Foreign investment into Fiji runs on a threshold system: bring in enough capital and you qualify as a foreign investor, full stop. What trips people up is that the threshold isn't one number — it depends on what you're investing in. This is the sector-by-sector breakdown, alongside our guide to how to start a business in Fiji as a foreign investor, which covers the full registration process.
The Default: FJD $300,000
Under the Investment (Reserved and Restricted Activities) Regulations 2022 — made under the Investment Act 2021 and in force since 1 August 2022 — any foreign investment activity not listed in the Regulations' Schedule needs a minimum of FJD $300,000 brought into Fiji within three months of incorporation. This is the default. Most service businesses, professional practices, and general trading companies fall here.
A shortlist of activities in the Schedule carry higher thresholds instead — here's the breakdown.
FJD $500,000
Retail businesses
Nightclub and liquor bar operations, outside the vicinity of a hotel or resort
Logging
FJD $1,000,000
Homestay and backpacker accommodation — motels, motor hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfast units, visitor flats, bungalows, holiday homes, chalets, housekeeping cottages and cabins, youth hostels, and mountain refuges.
FJD $2,000,000
Hotels or resorts, suite/apartment hotels, and timeshare units.
A Useful Exemption for Property Buyers
If you're buying or developing an entire hotel, resort, or homestay property, the $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 threshold applies in full. But if you're buying an individual unit — a timeshare, holiday home, villa, or apartment within one of these developments, rather than the whole project — that purchase is exempt from the threshold. This matters if you're an individual investor buying property rather than a developer building one.
Other Sectors to Watch
Fishing (excluding fish processing), manufacturing of tobacco products, and real estate activities (excluding licensed real estate agents) also carry elevated thresholds under the same Regulations. Where exactly each one lands isn't something we'd guess at in a general guide — confirm the figure for your specific activity with Alvin Kumar & Associates before you commit to a structure or budget.
What This Means in Practice
Whatever your threshold, at least that amount needs to land in Fiji within three months of incorporation. If your activity is one of the restricted ones above, you also need to report progress on remitting the full investment amount within one year — this isn't optional paperwork, it's a condition of staying compliant.
One more thing worth knowing: this Schedule covers restricted activities — the ones that need extra capital. A separate, shorter list of reserved activities is closed to foreign investment entirely. If your sector is unusual or borderline, that's worth checking before the threshold question even comes up.
FAQ
Is FJD $300,000 the minimum for every foreign investor?
It's the default for any activity not listed in the Regulations' Schedule. Retail, nightclubs and liquor bars, and logging need $500,000; homestay and backpacker accommodation needs $1,000,000; hotels, resorts, and timeshare units need $2,000,000.
What happens if I buy just one unit in a resort development, not the whole thing?
Individual unit purchases — timeshare, holiday home, villa, or apartment — are exempt from the $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 thresholds. That exemption applies to the unit purchase itself, not to developing the whole property.
Where can I find the official, current list?
The Investment (Reserved and Restricted Activities) Regulations 2022, gazetted 9 August 2022 under the Investment Act 2021. Regulations get amended — confirm the current Schedule and your specific threshold with Alvin Kumar & Associates before relying on any published list, including this one.
Next Step
Getting your sector's threshold wrong is an expensive mistake to catch late — it affects your entity structure, your funding plan, and your visa timeline. Alvin Kumar & Associates checks this as a standard part of every company formation engagement for foreign investors. Book a free 30-minute consultation, or start with the Foreign Investor Toolkit for a guide specific to your country.