General Information
The FSM spans two time zones.
Yap and Chuuk are 10 hours ahead of GMT; Pohnpei and Kosrae are GMT +11 hours.
Business hours are normally from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays. On weekends most retail outlets are open with some limiting hours from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Banks and Government Offices are closed. Restaurants and Bars are open until 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends.
Standard 110 volt and US type outlets are used.
The U.S. dollar is the official currency. There are several U.S. FDIC insured banks operating in the FSM.
Most major credit cards are welcome at most visitor-oriented businesses.
Visitors to the country are guests and hospitality is an honor in our culture. Tips are neither expected nor encouraged.
Travel light. It never gets cold in FSM, so only lightweight clothing should be brought.
Attire is very casual and formal wear is considered unnecessary and impractical. Hats, sunglasses and sun screen are recommended when enjoying the sun.
Several newspapers, government and private, are available.
There are several AM and FM radio stations as well as cable stations on Pohnpei and Chuuk where one can watch live satellite broadcasts of CNN and ESPN.
The FSM enjoys modern, reliable telecommunication links worldwide.
TV, FAX and Internet services are readily available throughout the FSM through the services of the FSM Telecommunications Corporation.
The FSM is a healthy place to visit.
There are no tropical diseases and health care is readily available. Each of the FSM states has a modern major hospital.
U.S. Postal rates apply, and there are post offices on all the four states of the FSM.
Post offices are open daily during regular business hours and are closed on week-ends.
