Travellers are recommended to take out full medical insurance before departure. Tuvalu's only hospital is in Funafuti; the outer islands only have trained nurses. More serious and complicated problems may require medicinal evacuation to Fiji or Australia.
Australian and Tuvaluan currency are both in use, but transactions over A$1 are always conducted in Australian Dollars. For details of Australian Dollar denominations and exchange rates, see the Australia section.
The Islands of Tuvalu consist of six atolls and reef islands. The smallest, Niulakita, was uninhabited until it was settled by people from Niutao in 1949.