually does the repatriation work themselves. Either way, travel insurance is a personal decision, so if you decide to go for it, make sure you have your policy paperwork and certificate.

Driver’s License

If you want to hire a vehicle in the Marshall Islands, then you’re going to need your valid overseas driver’s license.

Check out Can You Drive in the Marshall Islands With an Overseas License? to see what driver’s licenses are accepted.

Medical Prescription

If you’re bringing prescribed medication to the Marshall Islands, be sure that you have evidence that the medication is prescribed to you.

Usually, the original packaging for the medication with your name and doctor’s name is sufficient. But if you don’t have this available, a copy of your prescription or a doctor’s letter will suffice.

Arriving in the Marshall Islands by Personal Boat/Yacht

Those arriving in the Marshall Islands on a personal sailing yacht may need to provide additional paperwork for entering and departing the country.

Check the latest clearance, customs, immigration and port requirements before departure, and keep your vessel documents, crew list, passports and onward clearance paperwork easy to access on arrival.

We also have more advice on clearance forms and paperwork in our Sailing Guide to the Marshall Islands: Tips for Yachting in the Marshall Islands.