Regulatory & compliance · International household goods

International: Fiji

To itself arrange the international sea or air leg of a move, a mover needs a Freight Forwarder license from FRCS, a recent (2023) requirement

Regulated byFreight Forwarder license issued by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS), required under Section 148A of the Customs Act 1986 (added by Act No. 7 of 2023), effective 1 August 2023; this is the credential a mover needs to itself arrange the ocean or air leg of an international relocation (advising on and booking shipping)

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Freight Forwarder Licensing Is Required, and Recent: Yes; Yes, where the mover arranges the international leg itself. Since 1 August 2023, all freight forwarders operating in Fiji are required to hold a license from FRCS under Section 148A of the Customs Act 1986, a provision added by Act No. 7 of 2023. This is the credential a mover needs if it intends to itself advise on and arrange international shipping (booking vessel or aircraft space, coordinating the ocean or air leg) rather than handing the shipment to a separately licensed company.
A Separate Role From Customs Clearance: Yes. Fiji’s official exporter guidance treats freight forwarding as a separate role from customs clearance. Holding a Freight Forwarder license does not authorize a mover to perform customs clearance; see Country Guides for that.
FRCS Publishes a Current List of Approved Freight Forwarders: Yes. FRCS maintains and publishes a dated, public list of approved Freight Forwarders, a checkable resource for confirming a specific company’s current licensing status.

OverviewOverview & Scope

A Fijian mover intending to itself arrange the international sea or air leg of a relocation (advising on shipping options and booking vessel or aircraft space directly, rather than routing the entire international portion through an unrelated company) needs a Freight Forwarder license from FRCS, a requirement formalized under the Customs Act as of August 2023. Where the mover instead routes the international leg through a licensed forwarder, that forwarder’s own license covers the service it performs.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Movers that arrange the international sea or air leg in their own name must:

Hold a Freight Forwarder license from FRCS under Section 148A of the Customs Act 1986.

Movers that route the international leg through another company must:

Use carriers and forwarders that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

Freight Forwarder license held from FRCS under Section 148A of the Customs Act 1986Where applicable (mover arranges the international sea or air leg in its own name as a freight forwarder)Verified by DocumentRequired

Subcontracted transport

Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired