FIJI is on track to welcome more than one million visitors this year, prompting the Government to roll out new technology to strengthen border security while improving the processing of legitimate travellers.
Minister for Immigration Viliame Naupoto made the announcement while contributing to the 2026-2027 National Budget debate in Parliament on Monday.
“Fiji sits at the crossroads of the Pacific,” he said.
“Every year, hundreds of thousands of people cross our borders; tourists, investors, workers, students, and returning citizens.”
He said 986,367 visitors arrived in Fiji in 2025 and projected arrivals would exceed the one-million mark in 2026.
“Each arrival brings opportunity, yet every arrival also carries responsibility.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that legitimate travellers are welcomed with efficiency and professionalism, while those who seek to exploit our borders are identified before they can do harm.”
Mr Naupoto said the Government had approved the acquisition of an Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data system, enabling immigration officers to assess potential risks before aircraft land or vessels arrive.
“This capability will enable immigration officers to receive passenger information before arrival, allowing risk assessments to be conducted well in advance.”
He said the legal framework for collecting the information had been established through the new Immigration Act passed in May, while the tender for the system had already been awarded.
“We will be signing the contract with the vendor before this month ends.”
Mr Naupoto said work on the API-PNR gateway will begin in August, with the first airline certification targeted for October and five airlines expected to be connected by January 2027.
He also announced that a new Border Management System, supported by Australia, would replace the existing platform, with some modules expected to become fully operational before the end of the year.
