French Polynesia · Polynesia
Custom Bali Furniture for Tahiti & Bora Bora
Produced in the workshop in Kerobokan, Bali, and shipped door to door by the workshop and its freight forwarders. Typical ocean transit of 25 to 35 days.
French Polynesia, Polynesia
The market
French Polynesia's luxury hospitality market is concentrated on overwater villa properties, primarily in Bora Bora (Four Seasons, St Regis, Conrad, Intercontinental Thalasso) and increasingly on Moorea and Tahiti itself. Brando on Tetiaroa represents the ultra-premium private island segment. The 121-island archipelago hosts approximately 30 luxury resort properties with over-water villa inventory exceeding 600 keys total. Furniture specification for French Polynesian hospitality emphasises marine-grade materials given the constant salt-air, lagoon-water exposure, and direct sun. Bali sources well into French Polynesia's market because Indonesian teak meets the marine specifications natively.
Shipping & logistics
From Bali to Tahiti & Bora Bora, the practical details.
- Typical transit time
- 25 to 35 days
- Departure port
- Benoa, Bali
- Arrival port
- Papeete, Tahiti
- Standard incoterms
- CIF Papeete
- Furniture import duty
- 13% under the French Polynesia customs tariff, on every HS 9401 and 9403 line, on CIF value
- VAT / local tax
- 16% TVA Polynésienne applies at import on CIF plus duties and taxes
Direct services from Benoa to Papeete are available via transshipment hubs (typically Auckland or Fiji). Papeete is French Polynesia's primary international port and handles all major hospitality cargo. From Papeete, inter-island shipping to Bora Bora, Moorea, and other Society Islands operates on weekly schedules; total transit including inter-island transfer typically adds 3 to 7 days to Bali-to-Papeete time. Pacific shipping routes are reliable but add transit time compared to Indian Ocean routes.
Customs & import notes
French Polynesia operates as a French overseas collectivity outside EU customs jurisdiction, with its own customs tariff. Furniture (HS 9401 and 9403) carries a 13% droit de douane on CIF value; the 6% reduced rate is reserved to EU-origin goods. A 2% environment, agriculture and fisheries tax (TEAP) and a 1.25% Port autonome de Papeete due are collected on CIF, plus small fixed statistical fees, and the standard 16% TVA Polynésienne applies at import on CIF plus duties and taxes. A 37% taxe de développement local applies to wooden kitchen furniture only (HS 9403.40). Polynesian biosecurity requires a phytosanitary certificate for wooden furniture, and an import permit plus treatment for bamboo and rattan pieces. Indonesian timber leaves Bali under the SVLK timber legality system, Indonesia's export requirement for wood products. The workshop's freight forwarder works with customs brokers at Papeete, who file the French-language customs declarations.
Climate considerations
Tropical, 24 to 30°C year-round, with Pacific cyclone risk November to April and continuous lagoon-water exposure on overwater villas.
- Tropical climate, 24 to 30°C year-round with Pacific cyclone risk November to April (lower frequency than Indian Ocean)
- UV index 11 to 13 year-round, exceptionally intense in austral summer
- Continuous lagoon-water and salt-spray exposure on overwater villa applications; marine-grade A-grade teak only
- Constant trade winds provide ventilation and accelerate natural drying
Recommended materials for Tahiti & Bora Bora
A-Grade Plantation Teak (full marine outdoor)
Teak is the primary material for French Polynesian overwater villa applications: deck flooring, outdoor furniture, structural elements exposed to constant lagoon water and salt air. The material's natural oil content typically provides 25 to 30 year structural integrity, making it the only practical timber choice for over-water villa contexts where replacement is operationally complex.
Natural Rattan (covered outdoor & indoor)
Rattan thrives in French Polynesian climate when kept under cover. Lounge chairs, hanging seats, partition screens for villa interiors and covered terraces. Avoid full direct sun in Polynesian summer where UV is exceptionally intense; covered verandas and shaded pavilions typically deliver 15 to 20 years of performance.
Reclaimed Teak (statement pieces)
Reclaimed teak's heritage character aligns with French Polynesian villa design language, where many properties incorporate traditional Polynesian craft elements. Statement dining tables, custom bar fronts, lobby feature walls.
Why Balinese furniture works for French Polynesia
The case for Bali sourcing in French Polynesia is partly aesthetic and partly material. The Bali-to-Papeete route, typically 25 to 35 days, is comparable to French or Asian alternatives but at significantly lower cost basis.
Indonesian teak’s natural silica and oil content handle the constant salt-air exposure of overwater villa environments where most other timbers require chemical preservation. The aesthetic alignment is also strong: French Polynesian resort design has converged on natural materials and indoor-outdoor living, the same design language Bali’s craft tradition produces.
For an over-water villa with continuous lagoon-water exposure, A-grade plantation teak typically provides 25 to 30 year structural performance where lesser timbers typically fail within 5 to 8 years. Final delivery to specific motu locations typically requires coordination with resort management for marine transit from Papeete.
What a typical French Polynesia hospitality project would include
Illustrative example. A French Polynesia hospitality project would almost always be a resort commission, typically 50 to 100 keys mixing beach villas with over-water bungalows in the format the territory effectively defined for the global luxury market. Bora Bora anchors the segment (Four Seasons, St Regis, Conrad Bora Bora Nui, InterContinental Le Moana and Thalasso), with parallel ultra-luxury inventory on Mo’orea (Hilton, InterContinental, Sofitel) and Taha’a (Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts), and the private-island segment at Tetiaroa (The Brando). Scope would typically include repeated bedroom FF&E across all keys with distinct specifications between beach and over-water types, restaurant and bar interiors, spa fit-outs, and pool-deck plus jetty pieces. Project containers commonly span 2 to 4 × 40ft HC for full-property fit-outs.
Furniture considerations for French Polynesia climate
Specify over-water bungalow pieces for continuous lagoon-water exposure, not just salt air. Over-water furniture lives suspended directly above the lagoon with continuous spray, mist, and reflective UV reaching the underside of every piece. A-grade plantation teak with marine-grade brass and fully sealed joinery is the practical default for over-water bungalows; mid-tier hardwoods and standard hardware typically fail within 5 to 8 years in this exposure profile. The specification gap between over-water and beach villa pieces is significant and should be locked at briefing stage.
Calibrate the outdoor specification to the Polynesian risk profile, not the Caribbean one. French Polynesia sits in a historically lower-frequency cyclone zone than the Atlantic Caribbean or the Mascarene Islands, so the heavier structural specification common in Mauritius or Saint Barths is not the operative reference. Marine-grade specification remains mandatory: A-grade plantation teak with mortise-and-tenon joinery and brass hardware is the usual outdoor specification for exposed positions. This is a real cost and design economy worth recognising on Polynesian projects.
Plan finishes for sustained Pacific UV. UV index 11 to 13 year-round, peaking in austral summer (December to February), drives finish degradation at the upper end of the destinations covered here. Untreated rattan and unsealed natural fibres lose colour and integrity in 12 to 18 months under direct exposure; UV-stabilised treatments and shaded placement protocols are paired specifications rather than independent choices.
Buyer checklist for French Polynesia projects
- Plan inter-island barge timing from Papeete to the destination atoll. Mo’orea is reachable in hours; Bora Bora and Taha’a typically run 1 to 2 days on barge depending on schedule. This affects sequencing of hard installation dates.
- Coordinate with Papeete-based freight forwarders experienced in French-language customs declarations. French Polynesia operates as a French overseas collectivity with its own customs and fiscal procedures, defer to the broker on specifics rather than assuming Metropolitan French rules apply.
- Target the May-to-October dry season for over-water bungalow installation work where the schedule allows. Calmer lagoon conditions and lower rainfall make jetty offloads and over-water placements materially easier.
- Confirm jetty width, lagoon depth at the destination motu, and barge size compatibility before scoping over-water bungalow piece dimensions. Final-mile placement on motu locations is often the binding constraint rather than the production specification.
- Differentiate over-water bungalow and beach villa specifications in the brief at the start. The two types have distinct hardware, joinery, and finish requirements, and consolidating production to common drawings is a recurring source of mid-project rework.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get custom furniture from Bali to Tahiti and Bora Bora?
The workshop's typical lead time is 12 to 20 weeks door to door depending on destination, including 8 to 10 weeks of production in Bali, never an Ubud Atelier commitment. Ocean transit from Benoa to Papeete, Tahiti, via Auckland or Fiji, typically takes 25 to 35 days; inter-island shipping to Bora Bora typically adds 3 to 7 days.
What import duty applies to wooden furniture in French Polynesia?
French Polynesia charges 13% customs duty on every furniture line under HS 9401 and 9403, on the CIF value, under its own customs tariff; the 6% reduced rate is reserved to EU-origin goods. A 2% TEAP and a 1.25% Port autonome de Papeete due are also collected on CIF, plus small fixed statistical fees.
Is VAT due on furniture imported into French Polynesia, and at what rate?
Yes. French Polynesia charges 16% TVA at import on the CIF value plus duties and taxes. With 13% duty, the 2% TEAP and the 1.25% port due, import taxes on furniture shipped from Bali to Tahiti come to approximately 34.9% of the CIF value. A 37% local development tax applies to wooden kitchen furniture only.
Which documents are needed to import furniture from Indonesia into French Polynesia?
Polynesian biosecurity requires a phytosanitary certificate for wooden furniture; bamboo and rattan pieces need an import permit, a phytosanitary certificate and a treatment within 21 days of shipment. An SVLK timber legality certificate covers the wood. French Polynesia is outside the EU customs territory, so the EU FLEGT and deforestation rules do not apply.
Who handles shipping and customs clearance from Bali to Tahiti and Bora Bora?
The workshop and its freight forwarder. The forwarder works with customs brokers at Papeete, who file the customs declaration in French, and HS classification is confirmed with the freight forwarder before each shipment leaves Bali. Ubud Atelier introduces the project to the workshop and relays information to the client.
Is solid teak suitable for overwater villas in Bora Bora?
Yes. The natural silica and oil content of A-grade plantation teak resists moisture and salt air without chemical treatment, and in Bora Bora overwater villa exposure A-grade plantation teak typically provides 25 to 30 years of structural integrity. Untreated it weathers to silver-grey; regular teak oil keeps its golden tone. Under cover, natural rattan typically lasts 15 to 20 years.
What is the minimum project size for a resort or villa in French Polynesia?
Hospitality projects in French Polynesia, from an overwater resort in Bora Bora to a boutique property on Moorea, start from €25,000. A private residence starts from €10,000.
How does furniture reach an overwater villa on a Bora Bora motu?
From Papeete, inter-island freight vessels carry the furniture to Bora Bora, and final delivery to a motu typically requires coordination with resort management for marine transit. Jetty width, lagoon depth at the motu and barge size are worth confirming before piece dimensions are fixed for a Bora Bora project.
Figures checked: September 2026
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