Driving a Scooter in Tahiti: Which License? What Insurance? Where to Buy?

When settling in Tahiti, you have to think about how you’ll get around. Public transport exists but isn’t very reliable, so you’ll quickly find yourself limited in your travels.

Since we plan to stay for about a year, we quickly ruled out the car option: too expensive, and in any case, Papeete’s traffic jams are pretty off-putting.

The ideal solution seems to be a scooter which we can also take with us on the ferry when exploring the other islands of Polynesia (you can take your car too, but it’s more expensive).

Once you’ve decided on a scooter, another question arises: 50cc or 125cc?

Driving a 50cc?

To drive a 50cc scooter, it’s simple: your car driver’s license (Class B license) is sufficient.

However, you won’t be able to use the expressways in Tahiti, which are off-limits to two-wheelers under 125cc.

And don’t expect to head up into the hills either; the slopes can get steep, and your 50cc might not have enough oomph. Our test with a 50cc wasn’t convincing.

That said, it’s totally possible to beef up a 50cc, so don’t hesitate to ask your garage about it.

Driving a 125cc?

It’s fairly straightforward: a Class A1 license is required.

Trap: the “7-hour training” that, in mainland France, allows you to ride a 125 with a regular Class B license is valid ONLY in mainland France. It does NOT authorize you to ride a 125 in Polynesia.

In our case, it gets a bit more complicated: we both have Class B licenses, but they’re not French; they’re Vietnamese.

Since our international motorcycle license had expired, I made sure to get a certified translation before leaving, and it does the trick: you’re allowed to drive with a foreign license for one year. After that, you’ll need to apply to exchange your foreign license for a Polynesian one.

If you’re getting a translation of a foreign license, remember (unlike me) to ask for an original version. I only had a printed PDF, which can cause issues when getting the vehicle registration.

What about insurance?

There’s a bunch of insurers in Polynesia: Axa, Allianz, Generali, Anset, …

One nice thing is that they’re easy to reach by phone (no 20-minute wait) and they reply to emails quickly.

I contacted them all to ask if they’d cover me with my Vietnamese license.

I only got two positive replies: Anset , and Generali.

An important point to keep in mind is that most policies are “third-party only” insurance: they only cover damage you might cause to others. This means theft of your scooter isn’t covered.

In theory, you can insure your vehicle against theft, but between the insurance cost, the deductible, … it’ll cost you about as much as your scooter in insurance premiums.

How much does insurance cost for a 125cc?

Having no insurance history (this is my first time buying a vehicle!), I have no malus, and unfortunately no bonus either, so it’s pretty pricey!

Generali offered me a quote at 77,570 XPF per year.

Anset turned out to be more competitive with a price of 54,394 XPF.

The quote indicates a driving zone in Tahiti and Moorea, but we can still drive on the other Polynesian islands. It’s just that there are more accidents in Tahiti, which drives up the cost of insurance.

How much does a 125cc scooter cost in Tahiti?

The second-hand market is very active in Tahiti, but beware: since there’s no vehicle inspection, you can get a lot of (bad) surprises.

Since we had no experience in the area, we preferred to buy a new vehicle. As a bonus, the mechanic handles the paperwork for the registration document.

We bought a Tank scooter that cost us 249,000 XPF with a helmet and the 1,000 km service included. We hope to sell it in a year without too much depreciation.

Where to buy a scooter in Tahiti?

We bought our scooter at Moto Shop Pacific (Google Maps). You should allow at least a week for assembly, insurance needs to be handled on your end, and they’ll take care of the registration document (which will take 3-4 months). We also bought the accessories (helmets, locks) there. If you stay less than 3 months in Tahiti, they can buy the scooter back at a very good price.

Beyond that, you’ll have to manage the resale yourself, but it’s usually pretty easy on Facebook.