VATU - THE BEST EXCHANGE RATES

1. You already have a Wise card

Good move — the Wise mid-market rate beats almost every counter in Vanuatu. A few tips to get the most out of it:

• Always choose to be charged in Vatu, never your home currency, at the ATM screen. Accepting "home currency conversion" hands the rate to the local bank and costs 5-10% more.
• Withdraw the maximum in one transaction (roughly 50,000 Vatu / 600 AUD). A hidden card fee of around 1,100 Vatu applies per withdrawal, so fewer, larger withdrawals cost less overall.
• Card surcharges of 3-4% now apply at many shops and supermarkets, including ABM supermarkets since May 2026. Ask before tapping, since cash is often cheaper.
• Top up before leaving Port Vila or Luganville — ATMs thin out fast on the outer islands.

Don't have a Wise card yet? Order one before you leave Australia or New Zealand — it's the cheapest long-term fix for cruising money.

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2. You have a stash of cash aboard

Cash almost always gets a better rate than a card swipe or a bank transfer. Compare a couple of counters before committing:

• Goodies Money Exchange — Phone +678 23 445 / +678 22 927. Three locations in Port Vila: Olympic Court (opposite Healthwise Pharmacy, next to Island Time Restaurant), opposite Wanfuteng Bank, and opposite Market House. GPS -17.7333, 168.317. Open Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:30pm, weekends and public holidays 7:30am-12pm. Also in Luganville, opposite The Espiritu Hotel.
• No1 Currency Exchange / Western Union — convenient for odd hours; the Bauerfield Airport branch runs 4am-11pm daily. Also found in Port Vila town center and at Luganville airport and post office.
• Worth knowing: No1 Currency, Goodies Forex, and Fexco Pacific share the same parent company, so don't expect fierce competition between the signs on the street — still worth a quick compare, since branch rates can vary.
• Bred Bank often beats the exchange counters specifically for GBP, Swiss Francs, and Pacific Francs. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30/9am-3:30pm.
• Bring your passport — every counter and bank asks for photo ID.
• Exchange enough before heading to the outer islands, since currency exchange options disappear almost entirely once you leave Port Vila or Luganville.

3. You have a credit card and the option to transfer funds

This route works, but it's the priciest of the three:

• Bank branches in Port Vila and Luganville exchange foreign notes — ANZ, BSP, National Bank of Vanuatu, and Bred all offer this during weekday banking hours (generally 8:30am-3pm, closed weekends).
• A credit card cash advance works in a pinch, but expect an ATM fee and a cash-advance fee from your home bank stacked on top of the local charge.
• An international transfer to a local account only makes sense if you already bank locally — for most cruisers passing through, exchanging notes or cash-advancing at an ATM is faster and cheaper.
• The long-term fix is a Wise card, ordered before departure. It takes a few days to arrive, so sort it out before you leave, rather than facing Vanuatu's rates with only a Visa in hand.