Tuvalu uses two currencies in parallel circulation: the Australian Dollar and the Tuvaluan Dollar, which maintains parity with the AUD at a fixed one-to-one exchange rate. The Tuvaluan Dollar exists primarily as commemorative coinage issued through the Funafuti Philatelic Bureau. All Australian banknotes circulate freely as legal tender. The country operates no central bank. The National Bank of Tuvalu, established in 2012, provides basic commercial banking services on Funafuti. Automated teller machines exist only on Fongafale islet. Outer islands conduct transactions primarily in cash. Credit card acceptance remains extremely limited outside the Vaiaku Hotel, with Visa and Mastercard occasionally accepted at government offices for large transactions such as visa fees. Travelers should carry sufficient Australian Dollar cash for their entire stay, as currency exchange services do not exist in Tuvalu. The nearest functional banking infrastructure operates in Suva, Fiji, approximately 1,100 kilometers south.
Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation holds the monopoly on telecommunications services. Mobile coverage through 2G GSM exists on Funafuti, with intermittent coverage on some outer islands. The country has no 3G or 4G infrastructure as of the most recent expansion completed in 2019. Internet access relies on a single satellite connection shared across the entire nation, resulting in speeds typically below 1 Mbps during peak usage. The government center at Vaiaku maintains a public internet room operating on scheduled hours. The domain name ".tv" generates significant revenue for Tuvalu through licensing agreements, with Verisign paying approximately twelve million dollars over a twenty-five-year contract signed in 2019. This represents roughly eight to ten percent of annual government revenue depending on fluctuations in other income sources. International calls cost approximately two to three Australian Dollars per minute. No postal delivery system exists; all mail is collected at the single post office on Fongafale.
Electricity supply operates on 220 volts at 50 Hz using Australian-style Type I plugs. Funafuti receives power from diesel generators running approximately eighteen hours daily, typically from morning through midnight. Scheduled blackouts occur regularly when fuel supplies run low between shipment arrivals. Outer islands have limited or no public electricity infrastructure, with individual households using solar panels or small generators. Water supply presents significant challenges. Funafuti relies on groundwater lenses that turn brackish during extended dry periods and rainwater harvesting systems. No island has natural streams or rivers. Desalination units installed with New Zealand aid operate intermittently on Funafuti. During La Niña drought periods, notably 2011, the entire water supply has failed, requiring emergency shipments from New Zealand and Australia. Travelers should assume water rationing and plan accordingly. Bottled water arrives on the monthly supply ship from Fiji, with availability depending on that month's cargo manifest.
The Vaiaku Hotel on Fongafale islet contains sixteen rooms and represents the only commercial hotel in the nation. Advance booking is essential as rooms frequently house government officials, aid workers, and the small number of tourists arriving monthly. Tariffs range from one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty Australian Dollars per night depending on room type. The hotel provides the only restaurant consistently serving meals to non-residents. Several guesthouses operate informally on Funafuti, typically family-run homes offering spare rooms for fifty to one hundred Australian Dollars nightly. These rarely advertise online and require local contact through the Tuvalu Tourism Office for arrangement. Outer island accommodation exists only through village homestays arranged in advance, with visitors typically hosted by the falekaupule or designated families. No private tourism accommodation infrastructure exists on Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu, Nanumanga, or Niulakita. The expectation for outer island stays includes contribution to household expenses and participation in community meals, with compensation amounts determined through local protocol rather than fixed rates.
Inter-island travel depends on irregular shipping and limited air service. The Manu Folau, a New Zealand-funded passenger ferry, theoretically operates monthly circuits connecting all nine islands, though delays of weeks or months occur due to mechanical issues, weather, and fuel availability. Each circuit takes approximately two weeks to complete. Deck passage costs vary by distance, ranging from approximately twenty to sixty Australian Dollars. No cabins exist. The vessel carries cargo as its primary function, with passenger service secondary. Fiji Airways operates a twice-weekly service between Funafuti and Suva using a narrow-body jet. No domestic air service exists except irregular charter flights to outer islands using a small aircraft operated by the Tuvalu government for medical emergencies and official business. These charters do not follow published schedules and rarely carry tourists. Total travel time to reach outer islands commonly extends to multiple weeks when accounting for scheduling uncertainties.