Promote:
Invest in Kiribati
A short guide for companies expanding into Kiribati: the economy at a glance, the rules and steps to set up, and who can help, each with its source.
1. Kiribati at a glance
PopulationEstimate
136,488
The World Bank reports a population of 136,488 in 2025.
Source: World Bank, population of Kiribati, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDPEstimate
US$349.2 million
The World Bank reports GDP of US$349,227,254 in current dollars for 2025.
Source: World Bank, GDP of Kiribati, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP per personEstimate
US$2,559
The World Bank reports GDP per person of US$2,558.67 in current dollars for 2025.
Source: World Bank, GDP per person of Kiribati, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Real GDP growthEstimate
4.2%
The World Bank reports real GDP growth of 4.2 percent for 2025.
Source: World Bank, real GDP growth of Kiribati, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Inflation
0.7%
Annual consumer price inflation was 0.7 percent in March 2026, the Statistics Office reports; December 2025 was 5.6 percent.
Source: Kiribati Statistics Office, consumer price index report, March 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of March 2026
Foreign direct investment inflows
US$4.16 million
Foreign direct investment inflows were US$4.161 million in 2025, UNCTAD reports; the World Bank's balance-of-payments series gives US$4,161,003.
Source: UNCTADstat, foreign direct investment inflows to Kiribati, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
The currency is the Australian dollar.
Source: World Bank, WDI metadata for Kiribati, read November 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 8, 2026
2. Before you set up
The investment agency, any one-stop route, the sectors reserved for nationals and the zones, as the guide found them.
The Investment Promotion Division of the commerce ministry registers foreign investors and runs the Foreign Investment Act 2018.
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Investment Promotion Division page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
The Act lets the Registrar set up an integrated client service facility, but the start-up guide lists steps at five separate offices.
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Schedule 1 of the Act reserves nine activities for citizens, including bus, taxi and rental vehicle services, handicrafts, saw milling and inshore fishing.
Source: Government of Kiribati, Foreign Investment Act 2018, official copy (opens in a new tab) · as of December 24, 2018
No official list or count of zones is published, and the Foreign Investment Act 2018 names no investment, industrial or economic zone.
Source: Government of Kiribati, Foreign Investment Act 2018, official copy (opens in a new tab) · as of December 24, 2018
3. Steps to set up
The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.
Setting up in Kiribati
- Apply for a foreign investment certificate.Investment Promotion DivisionFee A$500, A$1,000 or A$1,500 by capital; decision within 30 working daysOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Register the company and its business name.Business and Companies Regulatory DivisionUp to 3 daysOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Get a business license from the local council, and renew it each year.Betio Town Council or Tarawa Urban CouncilOne day; fee varies with the activityOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Register for VAT with the Tax Division.Tax Division, Ministry of Finance and Economic DevelopmentFree; 1 to 3 daysOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Show 2 more set-up steps
- Apply for an investment visa or work visa for foreign staff.Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration2 weeksOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Register as an employer and register staff with the Kiribati Provident Fund.Kiribati Provident FundFree; about one dayOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
4. Organizations that help investors
Start with Investment Promotion Division and Kiribati Customs. Each card links to the organization’s own site.
Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets
Investment and business setup
- Meet requirements
Foreign investment registry
Investment Promotion Division
Receives foreign investment applications, screens them against the sector lists and issues foreign investment certificates.
- Meet requirements
Company and business registry
BCRD
Business and Companies Regulatory Division
Registers companies and business names under the Companies Ordinance and the Registration of Business Names Act 1988, and publishes its fees.
Visit BCRD (opens in a new tab)Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, company registry page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Customs and tax
- Meet requirements
Customs authority
Kiribati Customs
Kiribati Customs Administration and Enforcement
Runs border control over goods and people moving into and out of Kiribati, under the Customs Act 2019.
Chambers and industry associations
- Get advice
Chamber of commerce
KCCI
Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Represents local businesses in national forums, including the fisheries ministry's Te Wa Forum on ocean resources in May 2026.
Visit KCCI (opens in a new tab)Source: Kiribati fisheries ministry, Te Wa Forum summary, May 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Get advice
Regional private sector body
PIPSO
Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation
Regional body
Represents national private sector organizations, including the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in regional policy.
Visit PIPSO (opens in a new tab)Source: Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation, home page, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
5. Worth knowing
Logistics and border performance
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development lists remoteness, limited land mass, and import prices and shipping costs among its main risks.
What to do: Confirm shipping schedules and costs with your carrier before you quote delivery dates.
Source: Kiribati Finance Ministry, Economic Outlook 2026, June 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Public finances and fund returns
The outlook assesses the risk of debt distress as high because of climate vulnerabilities and implicit contingent liabilities, though external public debt is 8 percent of GDP.
What to do: Check payment terms and timing before you sign contracts with the government.
Sources: Kiribati Finance Ministry, Economic Outlook 2026, June 2026 (opens in a new tab); Kiribati Finance Ministry, Citizens Budget 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Climate and water
The outlook lists climate-related disasters, including sea level rise, flooding and freshwater scarcity, among the main risks to the economy.
What to do: Allow for site, storage and freshwater needs in your project before you commit capital.
Source: Kiribati Finance Ministry, Economic Outlook 2026, June 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Reserved sectors
Schedule 1 of the Foreign Investment Act 2018 reserves nine activities for citizens, and no approval can be given to a non-citizen to take part in them.
What to do: Check Schedule 1 against your investment project before you apply.
Sources: Government of Kiribati, Foreign Investment Act 2018, official copy (opens in a new tab); Kiribati commerce ministry, reserved, restricted and prohibited sector lists (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Show 2 more
Foreign investment approval
The Registrar decides applications up to A$250,000 and Cabinet decides larger ones; a certificate lapses if the business has not started within one year.
What to do: Allow for starting operations within one year of the certificate date.
Sources: Government of Kiribati, Foreign Investment Act 2018, official copy (opens in a new tab); Kiribati commerce ministry, Foreign Investment Start-up Guide (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Access to land
As of 2021, per the Investment Policy Framework, 37 percent of land is customary, and subleasing government-leased land in South Tarawa needs landowner consent.
What to do: Confirm the tenure and consent terms of any site with the lands ministry before you sign a lease.
Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Investment Policy Framework, listed 2021 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
6. How Promote:Global helps
- Compare Kiribati with other countriesSet Kiribati beside other countries on investment momentum, fundamentals and trade access, before site, tax and legal work.
- Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
- Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.
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Promote:Kiribati is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.
Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of November 1, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.